Al igual que el invierno, el verano es una estación que nos invita a tomar medidas para evitar las temperaturas extremas en el entorno doméstico. En este sentido, la opción más sencilla probablemente sea recurrir al aire acondicionado, sobre el que recientemente ya te hemos dado algunos consejos para sacarle el máximo partido con un gasto mínimo. Pero hoy en Culmia queremos ir un paso más allá y proponerte una serie de soluciones sostenibles y saludables para proteger la casa del calor en estos meses.

Tips for Keeping Your Home Cool in the Middle of Summer

Preferred use of fans

Sustainability isn’t at odds with technology. The key is to use it wisely, so you can get good performance while keeping energy consumption as low as possible. That’s why you might find it very interesting to know that a running fan can consume up to 15 times less energy than an air conditioning system. While the former requires 60Wh, the latter uses approximately 1,000Wh, since it has to power a much more complex system.

Therefore, prioritize the use of fans to keep your home cool. During the coolest hours of the day, use a fan and try to place it in the best spot in the room, based on its airflow direction and power. On the other hand, if you have air conditioning, limit its use to the times of day when temperatures are highest (such as at noon or in the early afternoon) and turn it off once you’ve managed to cool the room down.

Take advantage of the cooler hours to air out the room

Protecting your home from the heat in the summer is also a matter of strategy and consistency. Keep in mind that at night and in the early morning, the temperature isn’t usually as high and the air circulates better. So don’t forget to open the windows and air out your home during these key times of the day when the sun gives us a break.

At night, you can open the windows to air out the room before going to sleep, then draw some thermal, blackout curtains to keep the room at an optimal temperature and prevent sunlight from waking you up at dawn. Or you can leave the window open and use the blinds to control the light.

And, in the early morning hours, be sure to ventilate your home effectively—especially if the layout of your home allows for cross-ventilation, so that air can circulate from one side to the other and cool all the rooms.

Create a humid environment

Low humidity contributes to an increased perceived temperature inside homes. Consequently, it is important that we try to maintain humidity at optimal levels: it is recommended that it be between 30% and 50% depending on the outside temperature, so it should be higher during the hottest months.

The simplest way to increase humidity and protect your home from the heat is to use humidifiers—devices that gradually convert water into vapor and release it into the air in a controlled manner. But if you prefer an even more sustainable and healthy option, you can try a homemade trick: hang a damp curtain or sheet (or one that’s just been taken out of the freezer) in front of a window or the door to your patio or balcony, so that it cools the air coming in.

Monitor the use of household appliances

Any appliance you have plugged into an electrical outlet will generate heat, especially when it’s running at full capacity. The TV, oven, microwave, washing machine, etc., will all contribute to raising the temperature in your home when they’re turned on, so be sure to turn them off and even unplug them if you’re not using them at the moment.

And if you choose to use them, try to do so at the best time of day: for example, you can run the washing machine first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon, or use the oven at night to prepare the next day’s meal. That way, the appliances won’t get as hot and won’t raise the temperature much in the rooms where they’re located.

Insulate your home

This option is a bit more expensive than the others, but it might be worth it to protect your home from the heat during the summer. It involves thermally insulating key areas of the home, such as doors, windows, or even the floor, so that during the times of day when you have the rooms closed off, outside heat doesn’t get in and indoor humidity doesn’t escape. This way, you’ll be able to create a specific microclimate and maintain the temperature you’ve achieved through other methods, such as air conditioning, fans, or humidifying the air.

If you recently purchased your home and it’s a new construction, it may already have a good insulation system. And if that’s not the case, you can always consider consulting a professional to assess the condition of your home and provide you with an estimate. Of course, this will be a significant investment, but keep in mind that it will not only help you keep the heat out in the summer and the cold out in the winter, but it will also improve your home’s energy efficiency and, as a result, save you money on your monthly bill.

Use LED lighting

You may not have noticed it until now, but if you replace traditional light bulbs with LED ones, you’ll also be protecting your home from the heat in the middle of summer. As we mentioned earlier, any device connected to the electrical current will heat up and give off heat; but in the case of LED light bulbs, the difference in temperature is significant enough to make the switch worthwhile.

In fact, these solutions have their own heat sink, so it’s important to check that it’s working properly to prevent overheating. If it is, not only will you notice that the surface of the bulb doesn’t get hot, but you’ll also achieve more efficient energy consumption, because in their case, only 70% of the energy is converted into heat, compared to 80% for fluorescent bulbs and 90% for incandescent bulbs.

Use houseplants

You’ll find few tips more sustainable and eco-friendly than placing houseplants throughout your home. Not only do they decorate your home and add a touch of color to your rooms, but they also play a significant role in refreshing the air and maintaining an optimal temperature.

Among their benefits are their ability to cool rooms—since they act as natural humidifiers—and to refresh and purify the air. So don’t hesitate—place houseplants in every corner of your home where space allows. Species such as the Ficus, Aloe Vera, Sansevieria, Bay Laurel, Bamboo Palm, and Fern will give you spectacular results and, at the same time, bring your home to life.

Don’t forget about yourself

Finally, remember that you shouldn’t just focus on your home to enjoy the best temperature in the summer. It’s also important to take direct steps to make sure your body feels as little heat as possible. In fact, our home is usually synonymous with comfort and coziness, so when you get home, don’t hesitate to change into light, breathable clothing in light colors that fits as loosely as possible.

If you do this, your body will sweat properly and retain less heat, so you’ll probably feel better and sweat less. You can also achieve this by staying hydrated throughout the day, drinking fluids regularly (such as water or natural beverages), and eating fresh foods (such as fruit, ensañadas, or gazpacho).

It’s possible to protect your home from the heat with sustainable and healthy solutions

As you’ve just seen, you don’t have to spend a lot of money or always rely on technology to lower the temperature in your home during the hottest days of summer. In this post, we’ve shared several simple and affordable solutions that will help you block out the heat and cool down your home, so we encourage you to put them into practice to get through the coming weeks as comfortably as possible—all while being kind to the environment and your wallet.

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