During a heat wave, while it’s important to keep your body cool, it’s important to keep your house cool. This helps ensure you can control your body temperature and keep food items that aren’t refrigerated fresher for longer. It’s not safe to stick your head in the freezer to remain cool at home.
1. Use proper curtains
Getting blinds can help keep sunlight from warming your home, especially if your windows face the sun. Block-out curtains can also reflect sunlight keeping heat out of your home. You can also invest in shades that can reduce high temperatures during a heat wave.
2. Open windows
Keeping windows from opposite sides of the room open encourages airflow. This releases trapped warm air and lets the cool air in. It’s especially important to ensure you open the windows during the cool hours, such as overnight or early in the morning. In flats where rooms have one window, leave doors open during the day to let air flow. Keep doors leading to corridors closed at night to reduce fire risk. Safety: 9 Common Hazards In Your Home That Can Lead To House Fires
3. Closed windows during the day
When the sun is at its peak, you can shut the windows and curtains to keep the heat out. This is helpful if there isn’t any flowing wind outside. If you live in a house blocked by other concrete buildings, keep the windows closed and put up your block-out curtains. If you have windows that face the sun this can be very helpful.
If a room gets the hottest during the day, close the door to that room and seal any gaps with a rug or towel to prevent any heat from escaping.
4. Fans
If you own a fan, place it next to a window that brings cool air in. This helps ensure cool air is circulated directly into your room. Only do this if it’s windy and not too hot outside. You can also place ice cubes in a bowl in front of the fan to ensure the air blown towards you is cooler. Don’t sit in front of the fan to get cold air directly blown to your face. Instead, try to position your body to get cool air towards your whole body. Make sure the average temperature outside isn’t higher than 34℃. If you place your fan in front of a window during the peak of a heat wave, you’ll increase your body temperature because you’re getting blown with hot dry air.
5. Avoid baking and grilling
Ovens and induction stoves release a lot of heat. Using appliances that produce a lot of heat can lead to heat exhaustion. Avoid any devices that also increase the amount of hot humidity in your home. This includes water heaters, washing machines, and dishwashers. Don’t use them when temperatures are at their highest. Take cool or lukewarm showers, wipe excess water from surfaces, switch off devices not in use at the socket, and move indoor plants outside.
6. Air conditioning
This is one of the most efficient ways to keep homes cool during a heat wave. Installing an air conditioner where your window is can direct cool air into the room where you’re staying. Only run the air conditioner during the hottest hours. If your home doesn’t have preinstalled air conditioning, you can mount one where air flows into the room. To ensure only cool air, you may need to close other windows in the room but ensure ventilation ducts are clear to allow smooth air flow. If you have evaporative air conditioners, you should leave windows and doors open to increase airflow in your home. Lifestyle: 5 Common Myths About Using An Air Conditioner
7. Ceiling fans
During a heat wave, run the ceiling fan counterclockwise. This helps dense hot air rise and leave the room and cool air to settle where you are situated. This can be especially helpful on hot nights. Keep the fan running at high speed to ensure hot air rises.
8. Change your bulbs
The make of bulbs you’re using can increase the temperature of your home. Incandescent and halogen bulbs emit a lot of heat. Switch to LED or energy-saving bulbs to keep your home cool during a heat wave.
9. Store your bedsheets in the freezer
If the nights are too hot for you to sleep, you can try storing your sheets in the freezer. Put them in an airtight bag to avoid any frost forming and making them wet. Put them for a few hours until they’re sufficiently cool then remove them just before bedtime.
10. Choose the right houseplants
Some plants release too much humidity during a heat wave. If you have such plants indoors, move them outside during the peak of the day. Keep them in a cool dry place to prevent them from dying out. There are plants you can get to keep your house cool such as the rubber plant, Chinese evergreen, palms, or mother-in-law’s tongue. These plants do well in direct sunlight, can provide shade when they’re mature, and release cool air when they absorb sunlight. Lifestyle: Tips For Buying Houseplants For First-Timers
Check out:
10 Ways To Maintain Your Health And Remain Cool During A Heat Wave
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