If you're like us and don't have air conditioning, there are a few tricks you can put into practice that will make your house feel cool & fresh in the hot summer months! Here are my favourite hacks for helping your home cool without AC.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Brick. As always, all of the opinions here are my own.
Use a Fan to Circulate the Air
A good fan will help instantly cool your home down even without AC, especially if you combine it with the window technique above. We've been using the Dyson Bladeless Hot + Cool Fan from The Brick this summer, and I love that it's easy to control with a remote (that attaches magnetically to the top of the fan!).
We can choose whether we want a direct stream of air or a wider stream of air from the fan, and we can even use it as a heater this winter.
During the day, we have the fan either in the kids' playroom or our kitchen to help keep us cool. The fan's Air Multiplier Technology offers more powerful cooling than a traditional fan, so it's great for large spaces like our basement and open kitchen area!
We usually move our Dyson Bladeless Fan to the hottest bedroom at night (which happens to be Little C's South-facing room!). It's easy to move because it's so light, I love that it's safe for our kids, and it's quiet when they're sleeping.
Another huge bonus? The bladeless design is SO much easier to clean than other fans. No more wiping individual blades and a fan cage - hooray!
Use Curtains & Windows for Natural Cooling
Knowing when to open and shut your windows and drapes throughout the day will also help keep your home nice and cool. Keep windows and curtains closed throughout the hotter hours of the day (usually around 8am to 8pm in the summer), and then open them up at night to allow the cool air to flow into your home. I also find that blackout shades drawn during the day help keep my kids' bedrooms a lot cooler. Pair this technique with a good fan, and it's so effective!
Strip Down the Textiles
As much as I love an abundance of pillows, rugs and throw blankets in home decor, it truly helps make a home feel cooler and fresher in the summer to use less textiles in decor. I've pared right down on my throw pillows and blankets, and even opted for no area rug in our living room for the hot months this year. The cool, bare floor helps keep us feeling cool and fresh, and it's warm enough right now that we don't need any blankets or furry pillows upstairs.
Add in Real Plants
Real house plants help make the air in our home feel fresher because they release oxygen into the air. Did you know that NASA revealed that houseplants can remove up to 87 per cent of air toxin in 24 hours? That's another great reason to become a plant mama this season! There are so many beautiful varieties of houseplants that look lovely in home decor. We have a few (like a fiddle leaf fig and a palm), and I'm slowly adding more as I get better at taking care of them!
By using these methods and with the help of the Dyson Bladeless Hot + Cool Fan from The Brick, we can keep our home quite cool throughout the summer months - even without the cost and hassle of AC! It's so nice to have a cool and fresh feeling home to enjoy with my girls and hubby this summer.
Now tell me: What are your tricks and tips to keeping your home cool when it's hot outside?
These are such great eco friendly suggestions staying cool. I never had AC growing up and fans were certainly such a blessing. It is also important to know when to open and close windows as you mentioned. I am pinning these eco tips!
Thank you, Scarlet!
These are really good suggestions, but tbh, I can't imagine not having AC. Kudos to you.
Here is one tip to do now for future heat protection ... plant a tree (or more)! The cool shade they offer is justification enough.
Best wishes,
Sonya
These are great tips, I am really impressed and will definitely try some out of the suggestion. Thanks so much for sharing this.
These are incredible tips, Cristina! I've always wanted to achieve a cool house without AC but I can't. Living in the city makes it challenging for me and my boyfriend to accomplish our goals. Though, we have a country house that we plan to renovate soon - it was a gift from my dad. We have decided to visit the place by the end of the month and I'll definitely take these tips with me. Thanks for sharing!
I didn't know that plants remove such a significant amount of toxins in the air. Interesting!
I love sleeping with the windows ope !!! Nice and cool. Another cooling trick I have learned... oils !!!!! I have a great after sun spray that cools the hot spots after a day at the beach!