What to Know About Living in a Dry Climate
Moving to a dry climate can be a shock to the system if you’re not prepared. The dry weather can dry out your skin, furniture, and other belongings in your home. The heat can leave you sweaty and overheated. Learning ways to deal with a hot, dry climate makes your new desert lifestyle more enjoyable.
Run a Humidifier
When you live in a dry climate, your indoor air also feels dry. This not only causes dry skin and possibly a dry air cough, but it can also cause damage inside your home. Wood and other surfaces can dry out from the lack of moisture in the air. One way to boost indoor moisture is by using humidifiers throughout your home. Finding the best humidifier based on the size of your room and your needs improves the feel of your environment. Whole-house humidifiers use one unit to add moisture throughout the home while smaller humidifiers moisturize one room.
Keep Your HVAC System in Good Shape
Having an air conditioner that works well and runs efficiently helps you stay cool and saves you money. Change the filters regularly to keep them clean to ensure ample airflow and better cooling.
Stay Hydrated and Moisturized
You know that drinking water is important to keep your body healthy, but hydration is especially important when you move to a dry climate. You can quickly become dehydrated if you don’t drink water throughout the day. Drinking cold water and staying hydrated can help you feel more comfortable and cool. You can also help by frequently applying moisturizer. Use moisturizers and lotions designed for your type of skin to help yourself stay hydrated.
Shade Your Vehicles
Inside a closed vehicle, the temperature can soar much higher than the outside temperature. When you get into an overheated car, you feel instantly hot. Some of the surfaces, such as the steering wheel or metal on seat belts, can burn your skin. Parking your vehicle in the shade, either from trees or a structure such as a garage or carport, can help lower the interior temperature. This can make it more comfortable for you when you enter your vehicle. You can also help keep your car cooler by using a reflective windshield shade. It bounces sunlight away from the car to prevent it from heating up as quickly or as much.
Using the Weather to Your Advantage
Opening your windows when it starts to cool off lets in that cool air. This can cool off your home naturally without running your air conditioning.
The same effect works the opposite way. The dry air won’t trap the cool nighttime air, so as soon as the sun comes up again, the environment gets very hot very quickly. Shut your windows in the morning before the temperature starts to rise. This helps hold that cold nighttime air inside your house. Closing your window treatments can also help. This is especially important for windows where there’s direct sunlight. The sun heats up the room quickly unless you block it with your blinds.
Living in a dry climate has its own complications but honestly every climate requires you to adapt in some way.