FashBlog.com

by Melissa Popp

Summer's just around the block and we all know what that means: Hot summer days and nights. Well, what better way to stay cool than to freeze some of your clothes for a bit and then pop them on to keep cool when the temperature becomes unbearable. For every five to ten minutes you leave an article of clothing in the freezing, the colder you'll be when you take it on and touch it to your skin.

T-shirts, preferably large ones, work the best. Choose one you wear around during your days off. Put it into a Ziplock bag, a gallon size bag works the best. If you have a case freezer, you can just place the bag on top and let it sit for 10 minutes. However, if you have a refrigerator/freezer combo, it works best if you put the bag as far back as possible so that it is against the back wall of the fridge. This way it is connecting directly with the part of the freezer that emits coldness.

By placing it towards the back of the freezer, you are doing one of two things. First, you are ensuring that the t-shirt is in direct contact with the coldest part of the freezer. Second, you are making sure that it takes a shorter amount of time to make the t-shirt as cold as you can stand it. Play around with how long you leave the t-shirt into the freezer; if anything else, you can test run it a few times to find the right length and temperature for you. Keep in mind that the longer you keep the shirt in the freezer, the colder it will be when you take it out.

Ten minutes later when you pull the t-shirt out, it should be freezing cold. If you can stand the cold, just put in. However, if the cold is too much for your skin, you can just apply it like a cold compress to the parts of you that are the hottest. Sometimes people can't handle the quick change in temperature such a way. Finding what works best for you, your skin and your tolerance for cold is the best way to go about using a frozen t-shirt or pillow as a way to keep cool. No matter what your tolerance level is, you are bound to be cooled down significantly if it's too hot to bear.

Another easy way to stay cool, especially at night, is stick your pillowcase into the freezer. Using the same method detailed above, you just put your pillow in it and lay down to sleep. It'll keep your head cool and might just lull you into the best night's sleep you can get when it's hot and sweaty out. If you put a tiny amount of water in the Ziploc bag with the pillowcase, the coolness will last much longer. Just be careful not to add too much water or else the pillowcase will be too cold for comfort.

Freezing clothes and other materials is a great and inexpensive way to keep cool during the summer. Finding the right balance between temperature and what you can stand is also the most important part of trying such a technique. Once you find the balance you are sure to pass on this tip to staying cool when the sun is out during the summer months.