China is enduring an exhausting heat wave this summer with many cities breaking their highest temperature records. How do you save yourself from the deadly heat when the sidewalk surface is hot enough to be used for barbecue? Following are suggestions of China Daily's mobile phone news readers on how to escape the scorching weather:

Stuff the bed sheet in a plastic bag and keep it in the refrigerator for some time before using it. Wrapping a cold bed sheet on will lower your body temperature and calm the nerves and help you to get a good sleep. Since high body temperature is a major reason why we find it difficult to fall asleep in hot weather, a cold bed sheet is an effective solution to the problem.

A READER, Changsha, Hunan province

I have two secret "weapons" to fight the summer heat at night. One is to clean the sleeping mat with cold water, spray some water on the surface as well as the body and then switch on an electric fan before lying down on it. Your body will cool down immediately and you will get a pleasant feeling. The other is a self-made water mattress. You can fill up an ordinary air mattress with water, which will allow you to get a sound sleep, especially because the mattress will cool down further later at night. Thanks to these two "weapons", I have been able to endure the summer in my non-air-conditioned dormitory.

A READER, Changsha, Hunan province

The scorching summer has made life difficult for many people across China. I escape the heat during daytime by spending as much time as possible in ticket-free public places such as libraries or museums which have air-conditioning. Such places offer a cool and refreshing environment. After sunset, I go shopping or walking in open air. We should take full advantage of a city's resources to spend sweaty summer in an economic and eco-friendly way.

XUWANGANG, Lanzhou, Gansu province

I suggest three ways to escape the summer heat. First, have sweet mung bean soup because it not only quenches thirst, but also helps us keep cool. Second, spend some time in a library reading to cool your mind as well as body temperature. And third, take your family out for dinner over the weekends to escape the heat and hassle of spending time in the kitchen.

MANMAN, Tianjin

The least laborious way to escape the summer heat is to spend the day in an air-conditioned room. But considering health concerns and energy conservation, we could try some other methods to beat the heat. For example, after ventilating the house for a couple of hours in the morning, we could draw the curtains to block the heat out and keep the rooms cool. Also, we should avoid going out during daytime as much as possible. And if we cannot avoid venturing out, we should always wear sunglasses and carry an umbrella. And we should drink more water and eat more fruits like melons and cucumbers.

FEITIAN, Shanghai

Keeping the doors and windows open for ventilation, and spraying the curtains with water will cool down an air-condition-less dormitory or apartment through evaporation. And tying a wet handkerchief around our wrist will help cool down our body temperature.

A READER, Xi'an, Shaanxi province

Compared with South China, the weather is quite cool in my hometown in the Northeast China. In fact, it feels like early autumn in the morning and evening. During the relatively hot afternoons, we have some iced watermelon and drink chilled beer, which makes us feel as comfortable as staying in air-conditioned room. But be careful not to drink too much chilled beer.

A READER, Zhengzhou, Henan province

(China Daily USA 08/26/2013 page12)