Summer is a time of basking in the sun, outdoor gatherings with friends, and treating ourselves to refreshing treats like the occasional ice cream. With so many wonderful things to look forward to, it’s no wonder many of us countdown the days until this change of seasons. That is—until we remember how hot and sticky summer can be. When the sun’s rays are particularly harsh, or you’ve worked up a sweat outside, all you can think about is cooling off at home.
But if you don’t have a summer house or the proper measures in place so your home offers respite from the heat, being inside your home can feel incredibly uncomfortable. If that sounds like your home, why not put the following tips for keeping your house cool in the heat of the summer into action?
1. Install an Air Conditioner
If you’re looking for the most effective method of cooling your house down, installing an air conditioner is your best bet. As you would have experienced countless times, an air conditioner can almost instantaneously cool a room down. If the only thing stopping you from investing in an air conditioner is the price tag, you may want to take another look at some of the low-price but high-quality air conditioners on the market now. According to AccuServe, don’t forget that air conditioning repair can be tough, too, so you might need to consult the experts.
As you’ll see, there’s an excellent range to suit all budgets. There are even some below the $200 mark! Of course, if you don’t mind spending a bit more, you can enjoy a greater variety of high-tech features. For example, higher-priced options may feature more cooling and fan speeds and useful add-ons like air ionizers that work to purify the air by removing allergens.
2. Buy Cooling Plants
It sounds almost too good to be true, but plants can play a substantial role in reducing the temperature in your house. One of the most eco-friendly options to choose from, buying plants with cooling properties will make your house seem like a little piece of paradise. As SimpleMost shares, the reason plants work as natural coolers is because they lose water during transpiration, which in turn cools the air around the plants. What results is a room that has crisp, fresh, and purified air.
If you’ve never heard about the fact that certain plants can be used to cool down your house, you may be surprised by just how many there are! SimpleMost highlights a number of plants that you should opt for if you’d like to go this green route, namely:
- Aloe vera,
- Areca palm tree,
- Ficus tree,
- Fern,
- Snake plant,
- Golden pothos
3. Use Blackout Curtains
Another great option to stop you sweating while trying to relax in your house is to use blackout curtains. These curtains are designed to keep most light from entering your house via your windows, and so help to stop your room from heating up. Because you’ll feel noticeably cooler, you won’t feel the need to keep lowering the temperature of your air conditioner. No wonder these curtains are praised as a simple but effective way to save on your energy bills! As an added bonus, blackout curtains may even reduce outdoor noise.
If you’re worried that blackout curtains won’t suit your interior aesthetic, think again. Contrary to their name, blackout curtains aren’t just black. Shop around and you’ll come across all kinds of blackout curtains in different colors. Case in point, Ikea’s MAJGULL
room darkening curtains in a light grey. If there was ever a way to convince you that you don’t just have to go with black blackout curtains, the MAJGULL’s 4.4 star customer rating speaks for itself.
4. Replace Your Sheets
Who would have thought that replacing your sheets would help with the task of cooling your
house? Just like you’d change up your bedding to stay warm in colder months, you should change your bedding to accommodate for stickier months. So what sheets should you make the switch to? Cooling sheets. These innovative sheets may come in many different fabrics, but according to experts, some are better than others.
“Look for soft, breathable fabrics like cotton or bamboo, or ones that are specifically designed to wick away moisture,” advised Michael Breus, PhD, author of The Sleep Doctor’s Diet Plan in an article published on Prevention. Once you start using cooling sheets, you may wonder how you spent so many hot summer nights in sweat-drenched sheets!
