Keeping Cool in Your Home Despite the Heat

Summer heat comes in waves and can put a damper on fun. To keep the good times rolling despite the heat, the following tips (some slightly unorthodox) may help you to cool off inside and outside your home.

Inside Your Home

• Close Your Window Coverings – Anything you can do to decrease the sun’s rays into your home will keep it cooler in the daytime. Wake up early and shut them tight to reduce the amount of light that warms your home on a daily basis. Once an evening breeze sets in, open windows and interior doors throughout your home to help the house cool down. Make sure to secure windows before you sleep and only leave “safe” or alarm-monitored windows open for the nighttime breeze.
• Turn Fans On & Appliances Off – Anything that generates heat should be used minimally and increased airflow from circulating fans will help to cool your home.
• Plan To Eat With Care – Think cool foods, like salads and sandwiches and cold, fresh fruit like watermelon. Drink LOTS of cold water and refresh it with mint, cucumbers or lemons. Or, go with spicy as is customary in hotter countries. Adding spice to your meals can make you feel cooler.

Outside Your Home

• Run Through Your Sprinklers – Your lawn still needs care even though it’s hot, so make the most of it by dousing yourself at the same time! Kids and dogs especially love this cool down trick!
• Set Up A Mister In The Shade – Easily attached to an outdoor hose, a mister can be found in your home improvement store and operates similar to a sprinkler on a much lighter setting. Grab your favorite lawn chair, turn on the mist and allow the cooling to begin.
• Enjoy Someone Else’s A/C – Whether you visit a local coffeehouse or restaurant, or take a trip mall shopping or to a museum or library, most retail establishments maintain pretty cool temperatures. With wifi pretty much everywhere these days, you could even grab your laptop or tablet and get caught up on work and email while you cool off, too!

If you want other suggestions on how to keep cool locally, email or call me and I’ll tell you some other places you can visit near your home that have great air conditioning.  In the meantime, think cool thoughts!