Summer is coming, and that means finding ways to keep cool without breaking the bank. Whether you want to cut down on your air conditioner use to help the environment or to save some money on your utility bills, it’s a worthy goal.
More people are spending time at home working and studying than in previous years, so keeping temperatures cool throughout the day is a priority.
How can you make an apartment cool without AC? There are certainly some ways around running the air conditioner all day. All it takes is thinking a bit outside the box.
By combining some simple steps, you can make your apartment a lot cooler to make working from home more comfortable and relaxed. You also won’t have to worry when the month’s power bill comes around.
Get through the summer without too much sweat. Follow these steps to keep your apartment cool.
Open the Windows!
When you’re at home all day, you need an all-day strategy to keep things cooler. One easy way is to take advantage of cooler outdoor temperatures in the morning and the evenings.
Before the sun comes up, and after it goes down, the outdoor temps will be several degrees cooler than midday. Open up the windows and let that outside air come in.
This works great in any apartment, but especially well if you’re in one of the units on a higher floor where wind levels move air around more quickly.
By keeping the windows open to cool off your apartment, you shrink the number of hours in the day you’ll run your AC.
You can save the air conditioner for the hotter hours in the afternoon. The fresh air will also do you some good.
Buy a Fan
To help with indoor airflow for when the AC is on or you’ve got the windows open, buy some fans to help keep the air moving.
Whether you prefer ceiling fans or plug-ins that you can move around to different rooms, the fans and the constant blowing of air will make you feel cooler. There’s no chance for hot air to sit in a room and heat things up.
Having a fan blow air from outside of a window into your apartment can feel amazing on summer nights. The white noise will get you sleeping in no time, and you’ll feel great with cooler air flowing through your room.
Invest in Some Shades
No, we’re not talking about sunglasses. Window shades can do the trick to keep your apartment from heating up.
Depending on where you are in relation to the sun, your apartment windows can act like an oven.
As the sun’s rays beat down on the glass, that heat moves inward and stews in the apartment. Indeed, most of the heat that makes your place hotter comes from your windows on a hot day.
Installing shades on your windows stops the glass from heating up as much and interrupts the heat transfer from the glass into your apartment.
The results can be astounding, so make sure you do some research on what type of blinds will work best and fit your windows perfectly.
A great option is solar shades that block the sun’s energy but are still transparent, so you can still see what’s going on outside and get the natural sunlight from the outdoors.
Bonus points for shades because they also stop your rugs, couches, chairs, and other furniture from getting faded by the sun.
Blackout Curtains
If you have plenty of light inside your apartment, then you may want to think about installing blackout shades to keep all of the sun’s heat out. The main drawback with blackout shades is that they work extremely well.
That is, they stop all light and most of the heat from getting through your windows into your apartment. You’ll need overhead lights and lamps to make up for the lost sunlight, but at least you won’t be as hot.
You’ve probably noticed by now that keeping things dark goes a long way to keep your apartment cool. This is especially important during the peak heat every day.
When things start to heat up, draw the shades or the curtains and turn on the AC to cool things off before you draw them open again.
Think About a Dehumidifier
The temperature can be exactly the same, but the heat in humid climates feels so much more intense than in dry climates.
You’ve probably heard that a million times in chit-chat about the weather, how dry heat is easier to deal with, but all we can say is that it’s true. Humid heat is tough.
Use a dehumidifier for the room you’re in to suck all that extra moisture out of the air. You’ll notice that the heat of the day feels less oppressive than it used to.
Keeping things dryer in your apartment is also good for your furniture and other possessions long-term.
Install LED Light Bulbs
Every little bit counts, right? You may not know this, but if you’ve got traditional light bulbs installed in your apartment, they are likely putting off the heat while they’re on.
Replace your old light bulbs with LED bulbs that are environmentally-friendly and don’t shed heat. They’ll keep your home a lot cooler throughout the day. You’ll also save money by not having to replace them so often. LED lights last much longer.
You can find a range of LED lights online or at your neighborhood home improvement store. Newer LED lights can even be controlled from your phone and set to different colors to set the mood in your house.
Cool Down Your Bed for When You Sleep
Most people like to sleep in colder temperatures. It keeps your body rested and is easier to fall asleep faster. You wake up feeling more energized for whatever will come your way.
There are several things you can do to keep your bed and bedroom cooler without running a central AC system through your entire apartment.
If you’re on a higher floor, pop the windows open to let the night breeze in. You can buy high-quality sheets of linen that breathe better and promote airflow.
Finally, you can pay for a pricey, but oh-so-worth-it mattress cooler. With a cooling mattress pad, your body will stay cold or cool throughout the night.
You can set it to whatever temperature you sleep best at and it will handle the rest. There are several different cooling mattress pads available online, so check out a few, read some reviews, and give one a try!
These are just a few pointers you can use to keep AC costs down and lower the temperature while you’re at home.
Starting small and combining some of these steps will contribute to real money savings and your home will feel a lot more comfortable whether you’re working from home or helping kids get through virtual school.
The big thing you should be aware of is keeping the sunlight out and keeping the heat from your windows from penetrating into your apartment when the day is hottest. Hopefully, you can reduce what are traditionally the most expensive utility bills of the year.