Winter is winding down, and of course, that means that things are about to start warming up. Rapidly in some cases.
Whether you live in New York or Texas, you won’t need a tarot card reading to tell you that the coming heat of spring and summer will likely make the days rough and the nights miserable. Besides the springtime flowers and exuberate outside activities. The vast majority of us will do virtually anything to get at least a short respite from the heat this year. Let’s face it, one of the main downfalls of the summer and spring months is the unbearable heat waves.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up a few tips that could help you stay cool this spring and summer in your home.
1. Don’t Forget
Many of us use kitchen hacks, such as slow cookers, throughout the day instead of heating the house with the oven in the late afternoon heat. However, one “hack” for the home that we use in the winter could be detrimental in the summer — your ceiling fan.
If you reverse the rotation to draw cool air up and push down the warm air, forgetting to change it back can lead to a lot of unwanted heat. Once the weather starts warming up, don’t forget to change the direction back to clockwise.
2. Nighttime Solutions
Millions of Americans lose sleep simply because their body temperature gets uncomfortably high. Most experts agree that a room temperature of around 65°F/18°C is optimal for good nighttime sleep, and there are a couple of other things you may want to do to stay cooler at night.
If you find yourself overheating at night, kick down the A/C and consider adding an oscillating fan as opposed to or in addition to the first tip above, wear lighter pajamas, and get a cooling mattress or cooling pillow. Keeping your head and body as cool as possible can help defeat that spring and summer heat.
As a pro tip, if you don’t have A/C or can’t/don’t like your room at the 65°F mark, try using a cooling window fan facing out along with the other fan ideas above. It will help draw warm air out while the others help keep you cool.
3. Some Obvious Choices
While it may not be feasible for the entire spring and summer, look for deals on air travel and take off for the coast for some beach fun. Alternatively, if you don’t have a pool, join the local Y.M.C.A. and go swimming as often as possible.
4. Some Not-So-Obvious Choices
There are also a few helpful solutions that are easy to implement but often overlooked.
- Close your window blinds during the day – up to 30% of hot air in the home is due to uncovered windows.
- Close doors – close off any unused room, and don’t forget to shut the room’s A/C This will ensure that air-conditioned air is pushed to fewer rooms, therefore cooling the rooms in use a lot faster.
- Do chores at night – wait until the sun goes down before vacuuming the house or running the washer & dryer. These make the house hotter, and waiting until the sun goes down can significantly reduce that heat!
When you’re trying to implement new ways to keep your home cooler and more comfortable this spring and summer, you should consider your family’s individual needs. As such, you may need to implement more than one of the tips above to keep everyone nice and cool.