When you’re in the middle of a heatwave, cooling your home during those days of summer doesn’t need to mean switching on expensive air conditioning, worrying about your high energy bills, or stressing about the potential impact of your carbon footprint. Depending on your climate, as much as 20 to 50 percent of your annual energy use can go to cooling your house. This can account for as much as 5 to 15 percent of your household carbon footprint.
AC units have so many harmful refrigerants, such as chlorofluorocarbons that harm the ozone layer. Some units can work with hydrofluorocarbons. These are not as harmful to the ozone as CFCs, however, they still damage the atmosphere as they contain hundreds to thousands of times the greenhouse gas potency of carbon dioxide. Acknowledge the fact that without correct and regular maintenance household air conditioners can be a health hazard, traditional AC units are the least eco-friendly way to cool-down your home. Not to mention, dirty filters can cultivate pollutants, such as pesticides and allergens, and can trigger a lot of health issues.
Make a DIY A.C.
Not even an air conditioner can give off a sea breeze vibe, but this simple trick can. Fill a bowl with ice or something equally cold, like an ice pack, and position it at an angle in front of a tall fan so the air whips off the ice in an extra-chilled, extra-misty state. And it will feel magical.
Grow Some Greens
There’s nothing more eco-friendly that you can do than planting a tree. If you’re starting small in the planting process, it will take a long time for you to get the benefits that trees have to offer around your home, but the more trees you plant the more you will help our Earth for generations to come.
Having trees around your home will create a lot of shade in the summer, and even smaller plants can have a cooling effect, as the breeze moving through them will pick up humidity and cool the surrounding area. Growing something like vines on your walls is another way to create this environmental transpiration effect, and vines can also act as insulation.
Use Ceiling Fans
Ventilating your rooms doesn’t only keep the air fresh circulating. Moving air will also cause moisture from your skin to evaporate, which can help keep you cooler. Installing ceiling fans can do the trick in an eco-friendly way, as they use less electricity than air conditioning, sparing you the high bills of an AC unit. Keep in mind that the ceiling fan is made to keep you cool instead of cooling the room. Because of that, they should be turned off when no one’s in the room.
Cook Outside
There is nothing better and heartwarming than a home-cooked meal, but in summer, that hot oven in the kitchen can heat the room unbearably. You can either make peace with eating salads and sandwiches all summer long or simply bring all of your cooking outside. Not only that barbecue food is super tasty, but also there are now many solar-powered grills that even save you money while cooking the food. You can even make your solar oven like one of your garden features if you like DIYs.
Invest In Good Quality Blinds
As simple as this tip may seem, up to 30 percent of unwanted heat comes from your windows, utilizing shades can save you up to 7 percent on bills and lower indoor temperatures by up to up to 20 degrees. Therefore, it is crucial that you invest in quality window slats, because it provides excellent moisture resistance, they are suitable for all rooms, including bathrooms, kitchens and other high humidity areas.
- They are hypo-allergenic and don’t promote any bacterial activities
- Also easy to clean, repair and recoat
- They are environmentally friendly and recyclable
- They have extra strength achieved by aluminum inserts on all slats
In other words, closing the blinds will prevent your home from becoming a greenhouse, which is especially the case if you have south and west-facing windows.
Important Installations
- Investing in good insulation is useful in the summertime just as much as in the winter. It’ll prevent the loss of cold air or heat, saving you money since less heating and cooling will be needed.
- LED lights are eco-friendly compared to traditional light bulbs, as they don’t get warm. Therefore, they won’t contribute to raising the level of heat in your home as the traditional light bulbs do.
- Space filler and patches will close any leaks in the home, keeping the cool air inside.
Swap Out Your Sheets
Not only does seasonally switching your bedding give your room a new look, but it’s also a great way to keep cool. Textiles like flannel sheets and fleece blankets are fantastic for insulation, but cotton is a smarter move this time of year as it breathes easier and stays cooler. As a bonus, find yourself a buckwheat pillow or two. Buckwheat hulls have a natural air space between them, and they don’t hold on to your body heat like conventional pillows, even when packed together in a pillowcase.
Let The Night Air In
During warm summer months, temperatures can drop during the night. If this is the case where you live, make the most of these refreshing hours by opening the windows before you go to bed. You can even create a wind tunnel by strategically setting up your fans to make the perfect cross breeze. Just make sure to close the windows and blinds before it gets too hot in the morning.
Unplug Unnecessary Heat Sources
We rarely think of this, but a plugged charger here, a TV box there, and slowly but surely all these little things let out lots of additional heat through the sockets. The solution is to always unplug chargers, forget about the stand-by function. For those of you who have a garage attached to their house, before you park the car, place it outside under a shady spot until the engine cools off.
Hair Appliances
Not only are hairdryers, curling irons, and straighteners not the most energy-efficient, they also produce a lot of heat. If you can avoid using these items and find a wash and wear hairstyle to make your life more convenient in the summer. If not, try to style your hair in the early morning or at night, and try not to have them plugged in at the highest heat setting for very long.
Focus On The Temperature Of Your Body
If our grandparents survive without air conditioning, so can we. Try sipping tasty iced drinks to applying a cold cloth to strong-pulsed areas like your neck and wrists, cooling yourself from the inside out is not that bad of an idea. Also, be smart about your clothing choices. Try keeping a bowl of cool water by your bed and dipping your feet if you feel hot in the middle of the night.
Freeze a Hot Water Bottle
Yes, this is backward, but the same way you can fill up a hot water bottle to help with aches and pains, you can also fill it with ice or cold water and freeze it to keep you cold.
Simply place it in the bed with you at your feet to keep you cool. This is a good option because of the material the bottle is made from, it won’t sweat and create a mess in your bed.
Do Not Ignore Screen Doors
Screen doors are awesome. They allow fresh air to get in, yet keep insects and strangers out. Install screen doors over the existing ones and allow the fresh morning and evening air circulate.
Don’t Use The Dishwasher As Much
Let your dishes air dry inside your dishwasher if your dishwasher has a dry cycle. Try to avoid opening the door right after you’ve run it. When you open the door right away, hot air comes out into your kitchen and warms it up even more.
Be Smart About Your Doors
Close off the rooms you are not using at that moment, and you will prevent cool air from permeating these areas during the hottest part of the day. You’ll want to capitalize on the cooler night hours, too and let air flow naturally through your home.
Go For A White Roof
On a super-hot day, traditional black roof materials can become over 100 degrees hotter than the air around them. A white roof is a great way to keep your house cool in the summer because it reflects heat instead of absorbing it, keeping the warmth from seeping into the rest of your home. You can install white roof panels or just apply white roof coating if you have a flat or metal roof.
Stay cool and environmentally friendly this summer by following these suggestions. Not only you’ll stay cool, save on your electric bill, but you’re also helping out the environment in the process.
