Picture Kathleen Turner in ”Body Heat” or Elizabeth Taylor in ”Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” their steamy on-screen passions competing with the mercury. Think of a ferocious sun and a humidity factor playing havoc with your psyche. Think sultry. Now think of surviving.
Years ago, homes were shuttered from late morning until early evening. Families retreated to cool basements until evening breezes made supper on the porch bearable. When those breezes failed to arrive, the only relief came in tall, cool drinks and hand-held fans.
Today air conditioners keep life at a comfortable chill. Yet what happens when we venture out? Or when we start feeling energy conscious or budget minded?
We face the full force of a sultry summer in Chicago, of course, and that`s when we need maximum relief with a minimum of effort.
”Move into the basement and think cool thoughts. Live outside more,”
says Roger Whitmer, a University of Illinois associate professor of architecture. ”Shut up the house in hot weather to keep the warm air outside, then open it up at night to let the cool air move through.”
”The key to surviving a hot, humid environment is to shorten work periods to give the body extra time to lose the heat it produces. Slow down and take longer rest breaks,” says Roger Hubbard, director of the heat research division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine in Natick, Mass.
Roll up the carpets, relax, hang awnings, pull out all manner of fans and coolers, limit meal preparation to the early morning and evening hours.
Whitmer, a proponent of solar energy and energy conservation, sees landscaping and shading as effective means of cooling the home. ”Basically, you must first try to create a micro-environment outside the house, then shade the house by landscaping or whatever method is feasible. The dominant problem is the building`s west and south exposures because the morning sun is cooler than the afternoon sun.
”This may be a good time to rethink the way we live,” he adds. ”We should take a cue from people indigenous to a hot area and look closer, say, at the pueblos of the Southwest. Thick walls, for example, contribute to the retention of coolness.”
Heat is not the only culprit. ”It`s not the heat, it`s the humidity.”
The refrain can be heard echoing throughout Chicago into September.
”Sweating is the primary mechanism for cooling the body–as we perspire, the moisture evaporates from the skin and the body is cooled. Yet when humidity rises, the evaporative cooling power of the environment declines. Humidity approaching 70 percent limits the body`s cooling capacity because perspiration isn`t evaporated fully,” Hubbard says. ”On a desert, the perspiration dries so fast you don`t see it. With humidity, you get less cooling and sweat is more visible.”
Water, Hubbard says, slightly flavored and served at a temperature of 60 degrees, appears to be the best thirst quencher. Foods high in water content follow close behind. With more than 90 percent water, limes, lemons, watermelon, cantaloupe, lettuce, cucumbers, celery and tomatoes are true coolers. No wonder summer tastes run to chilly salads and citrus drinks.
As a food scientist once explained: ”Eating cold foods works just like putting a cup of ice water into a pot of hot water. If you put cold water or a cold food item into your stomach, the body works to bring the stomach to body temperature. In doing so, it draws heat from other parts of your body, which in turn cools them.”
Short of extended rest breaks on hot, humid days and meals based solely on salads and melons, there are some practical and fun ways to survive this sultry summer. There`s no reason to feel like an extra in that 1958 movie classic ”The Long Hot Summer,” with Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman. Read on.
1. Water is ”the only liquid that truly appeases thirst,” Brillat-Savarin says in ”The Physiology of Taste” (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, $9.95 paperback). It`s also the lowest calorie refresher. But Michigan- straight can be boring. So visit the Zodiac Room at the Michigan Avenue Neiman-Marcus store and slake your thirst with a little something from the water cart. You`ll be able to choose from among imported and domestic waters, both sparkling and flavored, served straight up or on the rocks, with or without a garnish ($1.95 a glass). At Neiman-Marcus, 737 N. Michigan Ave.
2. When the sun scorches down, let solar power spin the blades on bright- colored gooseneck plastic fans from Milano Series. When the sun`s out to lunch, batteries provide the power on the clip-based unit ($19.95). At Crate & Barrel, 850 N. Michigan Ave. and other locations.
3. Roll up the carpets and put down rag rugs or mats of sisel or sea grass, says M.J. Kamin, president of Dvorak Design Interiors in Riverside.
”If the floors are not in good condition, paint them white or another light color. Use a couple coats of a good quality porch and deck paint. If you like, you can stencil around the perimeter using a fast-drying acrylic and a stencil cut from heavy plastic. If you stencil with acrylic, we suggest a finish of two or three coats of polyurethane over all.”
4. ”Do all your cooking in the early morning or evening,” suggests David Christian of Gaper`s Caterers, which handles the outdoor service at Ravinia. Remember, he says, that many foods traditionally served hot are good cold: ratatouille; meat loaf; meat, egg-and-potato frittata. ”Go heavy on the seasoning if the item is to be served cold,” he says. ”As a general rule, double the amount of seasoning called for in hot dish if you plan to serve it cold.” Cook several meals when it`s cool, then store in the refrigerator.
5. Hang awnings or shutters over south and west windows, Whitmer says. White reflects best. ”There are also shades that are hung on the outside . . . the key here being to stop the heat before it gets in the house.”
6. Beat the bug problem with Bug-a-Boo by the Andrew Hunter Co. The screen unit, which allows tanning rays and breezes to pass through, but not bugs, is big enough to enclose a full-size lounge chair ($53.95). At Hammacher Schlemmer, 618 N. Michigan Ave.
7. If you`re pregnant, says Debbie Tatel, owner of the maternity fashions shop Expectations, 2012 N. Halsted St. and Evanston, ”the secret of keeping cool is in choosing cooling clothes. Because your body temperature rises when you`re pregnant, this becomes even more important. Lightweight, natural fabrics are recommended because they breathe. Avoid knits or fabrics that hug the body. Dresses are usually the most cool and comfortable. Light colors or bright nautical blues with white have a crisp feel.”
8. Put away heavy, dark-colored and fussy accessories. If your home is painted in a neutral color, introduce bright-colored accents such as area rugs, pillows and vases with clean, simple lines.
9. The ultrathin, most high-tech cooler on the market may be the 3/4-inch-thick Thin-Air desk fan (shown on page 1) by the Tekna Design Group. The award-winning design in black or white plastic is powered by an AC adaptor
($40). At City, 213 W. Institute Pl.
10. Drink water before you head into the garden or onto the golf course.
”The body has an imperfect thirst mechanism. That is, you don`t get thirsty until your body is down 1 or 1 1/2 quarts of water,” says heat researcher Hubbard. If you force yourself to drink when you`re not thirsty
–especially before activities outdoors–you`ll improve your sweat rate and keep yourself cooler, and your heart rate will be lower, making you feel more comfortable, he says.
As for the water, Hubbard notes that studies have shown that ”cooling and flavoring water–especially with citrus–enhances consumption. We found that so many men and women are used to drinking commercial beverages that filtered drinking water is not palatable.” As for the need for extra salt, Hubbard says, ”The average American diet is very rich in salt and more than adequate to compensate for loss through evaporation.”
11. What better way to enjoy summer sports than from under an energy-saving, baseball-style Solar Cool Cap outfitted with a solar-powered fan set in the crown ($25)? At Eclectricity, 1000 W. North Ave.
12. ”Invest in slipcovers. They give you an instant change,” says interior designer Kamin, one of the national directors of the American Society of Interior Designers. ”Although many of us grew up with this look, it`s now very `in` again. Use chintz, white cottons or sheeting–percales are cool to sit on and very durable.”
13. Ventilate the attic, Whitmer says, especially if you have a pitched roof. ”That may mean opening louvers or using a mechanical fan exhaust.”
14. Relax and read without developing kinks in your neck with Horizontal Reading Glasses that really work. Sturdy plastic frames are outfitted with tiny mirrors so you can recline and read ($32.95). At Hammacher Schlemmer.
15. Keep chic Sisley, French botanical waters that are a blend of rosewater and florals, in the refrigerator for a cooling spray on steamy bare skin or over makeup ($20 for a 4.2-ounce bottle). Or treat yourself to a La Prairie Sun Masque ($25 a tube), a specially designed treatment for sun-toasted skin. Both at Neiman-Marcus and major department stores.
16. Prepare a pasta dish substituting olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and herbs for cream and cheese sauces. ”Once the pasta is cooked al dente and refreshed with cold water, toss with a bit of olive oil and the pasta won`t clump,” says Gaper`s Christian. This allows the pasta to be made ahead. A favorite pasta salad from Gaper`s? ”Choose several small pastas–in egg, spinach, tomato and squid ink flavors,” Christian says. Once cooked and refreshed, pastas can be tossed with olive oil and chilled. Next, cut broccoli and cauliflower into bite-size pieces. Cut red, green and yellow peppers in julienne strips. Slice celery and bok choy; cube a red apple. ”Stir-fry all the vegetables in a bit of sesame oil with some fresh-grated ginger,”
Christian says. Then toss with pasta, some julienne of fresh green and yellow summer squash, cooked red lentils and lots of cracked pepper. ”Let the salad chill about 1 hour to meld the ingredients, then serve on a bed of kale.”
17. Go with pastel baskets and wicker. ”Take down a picture and hang a wall basket, then fill it with silk ivy,” says Judy Schermer of Wickerworks Country Bouquet in Naperville. ”Or remove a heavy upholstered chair in favor of something wicker.”
18. On south and west windows, try Kool Shade, an invention that`s still doing the job right after more than 40 years. According to Whitmer, ”They are mini-louver screens that shade but still allow you to look out.” Available at the National Window Co. in Bensenville, Kool Shade can be measured and installed by the homeowner. (Bob Jasica of National says some people leave the shade on throughout the year to tackle the winter sun.) The ballpark price on a bronze-painted-black unit for a 3-foot-by-5-foot window, according to Jasica, is about $80.
19. Folks who take to the water may want to bring along a drink and the S.S. Salton Floating Radio. This battery-powered AM-FM radio, with antenna, has indentations to hold three glasses ($39.99). At Carson Pirie Scott & Co., 1 S. State St. and other locations.
20. Sprinkle dampened face cloths with scented water, tuck inside a plastic sandwich bag, then tuck in the freezer. Before heading out for a day of shopping, play or work, tuck one in your purse for a midday refresher.
21. Short of bringing back summer kitchens (a suggestion from Whitmer), you can cook in ways that won`t heat up the kitchen. Stove-top cooking (stir- frying, sauteing, steaming) and microwave cooking are far cooler than baking or roasting.
22. Keep your whites and blushes on ice with a high-design cooler by Decor created especially for wine aficionados. The all-plastic casing features an interior unit that is filled with water, frozen, then slipped inside with wine bottles ($39). At Eclectricity.
23. Take down those heavy draperies. You`ll allow more window surface for air to come through.
24. Hang a Phifer screen outside south and west windows. Made by Phifer Wire Products, the exterior-mounted screens ”look like a bug screen but are a little more dense,” according to Dan Swift of Glover Shade Co., 617 N. Wells St. For inside, Whitmer suggests a silvery reflector shade. At Glover, a 3-foot-by-5-foot Heat Reflector Shade would run about $32. The same size Phifer Screen averages $35.
25. Unfold a lacquered oak sand/stadium chair ($36.95, Crate & Barrel) by ICO Manufacturing, then hook on a nylon adjustable umbrella ($8.95, Crate & Barrel), kick off your shoes and settle down to read a chilling novel. Maybe ”Dr. Zhivago.”
