Spending summer at home can be a pleasure or a torment, depending on how you manage the heat inside your house . When the thermometer soars and the nights turn tropical, you might be tempted to blast the air conditioning all the time, but that means a hefty bill and, besides, it's not always the healthiest option. The good news is that there are many ways to keep your house cool without being glued to the air conditioning remote.
Based on recommendations from organizations like the WHO and the Ministry of Health , and the practical experience of various specialists in home, decoration, and energy efficiency, there are many simple, inexpensive, and eco-friendly tricks you can use to lower the indoor temperature by several degrees. From learning how to ventilate properly to changing textiles, playing with the sun's orientation, or making the most of fans and extractors, you'll see there's plenty of room to improve comfort at home during heat waves.
Why does your house get so hot in summer?
Before you start trying out any tricks, it's worth understanding why your house feels like an oven. The combination of the house's orientation, poor insulation, and bad daily habits is usually the culprit. If your house faces south or west, it will receive direct sunlight for many hours, which is great in winter but a nightmare in August.
Insulation also plays a huge role: roofs, attics, walls, and especially windows and glass doors can let heat in easily if they aren't properly insulated. Sometimes improving structural insulation is expensive or complicated, but understanding these limitations helps you compensate with simpler solutions.
Ventilation is the other major factor. A home where the air is poorly ventilated accumulates heat day after day. Poor ventilation (or at odd hours) can cause heat to become trapped, especially if you let in scorching air at midday and then close everything up when the temperature drops.
Nor should we forget what happens inside the house: appliances left on, inefficient lighting, ovens, stoves, computers … all of that releases heat. If, in addition, the decor is geared towards winter (thick rugs, blankets, synthetic textiles), the perceived temperature rises even more.
Finally, how you take care of yourself also plays a role. Your diet, hydration, and the type of clothing you wear can make you feel like the house is on fire even if the thermometer isn't showing an extreme temperature. Heavy meals, alcohol, or too much caffeine can trigger a feeling of stuffiness.
Smart ventilation: when and how to open the windows
One of the most common mistakes in summer is ventilating at the worst possible time. To get the most benefit from the airflow, you should take advantage of the early morning and evening hours , when it's cooler outside. That's when you should open doors and windows wide to allow air to circulate and remove the accumulated heat.
During the day, however, it's best to keep windows closed or only partially open , especially if they face sunny sides. Letting in 35°C air will only overheat the interior. It's better to retain the coolness captured early in the morning.
Creating well-planned air currents is another key point. If your home has windows facing both an interior courtyard and the street, you can strategically open the cooler ones and combine several openings to allow air to circulate throughout the house. Windows facing interior courtyards tend to receive gentler, cooler breezes.
On the hottest nights, when the outside temperature finally drops, it's worth leaving several windows open for a while to let the hot air out of the house. However, it's advisable to use mosquito nets to keep mosquitoes out and then close the windows once the rooms have cooled down.
For rooms you want to keep cool during the day, it's helpful to combine this with door seals to prevent heat from the rest of the house from seeping in through the gap below. This way you can "insulate" your cool retreat without major renovations.
Light control, blinds, curtains and window insulation
Sunlight is the biggest source of heat in the home. Using blinds, shades, and curtains effectively can reduce the indoor temperature by several degrees. During the hottest hours of the day, it's best to lower blinds and shades on windows exposed to the sun , especially those facing south and west, to create a more subdued feel.
However, it's best to avoid lowering the blinds completely in every room all day. If you close them all the way down everywhere, you prevent air circulation and create a stuffy atmosphere . The most effective approach is usually to lower them completely in rooms you're not using and leave them slightly open in those you need light, combining them with light-colored curtains that filter direct sunlight.
Curtains can make a big difference. Opting for thick but light-colored fabrics, such as whites and grays , helps block heat and reflect some of the radiation. These colors repel heat much better than dark tones, which tend to absorb solar energy.
If your home is particularly exposed to the sun, exterior awnings, shade sails, or pergolas on balconies and terraces act as a protective barrier. These solutions create large shaded areas in front of windows and glass doors, reducing the heat generated by the glass and, consequently, the interior.
To further improve the performance of windows, there are adhesive solar films that reflect much of the heat coming from outside without the need to replace them. They can reduce thermal radiation by up to 80%, which makes a significant difference in highly exposed rooms.
Textiles, bedding and furniture: dress your summer home
The decor also needs a "wardrobe change." As soon as the weather warms up, it's a good idea to put away thick rugs, blankets, heavy cushions, and winter textiles . All these items trap heat and make the house feel denser and warmer.
Synthetic textiles, such as faux leather or certain faux leather upholstery, are especially uncomfortable in high temperatures because they don't breathe and stick to the skin . If your sofas or chairs are made of these materials, a simple solution is to cover them with lightweight cotton or linen slipcovers that allow air to circulate.
In the bedroom, the choice of sheets and mattress is crucial. Ideally, use sheets made of cotton, linen, or even silk , which are natural, cool, and breathable fibers. It's advisable to change bed linens at least once a week in summer, both for hygiene and thermal comfort, and store away duvets, heavy quilts, and blankets until the cold weather returns.
Regarding the mattress, some materials retain a lot of heat. Pocket spring or breathable viscoelastic mattresses allow for greater air circulation and are more comfortable on hot nights. However, dense foam or poorly ventilated latex mattresses can trap heat and worsen the feeling of stuffiness.
It's also a good idea to adapt the decorating style : light wood furniture, natural fibers, and soft colors (whites, beiges, pastel shades) help the space feel fresher. Dark colors tend to absorb more heat and make the room feel heavier.
Use lights and appliances to avoid generating more heat
We often overlook the fact that we generate a significant portion of our home's heat ourselves with electrical appliances. Incandescent light bulbs and some halogen bulbs convert up to 90% of the energy they consume into heat, not light. Replacing them with LED or energy-efficient bulbs is a direct way to reduce internal heat sources and save on your energy bill.
On the hottest days, try to minimize the use of artificial light . Whenever possible, take advantage of natural light by raising the blinds slightly in shaded areas rather than turning on lamps. And turn off any lights that aren't absolutely necessary.
Large appliances also raise the indoor temperature. Washing machines, dishwashers, ovens, and dryers can increase the temperature of the kitchen or living room by 1,5 to 2 °C while they are running. To avoid this, schedule their use for the coolest times of day, preferably in the evening or early morning.
If you need to run the washing machine or dishwasher late in the day, it's a good idea to close the kitchen door while they're running, so the heat doesn't spread throughout the house. And, of course, turn off any appliances you're not using completely: even standby mode, with its little red light, generates heat, though it may seem insignificant.
Leaving a computer, a large television, or video game consoles running for several hours at a time also contributes to overheating in the house. During the hottest times of the day, it's best to limit their use or group tasks together to avoid leaving them on all day.
Kitchen, bathroom and extractor fans: how to avoid turning your house into an oven
The kitchen can be the hottest spot in the house when the heat is on. Leaving the oven or stovetop on for extended periods causes the temperature to soar. Whenever possible, opt for cold recipes such as salads , gazpacho, cold pasta dishes, quick grilled meats, or dishes that require minimal heat.
If you have no other option but to cook, make good use of the extractor fan . It's important to turn it on as soon as you finish cooking, so it removes the residual heat and steam once they're no longer useful. Keeping the fan clean, with no grease in the filters, ensures it works at peak performance.
It's best to reserve the oven for occasional use during the hottest days, as it generates a lot of concentrated heat . If you have a terrace or garden, you can take advantage of the weather to cook outdoors with a barbecue or other methods that don't overheat the inside of your home.
In the bathroom, the steam from hot water after showers also increases the feeling of stuffiness. Whenever possible, in summer it's preferable to opt for lukewarm or cool showers , which also help lower your body temperature. And, of course, turn on the extractor fan during and after your shower to expel that humid, hot air.
Extractor fans, both in the kitchen and bathroom, are not just for removing odors or steam; when used properly, they are essential for expelling excess heat to the outside . Keeping them clean and in good working order is a small investment with a noticeable impact on home comfort.
Fans versus air conditioning: tricks to get the most out of them
When you don't have air conditioning or prefer to use it only when necessary, fans become your best friends. Although they don't lower the air temperature, they do create a cooling sensation by increasing the evaporation of sweat from the skin. Furthermore, they consume much less electricity and don't dry out the air as much.
There's a little-known trick with ceiling fans: in summer it's recommended that the blades rotate counter-clockwise (to the left), so that they push the air downwards and remove the heat accumulated at the top of the room.
With pedestal or table fans, you can play with their direction. During the day, if it's warmer outside than inside, you'll want them to push the hot air out , so position them pointing towards the window. At night, when it cools down, you can reverse the direction so they draw the cool air in.
There's a very effective home trick for creating a "mini air conditioner": place a container or bowl filled with ice or very cold water in front of the fan , slightly tilted. When the fan blows, it will pass over the frozen surface, and the resulting breeze will be noticeably cooler.
One advantage of fans is that they don't blow extremely cold air, so they don't irritate the throat or eyes as much as air conditioning sometimes does. Even so, it's best not to place them too close to the body, especially for bedridden people, young children, or the elderly.
Plants, water and natural tricks to lower the temperature
Plants are a natural, decorative, and highly effective way to combat the heat. By watering them and transpiring, they help reduce the ambient temperature by several degrees . Having plants indoors (such as ferns, snake plants, spider plants, or areca palms) provides both visual and real coolness, especially if you keep them well-hydrated.
On balconies, terraces, or patios, frequently watering the ground and plants has a noticeable effect. Hard surfaces accumulate a lot of heat, so wetting the pavement at dusk helps dissipate that trapped heat. As the water evaporates, it absorbs energy and leaves the surroundings somewhat cooler.
The facade can also benefit from greenery. Climbing plants and vines, such as bougainvillea or jasmine , form a green screen that acts as thermal insulation. By covering exterior walls, they reduce the direct impact of the sun on the structure, creating a kind of "living shade" that protects the house.
Indoors, in addition to watering, you can lightly mist the leaves of some plants (provided the species allows it) and spray water around their immediate surroundings . This micro-mist helps to cool down the driest and hottest rooms.
Another classic trick is to refresh tiled or ceramic floors by mopping them with cold water, leaving them slightly damper than usual. As this thin film of water evaporates, it absorbs heat from the air , leaving a very pleasant coolness, especially in bedrooms before going to sleep.
How your habits and body affect the sensation of heat
The temperature shown on the thermometer isn't everything: your daily habits can make your house feel warmer than it actually is. The World Health Organization recommends trying to keep indoor temperatures below 32°C during the day and 24°C at night , taking special care with babies, people over 60, and those with chronic illnesses.
To achieve this, in addition to home safety tips, it's important to take care of your body. Staying well- hydrated with fresh water or healthy ice cream throughout the day, avoiding excessive alcohol, sugary drinks, and caffeine, and opting for light, frequent meals helps the body regulate its temperature more effectively.
Large, fatty meals, hot stews, or barbecues full of red meat and heavy sausages make digestion more difficult, increasing feelings of discomfort. It's best to prioritize fresh dishes, fruits, vegetables, and simple preparations that don't overload the digestive system.
There are also small physical gestures that provide significant relief. Wetting your wrists, the back of your neck, and your neck with cold water several times a day, taking cool or lukewarm showers, or using cool compresses and towels on the areas where you feel your pulse most strongly helps lower your body temperature. These points act as natural "radiators."
The clothes you choose to wear at home also matter. Loose-fitting garments in cotton or linen, in light colors , allow your skin to breathe and reflect light better. Avoiding synthetic fabrics and very tight clothing reduces the feeling of stickiness and constant heat.
If you add to all this the choice of the coolest part of your home to spend the critical hours of the day (interior rooms, north-facing rooms or shaded areas), it is easier for your house to become a refuge from heat waves instead of an enemy.
Applying these tricks together – from ventilating at the right times, managing blinds and textiles well, controlling the use of lights and appliances, cooking sensibly, making the most of fans and extractors, surrounding yourself with plants and taking care of your own habits – allows you to significantly reduce the heat in your home without always depending on air conditioning, saving energy, improving well-being and making summer much more bearable.
