Summer is officially here! While that means days will be long and sunnier, they’ll also be hotter. If you’re here, your home has probably become too hot for you to handle. Don’t worry, here you’ll find our top tips for keeping your home cool this summer.
We’ve focused on solutions that you can put into effect immediately. So yes, while you should buy a pedestal fan, we’ve assumed you already have one on the way and are looking for other solutions to keep the temperature of your whole house down. With that clarified, let’s take a look at our top tips!
Watch Your Windows
If you know anything about heat and how it interacts with the average house, you’ll know that the windows and doors are important. That’s where heat enters or leaves the home because they are often opened and are made of thinner material than the four walls that make up your home. Resist the temptation to open your windows. Sometimes that isn’t the best option. Sure, you’ll let a light breeze in, but you’ll let more heat in too. Close those windows and cover them with curtains. A sheet can make a thin curtain if you don’t have one, and it’s better than nothing. Once the sun has gone, you can open things up so your home can breathe.
Power Down
Powering down can be a great way to keep that thermostat down. It depends on how many appliances you have in the home, of course, but many keep their appliances on standby all of the time. They still use small amounts of energy when like this and some of that energy is converted to, you guessed it, heat. Turn them off, preferably at the plug socket. Dry clothes by hanging them instead of using an electronic device. Not all appliances can be turned off, like refrigerators. Just make sure their sides have plenty of breathing room to disperse heat into the air, where it’ll become room temperature. Lastly, limit the use of your oven and other kitchen appliances. Try cold meals or cook using a barbecue outside, if you have one.
As a side note: Look into low-energy light bulbs if you haven’t got them already. Those old-fashioned incandescent bulbs shed 90% of their energy in heat!
Moisturize The Air
If you have a pet, you likely have a bowl of water in a room somewhere. That’s a good start, now do that in every room. It may appear strange, especially to visitors, but having some evaporating water in every room cools the hot air. What’s more, it cools passively and silently unlike a fan or AC system. It’s the same principle that also makes houseplants great for managing indoor environments. If you already have houseplants, make sure they’re healthy to combat the summer heat. Otherwise, you should think about getting some to help regulate the temperature of the home. Go for plants that exude a lot of moisture! If you’re playing the long game, planting some relatively fast-growing plants outside of windows can also provide natural shade and ensure the air circulating your home is full of cooling moisture.
Cool Yourself
Sometimes you can do all of the above and still be met with a really hot day. In those cases, it may be easier to cool yourself down instead of your home.
First, if you have a hot water bottle, fill that with water and then refrigerate or freeze it. It’ll produce a chilling effect that you can use to cool down throughout the day, and especially before you try sleeping in a hot bedroom.
Second, cool down clothing and wear it throughout the day. Your head and your feet are the most temperature-sensitive parts of the body, so cooling those will cool your entire body down. Throw multiple socks and hats/bandanas into the refrigerator and swap them throughout the day to get a chilling boost. Once again, do this before bed too, perhaps with your entire PJs for maximum cooling.
Just Add Ice
Our last tip is a bonus one for those of you who already have a fan. That is great and all, but sometimes fans just end up throwing more warm air back in your face. To solve this, get a bowl of ice and place it in front of the fan. Now it’ll blow cold air and, even better, that air will have icy water droplets contained in it. Congratulations, you have now invented air conditioning.
