How to Keep Your Home Cool During a Heat Wave

If you’re dreading the next heat wave, here are some simple but effective ways to keep both your home and yourself cool without evening turning on the air conditioning.

Open Your Loft Hatch

One of the best tips is also one of the simplest;  open your loft hatch. As heat naturally rises, opening the hatch gives the warm air somewhere to escape, allowing it to disperse into the loft rather than becoming trapped inside your home. It can make a noticeable difference surprisingly quickly.

Close Some Windows

Whilst it may be tempting to throw open every window as soon as the sun comes out, it’s actually better to let the cooler night air into the house and then close most windows during the day. If possible, leave only those open that create a gentle through draught.

Sash Windows

If your home has traditional sash windows, make the most of them. They were designed to improve ventilation, so opening both the top and bottom sections encourages warm air to escape whilst drawing cooler air in below.

Curtains and Nets

As lovely as it is to open the curtains on a bright summer morning, keeping them closed on the sunniest side of the house will help keep rooms noticeably cooler. White curtains, or curtains with a white backing, reflect much of the sun’s heat, and even traditional net curtains can help by reducing the amount of direct sunlight entering the room. Dark curtains, particularly black ones, absorb heat and can make rooms warmer.

Another old-fashioned but surprisingly effective trick is to dampen a lightweight sheet and hang it across an open window. As the water evaporates, it helps cool the air passing through.

If there are rooms you’re not using during the day, close the doors to stop cooler air escaping into warmer parts of the house.

No Air Conditioning? No Problem…

If you don’t have air conditioning, you can create a similar cooling effect with a fan and some ice. Place a bowl of ice, or even a frozen bottle of water, in front of a fan and let the air blow across it. The result is a refreshingly cool breeze that’s perfect for those particularly hot afternoons.

Let Nature Help

Houseplants don’t just brighten a room. Leafy plants positioned on a sunny windowsill absorb sunlight and warmth as they grow, helping to reduce some of the heat entering your living space. They also tend to thrive in bright conditions, making them an ideal summer addition.

Use a “Cold” Hot Water Bottle in Bed

Hot nights can make getting to sleep difficult, but a few small changes can make all the difference. Try filling a hot water bottle with ice-cold water and taking it to bed. It provides gentle cooling without soaking the bedding.

Place Your Pillow in the Fridge

Another favourite trick is to place your pillow inside a clean bag and leave it in the fridge for an hour before bedtime. As your neck and cheeks are natural cooling points, a chilled pillow can help you feel comfortable enough to drift off.

Use Cotton Bed Linen

Choosing cotton sheets and bedding instead of synthetic fabrics is also worthwhile, as natural fibres allow your skin to breathe and release heat more effectively.

Cool Yourself Down

Sometimes it’s easier to cool yourself than the whole house. Running cold water over your wrists or soaking your feet in a bowl of cold water can quickly lower your body temperature, as major blood vessels run close to the skin in these areas.

Store Rugs Away

Rugs are wonderful in winter, but during summer they can trap warmth. Rolling them up until the weather cools down can help your floors stay cooler underfoot. If you have tiled or flagstone floors, you may also find yourself naturally gravitating towards those rooms, as they remain much cooler than carpeted spaces.

Switch Off Unused Appliances

It’s also worth switching off appliances that aren’t being used. Individually they produce very little heat, but together they can gradually warm your home. The same goes for lighting, with lower wattage bulbs giving off less heat than their higher wattage counterparts.

By making a few simple changes, many of them tried and tested long before modern air conditioning, you can keep your home cooler and make those hot summer days much more enjoyable. And finally, don’t forget to keep plenty of ice in the freezer! 

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