Ways to Make Your Home Cooler in Warm and Hot Weather
Cutting the Temperature Indoors..Some Starting Points
To cool off your castle in the hottest times of the year, you want to make your home as much of a cool, dark, breezy cave as possible. Go through each room, and turn off lights that are not being used. Turn off electronics that are not being used.
Check your ceiling fans if you have them to make sure that they are circling air in the correct direction. You will know if it is the wrong direction as it will feel as though heat is pouring down on you.
Make sure that every window has a screen so that when it is pleasant out, you can open the windows.
Before you open or close windows, inspect each window for air leaks. This can be done with a candle. Light a candle and slowly move it around the frame of each window. If there is air movement, you may have a poor seal, which means your energy dollars are going to waste.
Inspect doors and pet doors for drafts as well. Close and lock the pet door at night if your pets don't go out. Some pet doors allow such movement that mosquitoes and other pests can easily enter.
In Warmer Weather, Undress Indoors
If you are not expecting company, undress. You are much cooler in shorts and a tee shirt than in slacks, a shirt, or other outer wear clothes.
Use body powder in all the places that you sweat to prevent sticking and chafing.
Don't just choose a deodorant, which masks body odor, use an antiperspirant, which works to prevent sweating.
Drink cool or cold water to keep cool from the inside out.
During Warmer Months, Reduce the Humidity
If you are in an area that is affected by high humidity, then look at the different dehumidifiers that are available.
At a wedding recently, the air conditioners failed. The bride and groom quickly rented dehumidifiers and fans. Although it was not as cold as commercial air conditioners would be, the reception was cool and comfortable, with no one sweating. It was incredible to see the waitstaff empty the full containers of water, a gallon at a time. I was grateful for that effort.
Since then, I have looked at dehumidifiers for personal use in a home. Although they can be expensive at first, the savings and coolness of the air will quickly prove that it is a worthwhile investment.
Cook Out, Not In
We all love warm meals, but when you are already hot, do you really want to add a hot meal to your internal temperature?
Plenty of foods can be consumed during warmer months to keep cool while meeting nutrition needs. In addition, warm temperatures are a great time to spend cooking outdoors. Keeping the heat outdoors keeps your costs down in cooling your home.
Food prepared on a grill tends to be healthier fare as well.
Soak Your Feet, Cool Your Entire Body
Draw a small amount of cold water in a tub or plastic dish. Immerse your feet in the water and let them soak for at least five minutes.
Your entire body will feel cooler and comfortable in that time.
For an extra treat, add Epsom salts.
Wear Slightly Damp Clothing When You Are Hot
If all else fails and you are seriously still very hot, have a cool shower and then slip into some lightweight clothes that are barely damp. In moments, you will feel cooler and more able to relax in your own home.
Boil Water When You Are Cold in Your Home
Sometimes, it seems as though you cannot shake the cold no matter what. Turn a stove top burner on and set a pot full of water on it. Let the water come to a boil. Check every few moments to make sure that you have enough water in the pan. Adding water to the air increases the humidity, which allows the air to be moister. Higher humidity in a room feels warmer. Added bonus is that for most people, it is a treat for their skin.
Make sure that you do not let the water in your pot boil down to nothing. Check it every five or ten minutes and add water as needed.
Houseplants For Warmer and Cooler Weather
In the warmer months, plants do a wonderful job of filtering the light and giving beautiful shade for everyone that is in that room.
In warm and cool weather, plants create oxygen for all of us and make a room much more livable.
Make sure that you water plants as needed and that you don't over or under water your plants.
In Cooler Weather Your Oven is a Heat Source
We avoid using the oven as much as possible in the summer because of how much it heats up the kitchen and house.
When you are done using the oven in cooler months, turn it off and then leave the door slightly ajar at the top to allow the heat to vent into the house.
Do not do this in homes with small children, persons with mental disabilities, or curious pets unless you will be able to monitor the stove the entire time that the door is open.
