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There’s a lot to love about the summertime, but let’s be honest: when the season’s heat and humidity peak, summer can also be pretty miserable. This is especially the case when the interior of your home is so warm that it offers no escape from the heat.
On the hottest days, there may be no other option than to turn on the air conditioner, but that can be pricey—and, of course, it’s not an option all of us have. If you’re looking for some ways to beat the heat aside from your AC, we’ve come up with plenty of other ways to cool things down inside this summer—and to prevent them from heating up in the first place.
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From how you cook dinner to the kinds of lighting you use and even the sheets you sleep in at night and so much more, you can shave degrees off interior heat, save money on your energy bills, and, one degree at a time, create a home that won’t make you lose your cool.
1. Swap Out Old Lightbulbs
If you still use old-school incandescent lightbulbs in your home, just stop. Yes, they cast a lovely light hue, but that color temperature can be recreated with LED bulbs, which don’t convert 90 percent of their energy into heat. That’s right; incandescent lightbulbs only convert ten percent of their power into light. If you want more light with the added benefit of fun colors and patterns, consider getting some programmable LED lighting like the Nanoleaf Lines, a set of light bars that can be configured however you want both physically and in terms of brightness, color, and design.
2. Swap Out a Light for a Fan
Almost any recessed lighting fixture in your ceiling can have the light swapped out and a ceiling fan installed in its place. A fan will not actually lower the temperature in a space, but it creates a legitimate windchill effect that can dramatically reduce your body temperature, and this cooling breeze will be especially welcome at night as you rest.
3. Pop a Fan on Your Desk
Not ready for the home improvement work of installing a ceiling fan? No problem—just plunk a fan on your desk, nightstand, kitchen counter, or wherever else you could benefit from that windchill effect. This compact but powerful fan from Dreo can cover 90º of vertical tilt and 120º the right level of breeziness for your comfort.
4. Cook Al Fresco with a Great Grill
Cooking generates a lot of heat, and the more you cook, the more the temps will rise. So step outside and fire up the grill instead. Don’t worry if you’re not a competent hand at the grill, either, just get a grill with smart temperature control features like the Loco SmartTemp Kettle Grill, and most of the work of maintaining even grilling temperatures is handled for you.
5. Turn to Nature With Shade-Giving Plants
Provided you’re not planning on moving any time soon, one of the best ways to keep your home cooler will also make your home look better than ever from the outside. When you plant a few arborvitae trees (aka shrubs by some people, but as many varieties reach more than 20 feet in height, we’re saying trees) alongside your house, you can create a barrier against sunshine that will significantly reduce interior heat. You will have to wait a year or two for the trees to reach a height and width sufficient to start creating meaningful shade.
6. Get a Dehumidifier
Like with a fan, a dehumidifier will not technically lower the temperature in your home, but it will make the space feel much cooler by taking moisture out of the air. Dehumidifiers also help reduce the chance of mold buildup and can reduce odors, too. Plus, you can use the water you collect for your plants.
7. Apply Window Tint to the Windows and Glass Doors
The sunlight streaming through your glass windows and doors is the single biggest cause of interior heating, but that doesn’t mean you have to draw the blinds or curtains at all times during the summer. Instead, apply window tint to your windows, and you’ll not only cut down on the sun’s infrared heat but you’ll also block UV light that causes interior fading and even skin damage. And you’ll add privacy during daylight hours, too. Just make sure you are using a proper residential window tint, not trying to use an extra dark automotive window film on a glass window, as the wrong tints can cause windows to crack when overheated, according to Tint Wiz.
8. Keep It Cool in Bed with Bamboo Sheets
A set of sheets made from bamboo lyocell can release excess heat and moisture as you rest, helping keep you cooler which, in turn, helps you sleep better because human body temperature needs to drop a bit to promote deep, restful slumber. Soft and smooth with a feel comparable to high thread count cotton sheets, these will be a welcome addition to your home in warmer months.
9. Run Those Bathroom and Kitchen Exhaust Fans
When properly vented to the outside, the fan over your stove and the fans in your bathrooms can do wonders for cooling your home. How? Because heat rises, and when those fans are running, they grab that rising hot air and blast it on outside. And they create a very slight breeze which adds cooling, too.
10. Mind the Gaps
Hot air can and will sneak in anywhere you let it. Stop hot air from entering or exiting, respectively, with weather stripping tape that closes gaps where your doors or windows don’t seal fully. It’s a quick and easy fix that doesn’t require the costly replacement of old hardware.
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