Photo by Collov Home Design on Unsplash

Once the summer starts, it simply gets impossible to keep your home at a moderate temperature unless you have an air conditioner. However, even if you do have an air conditioner, you may be looking for some eco-friendlier ways to cool down your home. If that’s the case, you will be happy to hear that there are many ways to do so. Not only will you keep the temperature as low as possible inside and practice your green life choices, but you will also be paying less for your electric bills. Make sure to resist sitting in front of a fan, and, instead, try out some of these cooling ideas!

Close off unused rooms 

The first thing that will help you attain the right temperature in your home is to be smart when it comes to doors. During the hottest part of the day, it can sometimes get hard even to breathe. We just cannot stop sweating and there is no fresh air inside the home whatsoever. 

However, if you close off the unused doors during this part of the day, you won’t have this issue. Thanks to this simple action, the cool air won't be able to permeate these areas. On the other hand, you should open all of these rooms once the temperature outside gets lowered. Make sure to take advantage of the air flowing naturally through your home. 

Use some ice 

Even though a fan will increase your electric bill a bit, you could still use this for a while without any consequences for your health. Planting yourself in front of a fan is a terrible idea, as you could damage your health, but there are other ways to use it smartly. 

All you need for this simple hack is a mixing bowl and some ice. Take the ice and put it in the metal or glass mixing bowl. Then, make sure to position it right in front of the fan before you turn on the fan. As soon as the air starts whipping off the ice, you’ll enjoy spending time in a chilled, misty room. If you don’t have ice at the moment, you could use anything from a freezer instead. 

Swap your sheets 

If you want to control the room temperature in the bedroom, you could always swap your sheets. Seasonally changing your sheets is the best way to freshen up your room. However, that is not it! Seasonally changing your sheets is the best way to keep the room at the right temperature as well!

For instance, if you want to keep the room cool, cotton is the best choice. Breathing gets much easier once you introduce some cotton and get rid of the flannel sheets or fleece blankets. These other textiles are great for insulation, but you won’t find them very helpful during the hot summer days. A buckwheat pillow has a naturally occurring air space between the hulls which makes it a great addition to the bedroom in summer!

Focus on the body temperature

Another great way to improve the temperature situation is to change the perspective and switch the focus. Namely, focusing on the house temperature may be the wrong way to assess this situation. For instance, you can try various things to cool your system instead of the house system. 

The first thing that always comes to mind is sipping some iced drinks. This can do the trick at least for a little while. You can also try and apply a cold cloth to some of the strategic areas. These are the strong-pulsed areas such as the neck and wrists. You could also pay attention to what you’re wearing, and you could tell your partner to avoid cuddling at least until the sun starts setting down. 

Keep the blinds closed 

The smartest way to manipulate the temperature inside your home is to manipulate the source of light. The sun rays will quickly heat anything, especially during the hot summer days. On the other hand, keeping your blinds closed will prevent this from happening (or slow it down!). 

Depending on the type of blinds you have, you’ll be able to achieve different things. For instance, if you have motorized blinds, you should be able to achieve full control over the temperature in the house. Up to 30% of unwanted heat comes from windows, which means that, with just the right blinds, you’ll be able to keep the temperature up to 20 degrees lower in the house. 

Heat-proof your bed

If you leave in an area where summertime can feel like you're living in hell, then you probably know how hard it can get to fall asleep during these insanely hot summer nights. For this reason, it is essential to heat-proof your bed. 

For example, you could purchase a pillow and check how good are its cooling abilities. If the feet are your problematic regions, you should assess them as well. You could put a bottle of water straight from the freezer at the foot of your bed. Even damping your sheets slightly or putting them into the freezer for a little while can do wonders for your body temperature, no matter how weird it may seem.

Sleep low 

It is a well-known fact that heat rises. That means that the higher you go, the warmer it'll get. You shouldn't get surprised if you notice that the rooms on the floor are much hotter than the ones on the ground floor. 

If you normally sleep upstairs, it wouldn’t be bad if you switched the rooms for a couple of months, or at least until the highest temperatures period ends. You could be sleeping even on a couch in a living room and still have a better night of sleep than if you were to sleep upstairs where you’d feel as if you were in a sauna. If there is a chance for it, you could even think of sleeping in the basement as well. Under the ground, the temperature could be just perfect. 

Open the windows 

Opening your windows can be the right thing to do, but it is essential to do it properly. Make sure to never open them during the day. That will only make your home feel like a trap where you cannot possibly get away from the heat.

On the other hand, opening the windows during the night can be a perfect strategy. That will allow for the cool night air to get inside and cool down the entire house. Furthermore, you could create a wind tunnel by opening multiple windows. You could also strategically set up the fans in your home to create a cross breeze. If you do open your windows during the night, make sure to close them as the sun goes up and the temperature starts rising.

Avoid incandescent lights 

Another thing that impacts your home temperature is the type of lighting you have. Namely, incandescent bulbs waste about 90% of their energy when it comes to emitting heat. That means that, if you throw these away, you could cool down the house and cut down on your electric bills!

While these bulbs cause you more trouble than help, there are some alternatives that could do so much more for you. For instance, CFLs, or compact fluorescent lamps, could be the very next thing you’ll purchase. 

Shut down appliances 

There are plenty of heat sources all over your home. For instance, house appliances can generate high temps. Appliances such as the oven or dishwasher are known for increasing the home temperature. IF you want to cook and keep the house cooled down, you could use appliances such as a pressure cooker or microwave. 

Instead of cooking complicated meals, you could tick with salads for a few days and improve your health, while saving energy and avoiding unnecessary heat. You should pay attention to the appliances around the house as well. For example, you could avoid blow-drying your hair for a little while, especially as air-drying your hair has its benefits!

Plant some vines 

Insulation is a big part of the home temperature game. You could’ve already insulated your attic and the walls for this very reason. Insulation is great because it lowers your energy bills. During winter, it keeps the hot air in and the cool air out. On the other hand, during summer, it keeps the heat outside and the cool air inside. 

Another way to insulate your home and to be eco-friendly is to plant vines. Ivy, for instance, will grow quickly and provide your home with a cooling shade. It will perfectly block the sunlight and keep the house as cool as it can get without an air conditioner. It may even look great on your home and make your backyard pop with green jewelry!

Conclusion 

Summer days can often get so hot that it becomes insufferable to just exist! With these simple tricks, you’ll be able to cool down without ever turning on the air conditioner. Make sure to try them out and combine them to get the perfect effect!

Written by Patrick Adams

 

About the Author

Patrick Adams is a freelance writer and rock-blues fan. When he is not writing about home improvement, he loves to play chess, watch basketball, and play his guitar. More than anything, he loves to spend his time in his garage, repairing appliances and creating stuff from wood.

 

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