It gets hot outside, even hotter in the apartment, and you don’t have AC? We tell you what can be done.
1. Keep your windows covered
About 30% of unwanted heat enters our apartments through windows. The solution is simple – buy blackout curtains or blinds and leave the windows closed during the day. This is especially true for owners of apartments with south-facing windows.
2. Close the doors
If you want to keep the living room cool during the day, don’t forget to close the door to the room in the morning. But at night, the principal works the other way around: to refresh the apartment, you need to leave all the doors open – except for the entrance, of course.
3. Ventilate the room at the right time
Ventilate the apartment only early in the morning or late in the evening – this way it will be filled with fresh cool air.
4. Use a fan
Place a large bowl of ice in front of a table fan – air flows through it will cool and humidify the room.
5. Change bedding
The most suitable material for hot summer nights is cotton and natural silk. Sheets and pillowcases made from these fabrics are breathable and stay cool. Pay attention to orthopedic pillows filled with buckwheat husks – much better than synthetics.
6. Change light bulbs
If you have not yet replaced conventional lamps with energy-saving ones, now is the time. Incandescent lamps release up to 90% of the heat they generate during operation to the environment – thus, you will not only lower the temperature in the apartment, but also save on bills.
7. Clean up the carpets
Walking on a bare floor in summer is cooler and more pleasant. In addition, dust and fine dirt in the summer settle on the carpet in a larger volume than at any other time of the year.
8. Use technology less frequently
The appliances that we usually use at home – computers, irons, televisions – generate heat when they work. Minimize the time you use it or at least stop using it a couple of hours before bedtime so it has time to cool down.
9. Humidify the air
If you have a humidifier, turn it on often. You can also use an air purifier: it will collect germs and clean the air of dust.
10. Set up ice packs
Arrange ice in glasses, bottles, and bowls, and place it around the entire perimeter of the room – you will immediately feel more comfortable.
11. Eat more fresh salads
How is food related to room cooling? It’s very simple: the less you cook, the slower the temperature rises in your kitchen and in other rooms. If you still need to reheat food, it is better to use a microwave.
12. And sleep on the floor
Cold air accumulates at the bottom, and hot at the top – it is better to move closer to the floor at night.
