Home Hacks to Reduce the Heat
During the hot summer months, you want to find ways to cool your home down. Many people simply turn to their air conditioners, but if you don’t have one, there are a few tricks you can use to keep your home feeling cooler. Even if you do have an air conditioner, these hacks can help you use it less and save some money.
Pull Cool Air In...
The first thing you should do is check the direction of your ceiling fans. Most ceiling fans have a switch that changes the direction of the blades. A counter-clockwise direction in the summer will push the air down, creating a breeze. In the winter, the clockwise direction pushes the air across the ceiling and down the walls, which helps circulate the warmer air.
You can also use fans to create a cross-breeze in the home. For instance, putting the fan right next to the window can amplify any breeze coming from outside. Setting up the fan on the other side of the room can help push cooler air into other parts of the home.
...Push Hot Air Out
As much as you want to get the cool air into your home, keeping your home cool also requires you to get the hot air out. One way to do this is by placing a box fan in the window to blow the hot air out of the home. You can also turn on the exhaust fans in your bathroom and kitchen.
Plant Some Trees
Trees provide shade, and a nice, tall tree will keep the sun’s rays away from your home. That’s great if you already have a few big trees in the yard, but brand new homes typically don’t have this protection. A little summer landscaping will make all the difference. Choose a few trees that will work well in your yard, then plant them in areas where they’ll help cool your home once they’ve fully grown. In particular, you might want to select trees that are fast-growing, such as a hybrid poplar tree. A professional landscaper can help you choose the right tree for your yard.
Cover Your Windows
While new homes have energy saving features (like triple pane windows to help keep the heat out), your home is still likely to heat up after several days of hot, sunny weather. It might sound surprising, but you can keep your home far cooler just by closing your curtains. Some curtains are even specially-designed to reflect the sun’s rays. If you don't like the idea of how dark this can make your home, see if honeycomb shades would work for you. They offer insulation, but they still let the light filter through.
Create a Makeshift Air Conditioner
If you don’t have an air conditioner, you can create a makeshift one on your own by placing a bowl of ice in front of a fan. To be most effective, you need to get the fan at just the right angle, so play around with it a bit. If you’re doing this, make sure to watch for the melting ice and check for overflow, or you’ll have a big mess on your hands!
Keep Yourself Cool
People have survived without air conditioning for thousands of years, and they did so by focusing on keeping their own bodies cool. You can do this by increasing your water intake and eating cool treats (like popsicles) more often. While it may sound a little odd, some dampen their bed sheets before crawling into bed. While you don't want to soak them, a light misting of water can make a significant difference. Alternatively, consider putting your sheets and pillowcases in the freezer for a few minutes.
Invest in Better Sheets
Speaking of sheets, it’s obvious you need to swap out the flannel sheets once the weather gets warm. But did you know there are actually sheets these days that are designed to have a cooling effect (unless you prefer the freezer, of course)? Look for styles that claim to whisk sweat away. Many people like the SHEEX brand. Some pillows are also stuffed with cooling gels that will help your head stay cool.
Sleep Downstairs
Heat rises, and this often means the upstairs bedrooms can be unbearably hot on summer nights, especially when there isn’t a breeze. If you find this to be true, it may be time to sleep downstairs where it’s cooler. Kids will love having a camping night in the living room, or you could even sleep out in a screened porch if you have one. It might seem inconvenient for you, but these are likely to be the nights your children remember the most.
Avoid Hot Jobs
There’s a reason why everyone loves grilling in the summers, and it’s not just because of the delicious, smoky flavour. Cooking on your stove or using the oven produces a lot of heat and that heat transfers to other areas of the home. On the hottest days, avoid using the stove altogether by making sandwiches or going out to eat. The dishwasher also produces heat, so if you want to keep using it, try running it only during the night when it’s cooler.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to keep your home cool. Incorporating any of these hacks into your life will have a big effect.
