Amid a heatwave, a content editor discovered a 10-second cooling method using a damp tea towel that provides immediate and lasting relief, a trick long known by chefs. The technique involves running a tea towel under cold water, wringing it out, and draping it over the neck and shoulders.
Desperate for Relief While Cooking
During the latest hot weather, the author indulged in takeaways for two nights but eventually craved a rich stew requiring hours of cooking. While browning 2kg of short ribs, sweating with fans on full blast, she noticed a tea towel hanging on the oven handle. Inspired, she grabbed a fresh tea towel, ran it under the tap, wrung it out just enough not to drip, and draped it like a cape.
Even though it only touched her neck and shoulders, the relief was immediate, full-body, and lasted for hours as she worked in the kitchen. She had stumbled upon an old-fashioned chef's cooling hack.
Chef-Approved Technique
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."
Maximising the Effect
On Reddit, one cook recommended taking it 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."
The author notes that a regular hand towel was too thick, heavy, and unwieldy, but a thin tea towel, like the £1 Ikea ones with a single red stripe, works perfectly. The method aligns with Martin Lewis's advice: "Heat the human, not the home."
