When it comes to cooling methods and things, you don’t need a lot of gadgets or expensive tools to keep your house cool in the summer. 

Yes, ideally you should have AC installed, but not all people have or can afford to get it done. Or want to spend that much money on electricity. So most people have to find new and innovative ways to keep a home cool during summer. Like me (and probably you, since you’re reading this)

Now, personally, I do have AC, but I’ve also recently had an issue with it, so I can speak from both perspectives. That week of no AC was pretty hard, especially on my partner, so we both tried to find ways to cool ourselves when the AC was broken. And we did, so I want to share with you the tips & tricks to cool down a house during summer. 

Below you can find 6 simple & efficient ways to keep your house cool in the summer. 5 out of 6 don’t include the use of AC, so you don’t actually need it. Let’s dive in:

1. Keep the blinds down during the day

It might not be obvious for some, but heat can come from the windows. If it’s sunny outside and the sun is shining through the windows, it can create heat in the house. 

That’s why most people recommend closing the blinds during the day. Less light, less heat, cooler temperatures inside. 

I usually close the blinds as soon as I wake up, especially the bigger ones in the living room, the office and the bedroom. I suggest you do the same for the rooms you usually sit in more (like the living room) and/or in the ones you sleep in. 

Or you can wake up, open the windows (if they weren’t open during the night), let the rooms freshen up for 15-20 minutes, then close the blinds (and possibly even the windows themselves). 

Best and most efficient tip on how to keep your house cool in the summer, in my opinion!

2. Open the windows and doors in the night 

If you’ve kept the blinds down during the day, well, during the night is when you should open the windows and doors. Since the temperature usually drops a little at night, it’s the perfect time to let the cooler night air in. 

It’s also great because it gets the house (and its occupants) ready for sleepy time. According to Healthline, people sleep better with cooler temperatures. Or better said, people sleep worse if it’s too hot. 

3. Change ceiling fans rotation

This is something I had no idea about until recently. 

If you have a ceiling fan, make sure it rotates counter-clockwise in the summer. That helps push air straight down, so it can create a cooling effect. Similarly, make it go clockwise in the winter to pull cool air up. 

The first time I tried it I was shocked, I didn’t know I should do this. This helps tremendously at night, especially, in the bedroom, to cool off the air. And it’s a better and cheaper alternative to air conditioning. 

4. Avoid using the oven or stove

This is a weird trick, and you might think it doesn’t have a big impact, but it does. 

Try to limit your use of the oven and/or stove. When you use them, they bring unnecessary heat to your kitchen, so it will automatically make the room hotter. And if you have an open kitchen, you can expect the heat to go to the sitting area, as well.

I suggest using them sparingly (once every two-three days) and for a short time. And make sure the kitchen hood vent is working perfectly, so it can draw the smell and a bit of the heat. 

5. Use the AC in sessions

If you do have AC in the house, first of all, lucky you! You’ve kind of already solved the issue of how to keep your house cool in the summer. 

But if you want to save money, and you don’t like being in an air conditioning environment all the time, there are ways to go about it.

I recommend the following tactic: turn it on for an hour in the morning, with the blinds down, so you create a cool atmosphere, then turn it off. This should help keep the air cool until mid afternoon (at one o’clock, or two or three), and that’s when you do the same thing again. One hour of AC and then stop. By the time the third wave of heat should come in, it’s night and the temperatures are more bearable, so you don’t have to use it again.

If the AC is too strong to be on for one hour, you could do 15 or 30 minutes sessions, every two to three hours. Your choice, just test it out!

6. Cool yourself, not the house

Here’s a different way of looking at things. Don’t keep your house cool in the summer. Instead, cool yourself. It might work.

You can survive warm temperatures by cooling yourself, not specifically the room. Some of my favorite tips when it comes to cooling off are:

• Drink cold liquids. Ice water, ice coffee, cold Coke bottles, all of these will have to be your friends during the warmer months. 
• Apply cold cloth on your forehead or neck. It will cool you off instantly and it will make you feel better. 
• Choose cotton, light clothes. This is something I should actually apply more myself. I wear too many pairs of tight jeans in the summer, and they’re really not comfortable. I suggest we all go for dresses, skirts and/or loose pants. 

So there we are. 6 tips & tricks on how to keep your house cool in the summer! What helps you most during summer months?

p.s. If you’re looking for other home hacks, check out this article on 7 Kitchen Cleaning Hacks For Things You Aren’t Cleaning Often Enough!

The post 6 Simple & Efficient Ways To Keep Your House Cool In The Summer appeared first on Cozy Home Hacks.

In a time when the tourism industry is heavily affected by the pandemic, because of travel restrictions and country-specific rules like quarantine after entry, staycations have become the norm.

Probably because people are afraid to travel during these uncertain times. When the virus is so easily transmitted, it is said an enclosed space like an airplane could be a great place to catch it.  So most avoid it, in order to stay safe and healthy, which is totally understandable.

That’s why I think most people will resort to staycations in 2020, 2021, maybe even 2022. If you’re here, you’re probably one of those people, too. (I know I certainly am)

And while you might think this is horrible news, I am here to help you realize that you can definitely travel and make wonderful memories in your own country. 

I’ve compiled 13 staycation ideas to help you enjoy your vacation this year. Two of them require minimum planning, while the third can be more complex and will require some time set aside for figuring out what you actually want to do. 

The staycation ideas have no specific person limit. You can do it with your partner, or with your family, or you can arrange a vacation for a larger group. You can even go solo (just please exercise caution). It’s your choice. 

They are split in three big categories, but the first two have at least 5 staycation ideas you can try. The third is a beast in itself, and needs a plan of its own. 

Without further ado, here are the top 13 staycation ideas when you can’t travel internationally: 

Day trips

This is the easiest version of a staycation, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. 

The day trip is pretty self explanatory. You take only a day to go into an adventure. It’s usually pretty close to home, because you need to travel to and back from. I recommend you leave as early as you can in the morning, so you don’t have to return too late into the night.

Where should you go? So many one day staycation ideas to choose from:

• Local national park, for a hike. 
• An amusement / adventure park. 
• Walk / hike in a nearby forest trail, or by the lake. Please don’t go alone, always have at least one other person with you.
• Beach day, if you’re lucky enough to live close to a beach.
• Local farm, for fruit picking or for watching the animals. (recommended for families)
• Other attractions / Museums. For example, World’s Largest Ball of Rubber Bands, in Wilmington, Delaware.
• Shopping. Some states have very large shopping outlets / malls where you can get great deals. Disclaimer: I know some might not consider this an actual vacation, but to each its own.

How to plan a one day staycation? Just research your area for a 100-200 miles radius, and pick something you always wanted to visit. Fill up your tank and go on an adventure! Have fun!

Weekend getaways

You might read “Weekend getaway” and think of a romantic weekend in two at a cabin, during winter, all white and cozy. You’re not particularly wrong, that was my inspiration. 

But you can take a weekend trip anywhere, with anyone you want, anytime.

How? Plan one weekend, either Friday to Sunday, or Saturday and Sunday, away. Find the location, book the accommodation, and you’re done. You can choose from the following weekend staycation ideas:

• Romantic getaway. I recommend a cabin in the mountainside, or a rented apartment on the beach. Perfect for couples.
• Rent a beach house for you and your friends. Maybe to celebrate the 4th of July? Or someone’s birthday? You don’t really need a reason, just go for it.
• Go to Disneyland. Perfect trip for people with kids, but definitely not only for them. Book your fairytale vacation now!
• Camping with family. This could be so much fun. I can just imagine the camp fires, the s’mores, the laughs, the games. I wish I could go camping right now. 
• Big City (lights). I used to do this when I was younger with my girlfriends. I would choose one of the bigger cities (New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco) and fly in for a weekend. We would do sightseeing, eat delicious food, go to bars, and just explore the town. 

Cross-country road trip

If you really want to feel like you’re travelling, you need to plan a cross-country road trip. Now, I’m not saying that you should go from Los Angeles to New York, but I do mean you should travel through at least 4 different states. 

This type of staycation idea is not as easy to plan as the first two. That’s because you need to actually sit down and figure out your itinerary. What’s your starting point, what do you want to visit on the road, and where is your end point (or where you plan to turn around home). After that, you need to secure accommodation for each stopping point. 

It might take a while to plan, but I bet it’s going to be worth it. Imagine 1, 2, maybe even 3 weeks on the road with your partner, friends or family, discovering new places and exploring your country. You will have so much fun!

This type of staycation is, obviously, best suited for driving (car, RV, you name it), but  you can also fly to a place and then explore the cities and places in that area. Whatever feels good!

So here we are: 13 staycation ideas for this summer! What are you choosing?

P,S. If you need to save money to plan a staycation, find out how to save money!

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