9 ingenious ways to keep your home cool
5th July 2022
Although a bit of summer sunshine can be lovely, it can also make it difficult to keep your home cool without expensive air-conditioning. Stave off the sweltering with our top tips to cool down your rooms – fast.
1: Close curtains and windows
Tempting as it might be to throw your windows open during a heatwave, leaving them shut when the day is at its hottest will keep the house cool. So try to only let the air in early, or late, in the day. Light coloured blinds and curtains made of a weightier fabric offer the best heat-blocking potential, so go for these if you’re thinking up updating yours – but keep hold of any darker ones that you replace, so you can switch back once the temperature drops to keep the heat in. Keep these closed during the day too to keep your house cool in summer.
2: Improvise some air conditioning
Hanging a wet sheet in front of an open window cools the warm air as it enters your home, and is a great way to cool down your home without a fan. While they’re not the most expensive appliance to run, using a fan is still likely to impact your fuel bills - but there are some things you can do to get the most out of the energy you’re paying for. To really cool down a room with a fan, place a deep dish of ice in the front of it to whip up the water mist and chill the breeze. You can also point a box fan out of an open window in the evenings – this pushes the hot air out instead of just blowing it around the room.
3: Keep your doors closed
If you’re using a fan, closing off unused rooms during the day will keep the house cool in summer by focusing your cooling efforts where you’ll feel them the most. Similarly, opening your doors in the evening will get the air flowing and stop your home feeling stuffy.
4: Fix reflective window film
This is a super effective tool for keeping your house cool in summer by keeping the sun’s rays at bay. It’s not very expensive and widely used in hotter climates, and it can reduce heat and glare by up to 99%.
5: Use extractor fans cleverly
Extractors don’t just get rid of smells and steam – during hot weather they can be put to double use. Open your internal doors and leave your bathroom and kitchen fans running for a while to rid your home of some of the excess heat. Don’t forget to shut the doors when you switch the fan off!
6: Add some bamboo bedding
Traditional, heavy mattresses are very effective at absorbing heat from your body and the surroundings. Perfect in winter, less so in summertime! So try adding a bamboo mattress topper when temperatures soar, as it won’t soak up the heat like your mattress will.
7: Cool down your sofa
Sick of sticking to leather sofas? Cool it down by putting a lightweight throw or sheet made of natural fibres over it. You don’t need to buy pricey new soft furnishings – you can improvise with a bed sheet, and it will do the job just as well. Breathable fabrics – like cotton and linen – will always keep you more comfortable when it’s warm.
8: Eat your meals outside
Using the oven or hob can create extra warmth so instead of unnecessarily heating up your kitchen, take advantage of warm summer evenings in the garden instead. Fire up the BBQ or throw together a healthy summer salad.
9: Cool yourself down too
Wear loose, lightweight clothing made of natural fibres like cotton and linen. Use an icepack, chilled hot water bottle or cold cloth on your wrists and feet for an instant cold hit. And if it’s really stuffy inside, consider a dehumidifier. It’ll pull the moisture out of the air and let your skin breathe better.