Keeping your home cool during the summer...

We have all been waiting for summer to arrive, but with it comes warm nights and humidity. Here are some brilliant ways to keep your home cool without air conditioning.

1. Dehumidify

The best time of the year to cool off at the beach is now! But if you’re a homebody, you’re probably thinking of ways to keep your house cool during the summer.

Here’s one: If you live in a humid area, your sweat evaporates slower, so it’s best to wear loose cotton and other natural fabrics to boost cooling.

Lowering the humidity will also help you feel cooler. Of course, there are other ways to keep your house cool.

2. Reduce and Reflect Sunlight

Direct sunlight coming into your home can increase the temperature. Placing blinds, curtains, or reflective window panels are some of the ways how to keep the sun out of windows.

Keeping direct sunlight away from your room will reduce the warmth in the space.

3. Turn Off Lights

Light bulbs produce heat, especially the incandescent ones. If you can’t replace this antiquated type of bulb, the least you can do is minimize their usage.

Some homes install solar panels to help minimize the cost of electricity.

4. Smart Doors

If a room is cooler than the outdoor temperature, close the door. This will retain the colder room temperature for as long as possible even in the warmest part of the day.

5. Don't Cook Inside

The kitchen can create and retain a lot of heat when you are cooking. The best compromise is to cook during the coolest time of the day.

If you can opt to cook in your backyard, that’ll be a great excuse for a backyard barbecue!

6. Furniture Covers

White fabric covers will help retain less heat in your furniture. These covers will also reflect the light.

7. Open Front & Back Windows

By opening windows at both ends of the house, you let air move freely throughout the whole structure. This is called a cross-ventilation.

This process helps reduce the temperature in your home. You’ll be surprised at how much cooler it becomes!

8. Ceiling Fans Counter-Clockwise

Doing this will help move the warmth away from the room. In turn, you will feel cooler. I bet you didn’t think you could do that, did you?

This method of reversing the rotation of the blades will push the warmth to the ceiling instead of blowing it to your direction.

9. Point Fans Out

When you do this, you push the hot air out. This is one thing many homeowners do not realize.

Sometimes, it’s better to use fans for exhaust rather than creating an artificial breeze.

10. Unplug Electrics

In this age of electronics, heat is a normal by-product. If you have kids or teens playing with their Xbox on large flat screen TVs all day, maybe it would be best to minimize their playtime.

Pull out those plugs if you are not using a gadget. Less heat produced means a cooler interior.

11. Fan to A/C Hack

Turning on the air conditioning is the most convenient solution, but you won’t be too happy once you get your power bill.

Did you ever think of how to cool down a room with ice? It’s a classic, but it’s proven to work. Take some ice in a bowl, place in front of a fan, and you get an instant air conditioner.

It may not be as cool as the real thing, but it’s still pretty darn effective! Better put those ice cubes to good use!

12. Clothesline Vs Dryer

A dryer is no different from an oven in the summer. They are heat multipliers, so try not to use them if you don’t need dry clothes right away.

Besides, line-drying will also cool the air coming into your home if the wind direction is favorable.

13. Bathroom & Kitchen Extractors

Apart from drawing out any excess steam, these exhaust fans also draw out the heat from other rooms nearby.

There will be a noticeable difference. You can probably do this at the warmest part of the day when you’re not using your AC.

14. Laundry & Ironing

Just like cooking in your kitchen, you can do this on the cooler parts of the day. This way, you won’t be adding to the warmth of your home’s interior.

Plus, your work will be much more comfortable − unless you have a strict schedule to keep.

15. Damp curtains

People from the old days used this technique before the birth of air-conditioning units. This is quite similar to putting ice in front of the fan.

As long as there’s a breeze, that is. You can even add fabric conditioner to add fragrance!

16. Night time air

In the summertime, nights tend to be much cooler. Make the most of this by opening the windows before sleeping.

Of course, security should be your primary concern prior to leaving them open as you doze off. Make the necessary preparations like installing grills or just leaving the upper windows open if you live in a two-story house.

17. Planting trees

This may be a long-term plan, but the benefits are also long-term. After a few years, you will be proud of the natural shade you’ve created.

Plant them in locations where you think the sun beats down on your home the hottest, especially during summer.

Now you have a few more ways to keep your house cool and cut your bills this summer! This list just might do you some good when it comes to getting rid of or minimizing the heat in your home.