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10 Cheap Ways to Beat the Heat in 2017!

Blog | June 22nd, 2017

10 Cheap Ways to Beat the Heat in 2017!


Summer is officially here and you know what that means, it’s about to get really hot! You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on an air conditioning unit to stay cool this summer. Instead just try out some of these ideas as temperatures continue to rise!

1) Avoid the Oven

We all know the oven makes things hot, right? That’s the whole idea, it heats something up so you can eat it. But the oven also really heats up the kitchen. Don’t add additional heat to your home during a heat wave. Instead cook with a slow cooker. You can plug it in anywhere and it will use a very small amount of energy. The best part is, you can make a large enough portion for tomorrow night too! If you don’t have a slow cooker, use the grill! Just avoid the oven at all costs.


2) Boost Your Fan Power

Fans make you feel cooler because they move around air, they do not actually make the air any colder. If you’d like to cool down the air around you all you need is a bucket of ice! Place the bucket of ice or ice packs just below the bottom of the fan. As the fan push air out it will sweep over the ice. This will make the air circulating into the room feel much colder.

3) Keep Your Internal Body Temp Down

As your body temperature rises, you start to sweat. It is your body’s way of trying to cool down. Being sweaty and sticky in the summer is the worst! To keep your internal body temperature down make sure you drink a lot of water. Water will cool you from the inside out. You need to stay extra hydrated during the hot summer months so your body can continue to function.

4) Fall Asleep Faster

Being hot and trying to fall asleep is the worst! If you can’t fall asleep on hot nights try putting an ice pack under your pillow. It will stay cool long enough to allow you to fall asleep. You’ll be able to sleep on the cool side of the pillow without flipping it over, what could be better?

5) Get Out of the House

We all know air conditioning units are expensive. And if you have one, running it can be just as pricey! Get out of the house all together and find shelter in a cool public place. Try the library first, it will be completely free to relax and read a book. If the library doesn’t work for you, try a matinee movie! Movie theaters are always freezing but tickets can be a little expensive at primetime.

6) Take Advantage of the Night

Generally, things are cooler at night when the hot sun goes down. Take advantage of this change in temperature even if it is minimal. Open your windows at night. Position fans so that you can create a cross breeze throughout your home to get the air moving. Make sure you close your windows and blinds in the morning before things start to heat up again!

7) Quick Fix

If you need to cool down and fast apply an ice pack to your pulse points. These are often found in your joints like the inside of your elbow, the back of your knee, your ankles and your groin. Cool down these locations and the rest of your body will feel the impact immediately.

8) Hang Out

Optimize the air flow coming into your home by hanging a damp sheet in front of your window. The sheet will cool down the air. It will also keep dust and dirt from flying in on super dry days. Just don’t use the good sheets for this one.

9) Take Advantage of Natural Light

It seems silly but having the lights on will increase your home’s temperature even if it’s just a little. Rely on sunlight during the day. Additionally, incandescent bulbs use more energy and emit more heat than fluorescent bulbs. So if you haven’t already switched out those bulbs, do so. Your energy bill will thank you as well.

10) Fan it Out

Most people don’t know that your ceiling fan can actually rotate both directions. It’s important to make sure your fan is traveling counter-clockwise at a high speed during the summer. If you turn your fan on and feel a breeze right away it is going counter-clockwise, this will help push air around. During the winter it is better to set the fan on a clockwise motion at a lower speed to help distribute heat.