No fan or equipment needed for this simple method of cooling down.
I cooled down in the heatwave using method used by chefs (Image: Nadiia Melnykova via Getty Images)
One of the worst things about a heatwave is that daily life — including cooking — must go on. And this led me to an invaluable discovery about keeping cool indoors.
A cold, wet towel may be one of the most frequently cited remedies for cooling down, particularly for those who struggle to sleep in the heat. In practice, however, I found it both messy and largely ineffective. The towel was either sodden — unpleasantly soaking my clothes and bedding — or too dry to make any real difference.
A few days later, a eureka moment struck while I stood at the stove, sweating profusely with fans running at full speed. My gaze landed on a tea towel hanging casually from the oven door handle. A standard hand towel seemed far too thick, heavy and cumbersome — but a tea towel?
Possibly too flimsy to achieve anything, yet I decided to give it a go regardless. I reached for a clean tea towel — my go-to workhorse, a £1 Ikea classic featuring a single red stripe — held it beneath the tap, squeezed out just enough water to prevent dripping, and draped it across my shoulders like a cape.
Despite only making contact with my neck and shoulders, the relief was instant, spread throughout my entire body, and persisted for hours while I laboured away in the kitchen. Line cooks across the globe will likely be thinking “Duh” because I’d inadvertently discovered a time-honoured chef’s cooling technique through simple trial and error.
Keith Chiu, chef and founder of Love Sac, previously explained the technique: “I think one of the best things you can get yourself is a cooling towel. Most of the time, chefs just sling one over your shoulder anyways. Instead, replace that with a cooling towel. You just rip it through cold water, wring it out, and it keeps your neck nice and cool. Would highly, highly recommend that.”
On Reddit, one cook recommended taking it a step further: “When you take out that cool towel, make sure to dab your ‘cooling points’ before wrapping around your neck. Wrists, elbow pits, knee pits, back of ankles. If you have time/a break and can use a different towel, hit the soles of your feet too.”
Martin Lewis says: “Heat the human, not the home.” The same principle applies when trying to cool down. Treat yourself to a chilled tea towel this summer and experience genuine relief.