Summer is a wonderful time, but the temperature in your home can rise considerably. Fortunately, there are numerous smart and sustainable ways to keep your home cool without air conditioning. Discover handy hacks to keep your home pleasantly cool while contributing to a better environment.
Summers in the Netherlands: hotter and drier
Summers in the Netherlands are becoming increasingly extreme: sometimes it is wetter than ever, and other times unprecedentedly hot and dry. In recent years, we have experienced more frequent heat waves and extremely high temperatures. This is due to climate change, which means longer periods of drought and heat are becoming more common. That is why it is important to know how to keep your home cool without depending on energy-hungry air conditioners.
Why choose energy-efficient solutions?
An air conditioner is super convenient, but oh dear, those air conditioners are also huge energy guzzlers. An average air conditioner consumes a lot of power, depending on the type, the size of the room and the duration of use. The longer the air conditioner is on, the more energy it consumes. Turning it on and off frequently is not a good solution either. Using an air conditioner, even sparingly, increases your energy bill and CO2 emissions. By leaving the air conditioner off and using other cooling solutions, you save money and help the environment.
Source: ANWB
Tips to keep your home cool without air conditioning
Ventilate, ventilate, ventilate
Airflow is essential to keep your home cool. Create a fresh breeze by opening windows and doors facing each other, especially early in the morning and late at night when it is cooler outside. Fans help circulate the air in your home. A nice trick: place a bowl of ice or a bottle of frozen water in front of the fan for a refreshing breeze. Bonus tip: point your fan outside in the evening to blow warm air out of your home and pull cooler air in from outside.
Keep the heat out!
The sun is lovely (lubricate well), but direct sunlight can heat up your home considerably. Use curtains, blinds or shades to keep the sun out. Light colours are ideal because they reflect sunlight. Outdoor blinds, such as awnings or shutters, are also super effective. And why not add some greenery? Exactly! Plants and trees serve as natural shading and also add atmosphere to your garden or facade.
Insulation is not just for winter
Good insulation is useful not only in winter, but also in summer. Many people associate insulation mainly with keeping their home warm during cold months, but it has a double benefit. In summer, insulation acts as a barrier that prevents heat from entering from outside. This means that well-insulated walls, roofs and floors help keep indoor temperatures stable and cool, even during the hottest days. Double glazing or special window films can also help keep the heat out. So insulation has benefits all year round!
This is how to keep the house cool in summer: use thin bedding made of a natural material and keep windows closed during the day.
More ideas to keep your home cool
There are also all sorts of creative ways to keep your home cool. A slightly unusual but effective method is to hang wet sheets in front of open windows. The evaporating air provides a pleasant coolness. An easier tip is to stay in cooler rooms during the day, such as a basement or rooms on the north side. Closing doors to unused rooms also helps keep the cool air concentrated.
Cool sleeping
Adjust your daily routines to keep yourself nice and cool. Avoid cooking and baking during the hottest hours of the day; this will prevent extra heat in the house. Instead, make cooling cold dishes like salads or gazpacho. And don't forget to adjust your bedding for a more comfortable night: lightweight sheets made of natural materials such as organic cotton or Tencel are much cooler than synthetic materials. A more sustainable Tencel bedding tip is the Koala Hug brand. Check out our review here.
Conclusion: keep a cool head!
In short, there is really no need to run the air conditioner to keep your home cool. With these smart and sustainable tips, you can keep your home comfortable during the hot summer days. You will not only save on your energy bill, but also contribute to a better environment. Do you have a question or a good tip? Let us know! You can get in touch with the editors via the follow and contact buttons at the bottom of this page.
More sustainable tips from thegreenlist.nl
- Also see: tips to make your showering ritual more sustainable.
- Also see: tips to consume less gas.
- Also see: tips to help garden animals cope with heat stress a little.
Sources: main image: Teona Swift (Pexels), window with bamboo curtain: Ena Marinkovic (Pexels)
