CEBU, Philippines — With summer coming, the heat waves are coming as well. Homeowners must be ready to face the scorching heat of summertime. Air-conditioning can be expensive, especially if it’s used whole days, all summer long.
Keeping cool during the summer can be difficult. Luckily, though, there are ways by which to cool down the home without using an air-conditioner.
Circulate the air with a ceiling fan. Almost every home is equipped with a ceiling fan in at least one room. Utilize these wonderful appliances by placing a ceiling fan in each room, or the rooms most used by the family. Ensure that ceiling fans are the right size for the rooms and the blades are spinning in the right direction.
One direction will draw the heat upwards, keeping your room cool. The other direction pushes the heat down to keep the home warm during those cooler months.
Going DIY and hanging out. One pretty cool trick to help beat the summer heat is something so simple yet effective. There are many ways to help cool off your bedroom at night, but perhaps the most interesting is the idea of hanging a wet sheet in front of your open window.
It might seem crazy at first, but the constant breeze will blow through the sheet creating an oasis of cool air for your room. If the breeze is blowing during the day, you can do the same as well. This tip is perfect for those who are stuck inside the house all day.
Pillows that cool are pretty cool. Cooling pillows have become popular in the last few years, and these amazing inventions have brought a new way to stay cool for most people. These pillows do cost money, but if you have the extra money, it is worth it to buy one.
Cooling pillows often last for several years without much wear and tear, and they keep your face cool during the night.
Let it snow… cone. Frozen treats are a great way for us to beat the scorching summertime heat. Not only do these help keep our body temperature cool down, but these are delicious as well. If you are unable to purchase frozen treats or the ingredients to make frozen treats, you can crunch on ice to help keep you cool down.
Simply letting a piece of ice melt in your mouth can cool your body temperature tremendously. A few delicious frozen treats are popsicles, snow cones, ice cream, or even cold fruit.
Skip the hot shower. Instead of taking a hot shower, take a cool or cold shower to help cool off your body. It’s good to take a cold or cool shower just before bed. The cool water will cool your body temperature, keeping you cool long enough to fall asleep.
Washing your hair, or just wetting it down with cool water, can also keep you to feel cool for longer than a dry head – so much so with a cool shower to optimize your cooling.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Water is a great way to cool off during the summer. Drinking water, especially cold water, is a great way to cool off your body temperature. Water will keep your body hydrated, especially if you sweat a lot. It also helps keep your body temperature down.
Plant some trees around the house. This tip does not work quite as quickly as the other tips for beating the heat, but if you plant a few shade trees, in a few years your home could be enveloped in a wonderful shade. The shade from trees can keep your home cooler. If trees aren’t an option, try putting up awnings over your windows to keep out the sunshine during the hot summer days.
Keep the doors open. Some people prefer the doors in their homes closed, but this can prevent cool air from coming in, making it stifling hot during the day. Not only should you keep the doors opened during the day, but even during the hot nights as well. Keeping the doors open will allow cool air to flow throughout your home naturally, keeping it much cooler than it would with the doors closed.
Change those sheets. Often, we keep fleece or satin sheets on our beds during the cold months. These sheets, however, are not appropriate when it comes to the summer heat. In fact, fleece and satin sheets hold in heat, which can be annoying when we are trying to sleep during the summertime.
Instead of using fleece or satin, try replacing your sheets with a light cotton fabric that keeps your body cool. Cotton sheets are also soft, which makes them a great choice for hot summer nights.
Grill, don’t bake. Using the oven or stove during the summertime can create unnecessary heat within your home. It’s much better to bake things in the oven and not bake yourself in the heat of the kitchen.
It is a good idea to avoid using the oven or stove and utilize an outdoor grill instead. Of course, summertime is a great time to grill your favorite foods. The best part is you can keep your home cool and enjoy your favorite barbecue meals at the same time.
If you must use your oven or stove, try opening a window or turning on a fan in the kitchen. The circulation can help move the heat outside instead of simply sitting in your kitchen.
Treat your windows. Windows are mostly where the heat and sunlight enter into our homes. Though windows also let natural sunlight in, they can also welcome heat, making our homes feel hot and muggy. By adding a sheet of heat-reflecting film on the windows, the amount of sunlight and heat filtering into the house during the day can be reduced.
Big money can be saved by not using too much air-conditioning this summer. Air conditioning, while an amazing comfort, can become expensive to run all the time. Luckily, the home can be kept cool and fresh all summer long by just letting air into the house and doing every little thing necessary to beat the heat. (www.ideahacks.com)