A cooler home in summer
summer cooler decore
Simple hacks for a cooler home this summer
Summer this year has been quite punishing with the mercury slowly but steadily rising. Air coolers and air conditioners are working overtime to make things more comfortable in most homes and offices. But there are a few other things you can do to make your home a cooler place.
Clean up: The first step is to go minimalistic with your décor. Pack away those rugs and carpets. Take down heavy curtains. Remove your sofa backs and chair covers. If you must have sofa covers and cushions, pull out your cotton ones. These will help your body breathe better when you are seated on them.
Rather than have heavy drapes, invest in a set of light curtains that are thick enough to block out the heat, but not light. When cleaning up, make sure that your newspapers and magazines are not piled high blocking ventilation from a window. Reduce clutter in every room.
Doors and windows: Closing doors and windows during the harshest part of the day will reduce the amount of heat that gets into your home. This may, however, work against circulation of air in your home. What you can do is to open up all the doors and windows in your home during the early hours of the morning. This will bring in fresh air and keep your house cool. As the temperature rises, start closing them.
With windows, you can keep them open as long as your curtains are thick enough to keep the heat out. If you have light curtains, close windows and draw the curtains and perhaps keep a main door or a window that does not face the sun, open. Close doors to the rooms you are not going to use much. This will prevent any cool air circulating in your rooms from being spread out during the hot parts of the day.
Fan trick: Turn on the exhaust fans in your bathroom and kitchen. These are designed to take hot air out of the house. In the room that you are spending time in, place a basin of ice at such an angle from the fan that it is able to blow a generous blast of air on it. This will instantly cool down the room and keep it so for a while.
Go cotton: In your bedrooms, switch to cotton sheets. If you can get your hands on buckwheat-stuffed pillows, they are ideal for better circulation of air. They also help your body release heat when you are sleeping. You may also want to sprinkle your sheets with a bit of water before you go to bed. This instantly cools your body for a short while.
Lights: Switching to CFL lighting will also help you bring down the temperature in your house. Work on getting this done gradually.
These are some of the simple ways of beating the summer heat and staying cool in your home. If there are any tricks you have tried, let us know!
