Jay Virdee, a resident of Buckinghamshire, UK, shared an idea to beat the UK heat wave by using foil blankets.
News of the heatwave in the United Kingdom and London has been making headlines every day. The UK Met Office said that London has been breaking records for the highest temperature ever. UK recorded a temperature of over 40 degrees celcius on 19 July.
On the social media front, Twitter has been abuzz with low-cost hacks to help bring some respite to the people of the country.
A do-it-yourself (DIY) project by a non-resident Indian, Jay Virdee, who is now a resident of Buckinghamshire, has caught the fancy of many.
She shared a thermal/foil blanket hack which reduced the temperature in her house by 4 degrees.
Perfect 😄🙌 It’s working! Temporary, reusable, recyclable, cost-effective ♻️🌱😎 ⚠️ Attach securely & be safe ⚠️ around children/pets/others #heatwave #heatwaveuk #hottestdayoftheyear #climate #workingfromhome #ecofriendly #Tips #Hacks pic.twitter.com/egHslysmXE
— Jay Virdee 😷💙🖤; (@jay_virdee) July 18, 2022
The sustainable hack costs just Rs 190 to Rs 195. “It’s a cheap, reusable, recyclable hack,” she says.
Jay suffers from lung disease and a rare autoimmune condition, making it even more critical for her to be safe in the hot weather.
She told Daily Mail that she got the idea after seeing a car with a large sunshade on the windscreen and wondered if she could try that at home. She said that she tried tinfoil but it was expensive and she needed multiple rolls to cover her window.
After a bit more research and reading, she found that the foil blanket worked well to cool her home.
She attached the foil blanket to her windows, which allows her to see outside, as well as reduce the sun’s rays by 50 to 60 per cent.
UK residents have found this hack very useful and shared their success stories as well.
Truly the hottest interior design trend of the UK this summer, emergency foil blanket (80p each) pic.twitter.com/o0foRASue2
— Marcel Cutts (@marcelcutts) July 19, 2022
Another resident, James Brogden, shared how an old foil survival blanket helped him reduce the temperature by one degree.
Repurposed an old foil survival blanket, stuck to the windows on the other side of the venetian blinds. Seems to be working. Temp’s gone down a degree already. pic.twitter.com/qJ2Z3mDLcu
— James Brogden (@skippybe) July 19, 2022
After the incredible response, Jay shared some tips for using foil blankets while maintaining safety. She asked people to read and understand their homes before trying the idea.
UK homes must be designed to tolerate extremes of climate change ☀️🏠❄️ Please observe these important notes about the #foilblankent hack ⚠️ It was a temporary solution! Take expert advice. Safer today (heat-wise) 🌡️☀️ venture out & shop adequate heat/cold blinds, curtains…😎🧵 pic.twitter.com/ZGGr99VLiu
— Jay Virdee 😷💙🖤; (@jay_virdee) July 20, 2022
She asked people to hang the blankets in the morning or evening and do a complete check outside the house to ensure that it’s not reflecting the sun’s rays, becoming an inconvenience to passers by.
She told the Daily Mail, “They are only necessary for the windows receiving the most sun [light] so there’s no need to raid emergency supplies. It should be applied securely to ensure that children or vulnerable people can’t pull it down.”
Sources
‘Woman reveals genius £2 foil blanket hack that has reduced her home’s temperature by up to four degrees‘ by Olivia Devereux-evans for Daily Mail, Published on 19 July 2022.
‘UK boils at 40 degrees, NRI woman devises Rs 195 foil hack to beat the heat’ Published on 21 July 2022 Courtesy Economic Times
Edited by Yoshita Rao
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