In case you haven’t noticed, it’s hot outside.
Temperatures are soaring in the UK but, due to the coronavirus pandemic, most of us are still spending the majority of the day at home.
And, unfortunately – unlike our European neighbours – our houses are not blessed with air conditioning.
So how are we supposed to work from home during a heatwave?
The good news is that there are a number of simple tricks for staying cool inside and most involve things that are already lying around the house.
Put a bowl of ice in front of a fan
No air con? No problem.
Simply put a bowl (or a bucket if you have one) filled with ice water directly in front of a fan.
As the ice melts the breeze from the fan will pick up the cool air coming from the ice’s surface. This will recreate a cool breeze, similar to an air conditioning unit.
Alternatively, a wet flannel or small, damp towel placed over a fan works just as well.
Keep curtains and windows closed during the day
On a beautiful day it’s natural to want to have the sun shining in. However, by doing so, you’re creating a greenhouse-like heat effect.
A room will stay cooler if curtains and blinds are closed – even better if they’re the blackout variety.
An open window will also let hot air into the house, rather than cool air – which, if you have a fan on the go, completely defeats the point.
Open windows once the day gets cooler
Windows should be kept closed when the day is at its hottest, but once the heat starts to drop they can be opened again.
Temperatures fall considerably at night, so opening a window in the evening will allow cool air to circulate around the house – it should help you sleep better, too.
Buy some house plants
If you’re looking for an excuse to buy more houseplants – then we might have just found one.
Indoor plants can help cool a house in warm weather, as they consume hot air for their natural processes.
When an atmosphere heats up, plants will often release excess water into the air from their leaves – as a result they cool themselves and the surrounding environment.
Some of the best ones include rubber plants, Chinese evergreens, palms, mother-in-law’s tongues and ficus benjaminas.
Turn off the lights
As you might remember from your secondary school science classes, light bulbs give off heat.
So keeping lights off will help to cool your house down – not to mention, it’s more environmentally-friendly and less money will be spent on bills.
Turn off your technology (if possible)
Similar to light bulbs, electrical appliances radiate heat – so turn any off that are not being used.
Of course, with many of us working from home lots of our devices are in constant use – but technology that isn’t (such as TVs, speakers and even phone chargers) can be switched off.
Also, be sure to fully unplug them, rather than just turning the switch off. This standby mode is often referred to as ‘vampire power’ because it still continues to drain energy and this will produce heat.
Hang a wet sheet
An alternative to the ice in front of the fan is the wet sheet by an open window.
The breeze from outside will turn cool from the sheet’s moisture which will help bring the temperature down in a room.
Spraying curtains or blinds with cold water will also create a similar effect.
Create a cross breeze with fans
If you have multiple fans you can create a cross breeze to make a room even cooler.
For example, a fan by a doorway can blow cool air into the room, while a fan in the window (facing outwards) will pull hot air away.
This positioning will help to keep air moving through the room, so you have a constant flow.
Be sure to position yourself between these two fans (in the middle of the flow of air) for best results.
MORE: Blue Cross reveals how to safely give a dog ice cubes in a heatwave
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/25/practical-ways-keep-home-cool-heatwave-12903089/
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