Tips for Keeping Your Home Cool and Beating the Heat This Summer

When the perfect spring weather begins to fade and the scorching summer heat takes its place, it’s a good time to start thinking about ways to keep cool this summer. If you’re in need of some simple, cost-effective tips for keeping your home cool and beating the heat this summer, keep reading!

Make Sure the AC is Working Properly

If your air conditioner is broken, you’ll have to work much harder to beat the heat. It’s smarter and more effective in the long term to make sure your AC is working properly than to wishfully push buttons and cross your fingers that it will cool your house down. It’s a good idea to know when to call a repairman if problems do arise.

Once your AC is working properly, it’s also important to know how to save money while running it. Avoid running the AC with the windows or doors open—you’ll have more luck cooling your house if you’re not trying to cool down the whole neighborhood. Closing the blinds will also help your home stay cool because it will limit the heat from the sun that is able to enter your home.

Avoid Turning on the Oven if Possible

Using your oven during the mid-summer heat will raise the temperature in your house and make you feel hot. One simple way to remedy this is to try to avoid turning on the oven if at all possible. Get creative and see what you can make with fresh fruits and vegetables! Even boiling water and sautéing vegetables on the stovetop will be a cooler alternative than using the oven. Try using an outdoor grill for a fun option that avoids the oven’s heat. And if you absolutely must use the oven, avoid turning it on until you are ready to bake your food.

Stay Hydrated

One of the simplest ways to stay cool in the summer is to make sure you’re always hydrated. If this seems confusing, think of your body like an air conditioner. When your body heats up due to hot weather, physical exercise, or stress, you begin to sweat (that’s like your air conditioner turning on when the temperature gets too high). When you sweat, your body is using its coolant, so drinking water is important to refill that tank. It’s a good idea to drink water even if you’re not thirsty, because you’ll deplete your body’s water resources more quickly in the summer heat.

These three tips can help you stay cool even in the intense summer heat! Even if you don’t have the option to install a new air conditioning unit, limiting your oven use and staying hydrated can help you stay cool more than you might think!