Keeping your home cool without air conditioning system sounds like mission impossible. Especially for the hot months of the year (if you happen to live in such geographical places though). The modern air conditioning systems can solve that problem in an instant. Nevertheless we all know that using too much of these systems and too often is not very nice to the atmosphere and the healthy environment.
We also know that when cooling down a space in your home it is very pleasant, but sometimes it happens the air inside becomes quite cooler and when going outside we could feel a sudden discomfort. This means that it is not very OK for the body to “suffer” such thermal differences in short periods of time. So if you think you will need this, there are some tips and trick to make your dwelling airy and cool even though outside it’s hundred degrees.
The ways
Yep, we know it’s tempting to push the ON button on the remote control of the AC. Especially when it’s rather hot outside and you could fry an egg on the pavement. But there are ways of cooling down your precious home space without using those systems. And also a home without air conditioning system could be as contemporary as it should be as well.
Keep your blinds down!
It sounds as simple as you think it is. And it still is. A lot of percentage of the unwanted heat comes by your windows and doors which allows direct sunlight + heat to come inside the dwelling. If it happens you have got some shades, curtains or blinds on the windows, use them. They will be able to prevent the heat from coming inside and make your home less hot. Let’s not mention this procedure is kinda …absolutely free! This is the easiest and most effective method, especially if your windows are facing south and west.
Doors
Be smart and do not close them. Let the air flow go up and down, left and right around the rooms. But if you happen to have a cooler room which you already appreciate and use more often during the day, do not open the exact door and stay in the cooler room. Think about the nights, when temperatures are way lower than the day. Open the doors during this particular time and you will have a cool home without air conditioner. The reason is that the midnight air flow will cool down and freshen the premise’s rooms very well. This way it will be even more possible to live in a home without air conditioning.
That fan thing
Hack a fan if you think you simply cannot live without air motion and still want to live in a home without air conditioning system. The good old fan could provide excellent air flow in the room, without using chemical agents, just like the air conditioning system does. Another trick is to put a mixing bowl in front of the fan flow and put some ice in it. You could use something as cold as it gets. This way the air flow coming from the fan movement will spread the cold and chilled “energy” from the ice. Sounds like magic, but it actually works. And while we are still talking about fans, you could set them to work counterclockwise in summer. This will create a bit cooler feeling in the room.
Textiles
Some textiles are just not good enough for summer months. So seasonally you could think of swapping your winter bed sheets for example with some more suitable for the hot months. And the best thing you could do is to provide yourself with some cotton textiles. Cotton is not only perfect for clothes and garment. It is simply great for bedding sheets.
Body heat/body coolness
Since once our ancestors have survived hot temperatures, so can we, admit it. And even without air conditioning systems. Cooling yourself could be a process only for your body. Not the whole room. There are plenty of way to keep body temperature down. You could use cold-wet cloth and use it on the neck or forehead for example. You could use the same cloth on your wrists. It does help! You could use cold drinks. Even though some specialists give the advice that it is wrong to cool yourself down with cold drinks. Because they could make you sweat even more. For this occasion in some hot countries in North Africa for example people drink tea, which is not cool at all. This way they could balance the body temperature with the surrounding and there is less sweat in comparison to drinking ice-cold drinks.
Bedtime cooling stories
When sleeping pillows could be the main cause for you to feel very hot and sweaty. There are plenty of modern pillows which prevent this from happening. The secret is in their construction and material of use. It’s a think that everyone could try.
Night air
We talked about the night air and how efficient it is when talking about cooling home without air conditioning systems. During summer moths night air happen to be way cooler than the day. Use this gift of nature and open up doors at night. This way you will create a nice and pleasant air flow and keep room temperatures lower during the day.
Turn off the lights
Do not use electrical devices like lamps or any kind of TV sets etc. if you do not need them at the particular moment. Ordinary light bulbs for example (incandescent bulbs) use most of their energy on heat. Which means they not only make light, but a lot of heat as well. Fluorescent lamps are something else though.
Smart cooking in summer
Have this one in mind- cooking will increase the temperature at your home no matter how sophisticated your new oven is. Imagine it is a hot summer day and you decide to put sum sweet potatoes in or bake some pork steaks. Warm will become hot, and hot will become hotter at your dwelling. So consider the idea of cooking outside (if you have got this opportunity of course). Take out the old grill set, get some steaks and vegetables and make that great outdoor dinner, that everyone once liked. This way you will experience the pleasant feeling of having dinner outside and in the same time you will spare additional hot temperature to your kids.
Insulation
Good insulation of walls and windows will improve not only your attempts to make your home warm at winter. It can also keep it a bit more cooler in summer months. Yes, this will consider more money to accomplish but it will be a long-term effect. And this is exactly what counts.
The cool stuff
We are pretty serious with this one here. It may sound a bit jungle-book style, but what the heck?! Try sleeping in a hammock. It is quite a fun, though you have to have the right place for it. So if you do- try this one. You won’t be sorry.
