Here are some other ways you can keep your home cool this summer:
- Use less appliances in the day because they generate heat.
- Invest in blackout curtains. Neutral-coloured ones with white plastic backings help obstruct sunlight and insulate your room.
- Close doors of vacant rooms so you can prevent cool air from spreading throughout these areas during the day’s hottest hours.
- Build a makeshift cooling fan. Fill a bowl with ice cubes and place it in front of a large fan at an angle so that the air you’ll get will be super-chilled.
- Use cotton fabric beddings for greater breathability and a cooler feeling. Complement this with one or two buckwheat pillows as these offer a natural air space that doesn’t cling to your body heat.
- Rotate your ceiling fans counterclockwise at higher speeds. This produces a wind-chill breeze effect which lets you beat the oppressive summer heat.
- Cool your body temperature. Examples include chugging on iced drinks, applying a cold towel on your neck and wrists, wearing clothing made of breathable/cotton fabrics, and dipping your feet in a bowl of cold water.
- Use your bathroom fan or kitchen exhaust fan: these suck the hot air out of your house after showering and cooking, respectively.
- Make your bed heat-proof by using a Chillow, placing an iced water bottle at the foot of your bed, and dampening your bedding.
- Sleep on your floor mattress or downstairs basement couch because heat has a tendency to rise.
- Allow the cool night air to ventilate your home. Open up your windows before bedtime and enjoy that fresh evening breeze.
- Do window hacks. An example is opening up the top part of your windows on your house’s downwind side.
- Ditch incandescent lights which draw a large amount of electricity.
- BBQ rather than cook food on the stove which heats up the entire house.
- Commit to long-term adjustments. These include using insulated window films, awnings, and planting trees.
For more tips visit http://www.huffingtonpost.co.za/entry/ways-to-cool-your-home_n_5516182