When temperatures soar, here are six simple things you can do to keep your home and yourself cool.<\/p>\n
Open windows on opposite sides of the house to encourage air flow – releasing trapped warm air and allowing in cooler air.<\/p>\n
Do this when the air temperature outside is cooler than inside, which tends to be overnight or in the early part of the day.<\/p>\n
In flats which have windows on one side only, open doors and use a fan to encourage airflow.<\/p>\n
Hot air rises within houses, so if you have loft vents or windows you can open them to release some of the heat.<\/p>\n
The hot air can otherwise get trapped on the second floor, where you may be trying to sleep.<\/p>\n
Extra insulation can also help keep heat out in the summer, as well as reducing your energy bills and usage in the winter.<\/p>\n
In the heat of the day it is best to keep your windows shut and blinds or curtains closed – especially on the side of your home where the sun is shining.<\/p>\n
Fans are a relatively cheap and energy efficient way to keep air moving and can help you stay cool.<\/p>\n
Using a freestanding fan for a 24-hour period typically costs between 15p and 31p, according to the latest guidance from the Energy Saving Trust.<\/p>\n
Putting the fan in front of an open window can encourage the fresh air from outside to be blown throughout the room – as long as it is cooler outside.<\/p>\n
Placing ice cubes in front of the fan can cool the air being blown in your direction. You can use more than one fan to create a cross current.<\/p>\n
Prof Mike Tipton of the University of Portsmouth says it is important to understand how the body works.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0Fanning the face improves thermal comfort most, but fanning the whole body helps lower body temperature more,\u00a0\u00bb he says.<\/p>\n
But he warns that using a fan when temperatures are above 35C may make things worse, as you are ultimately just directing hot air towards your body.<\/p>\n
Air conditioning is a much more expensive option than using fans. The Energy Saving Trust says 24 hours of continuous use costs between \u00a34.84 \u2013 \u00a36.<\/p>\n
Ovens and cookers emit a lot of heat into the home during and after their use.<\/p>\n
Sticking to cold foods such as salads – especially during the hottest times of the day – can stop unnecessary heat being generated.<\/p>\n
Other appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers, can also produce heat so try not to use them when it is hottest.<\/p>\n
Heat exhaustion can also be brought on by high humidity – moisture in the air – so it is worth reducing humidity levels by:<\/p>\n
Tepid showers can help to cool your body temperature, saving both money and energy. But Prof Tipton warns not to go too cold: \u00ab\u00a0The trick is to try and get the skin as cool as possible whilst maintaining maximum blood flow to it.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0Too cold and the body will shut down blood to the skin and trap the heat in the body making it harder to get out.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Putting an ice pack or cold-water bottle on your body can achieve an instant feeling of relief. You may want to wrap it in a towel to avoid direct contact with your skin.<\/p>\n
Your clothes can also really affect your body temperature.<\/p>\n
Natural fibres like cotton and linen help to regulate body temperature and loose-fitting clothing allows room for the breeze to cool you down.<\/p>\n
This is also why cotton bed sheets can help you sleep when hot air fills a room.<\/p>\n
Air-conditioned public buildings such as libraries, leisure centres and shopping centres can also provide relief if your home is too hot.<\/p>\n
Some local authorities have created a network of so-called \u00ab\u00a0cool spaces\u00a0\u00bb where the public can go, including London, Manchester and Bristol.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When temperatures soar, here are six simple things you can do to keep your home and yourself cool. Open windows on opposite sides of the house to encourage air flow – releasing trapped warm air and allowing in cooler air. Do this when the air temperature outside is cooler than inside, which tends to be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8806","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8806"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8806\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}