The dog days of summer are upon us, and the sun feels as if it is cooking you. While the heat is unbearable for all but those living in residential flats in Patna have to face the “loo”, the infamous strong, dry and dusty wind that blows through the plains of north India without anything blocking its way. While air conditioning is a great way to escape the oppressive heat, the truth is many of us don’t have it or cannot afford to run it unless a second source of income is present. Keeping this mind, here are 5 tips to make your home more comfortable during the summer months.
1. Get Fans
Ceiling fans, box fans, pedestal fans, etc. can all make your home significantly cooler than it is outside. Using a fan instead of an air conditioner provides cool air at the exact spot where it is needed, instead of cooling the whole house, that too at a fraction of the cost of an air conditioner. Ceiling fans can pull cool air from the ground to the ceiling, where hot air usually lingers. Box fans, if positioned at the windows at night, suck in the hot air out of your home and bring the cooler air from the outside.
2. Reduce Heat Gain
Close the drapes, shades or blinds, and use shelters to stop the sunlight from entering in through the windows. You can get yourself bamboo blinds, latticework, etc. as long as it stops sunlight from streaming into the house.
3. Reduce Indoor Humidity
You can reduce indoor humidity to make the rooms feel cooler. To reduce indoor humidity, you should minimize midday washing and drying of clothes and cooking. When you do cook or wash clothes, remember to turn on the ventilation fans to extract the warm, moist air, but be sure to turn them off when you are finished. This will ensure that cool air isn’t extracted from the house.
4. Turn Off Heat-Generating Appliances
Switch off the heat-generating lights and appliances unless and until you absolutely need them. Incandescent bulbs are one of the main culprits that generate heat. There are other appliances that heat up and emit heat, causing your home to warm up.
5. Get Comfortable Clothes
Choose comfortable cotton clothes and sheets. Light weight Egyptian cotton is excellent for that. They are breathable and promote ventilation and airflow in the bedroom. Here is a cool trick, stick your sheets in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes before bed. We recommend using plastic bags before putting them into your freezer, or they might get wet. Using these sheets might relieve you from extreme heat and humidity for several hours at night.
6. Install Heat-Reflecting Film
You can put heat-reflecting film on windows that face the sun. This will ensure that you keep your house cooler. The film will also reduce glare and ultraviolet rays that damage the furniture. Heat-reflecting films are best for places like Patna, which has hot climate for the majority part of the year. But be aware that installing heat-reflecting film will also reduce the light that comes in through the window.
Try these measures to ensure that your home is cool, and you’ll more often than not escape the punishing heat without relying on air conditioner.