Here’s a list of creative, practical, and sometimes unexpected ways to keep cool during a desert summer—especially if you’re living somewhere like Palm Springs, where “hot” means triple digits before noon.

🧊 Physical Cooling Tactics

1. Go evaporative:
Misters, wet towels, damp bandanas, and evaporative coolers (a.k.a. swamp coolers) all work better in dry heat. A damp sheet in front of a fan can cool a room. A soaked T-shirt under a light breeze can chill you.

2. Freeze your bedding:
Literally. Put your pillowcase or top sheet in a plastic bag in the freezer an hour before bed.

3. DIY cold packs:
Fill a sock with rice, tie it off, and freeze it. It holds the cold longer than gel packs and molds to your neck or back.

4. Wear loose, light-colored clothes:
Not just cotton—modern performance fabrics can wick moisture and breathe better. And don’t forget a wide-brimmed hat.

5. Cool your pulse points:
Apply ice or cold water to wrists, ankles, behind the knees, and the back of the neck for fast relief.

💧 Hydration and Diet

6. Drink constantly—before you’re thirsty:
In desert heat, thirst is a late warning sign. Aim for water with electrolytes (not just sugar-laden sports drinks).

7. Avoid alcohol and caffeine midday:
They dehydrate you fast. Save them for sundown.

8. Eat hydrating foods:
Cucumbers, watermelon, oranges, celery, strawberries—they hydrate and cool your body naturally.

9. Keep meals light:
Heavy meals raise your body temperature. Midday, think cold soups, smoothies, and salads.

🏡 Home Hacks

10. Reverse your ceiling fan:
Set it counter-clockwise in summer to push air down and create a breeze.

11. Blackout curtains:
Block out the sun before it hits your windows, not after the room’s hot.

12. Open up at night:
If it cools below 80 at night, open windows and let the desert air flow through—then shut everything tight by 8 a.m.

13. Ditch the oven:
Use an air fryer, grill outside, or go raw. Cooking indoors makes everything worse.

🌵 Desert-Specific Strategies

14. Time your errands like a local:
Be done by 10 a.m. or wait until after 7 p.m.

15. Know your shade:
Parking under a palo verde or mesquite tree can make a 20-degree difference in your car.

16. Keep an emergency kit in your car:
Water, electrolytes, a charged fan, sunscreen, a cooling towel, and a portable shade (like a reflective windshield visor) are musts.

17. Use the buddy system outdoors:
If you’re walking, hiking, or even gardening, let someone know—and check in.

🧠 Mind Over Heat

18. Embrace the siesta mindset:
Rest midday. Work early or late. The desert doesn’t reward pushing through the hottest hours.

19. Reset expectations:
It’s not about conquering the heat. It’s about adapting to it, respecting it, and maybe even enjoying the stillness it brings.