Summer is a favorite season for many homeowners all over the world. Summer usually means nice weather and spending more time enjoying the outdoors. However, summer can also mean scorching temperatures and being uncomfortable in a warmer home. If you don’t have an air conditioner or are trying to cut down air conditioning costs this year, there are other ways to down your home in the summer. Here are some popular ideas below.
- If you have a ceiling fan in your home, or multiple, rotate them counterclockwise to create a better breeze in your home.
- Try to block sunlight from coming into your home by using curtains on your windows. You can get specific sunlight blocking ones or if you are keeping it simple, try neutral colors with plastic backing. They tend to reflect light away from the house the best.
- Open your windows once the temperatures drop at night to get cooler air flow throughout the home.
- For a more comfortable sleeping situation, invest in high quality cotton or moisture wicking sheets.
- If you have a bathroom or kitchen exhaust fan turn them on. They will help to suck out the hot and humid air from the rooms and help to keep your home cool.
- Avoid using the stove or oven during peak heat hours. Reserve the early mornings and late nights for using them. Consider cooking outside on the grill instead.
- Look into white roofing options for your home since they are better at reflecting heat.
- Make sure to drink a lot of water. Staying hydrated helps to regulate your body’s temperature and keep you comfortable.
- Take a cold shower to cool yourself down.
- Unplug any unused appliances around the house. When they are plugged in, they are using energy which can cause the room to heat up faster.
- Landscaping with trees surrounding your home can help create shade and lower temperatures inside your home.
- Install lightbulbs that give off less heat.
- Use a humidifier. Moist heat is more uncomfortable than dry heat.
- When running a fan or air conditioner, shut doors to any rooms that do not need to be cooled down. This will decrease the amount of space the unit has to work to cool down, saving you energy and money.
- Build your own DIY air conditioner with a bowl of ice in front of a fan. The breeze will pick up the cold air particles and mimic a colder breeze that is pushed throughout your home.