10 Ways to Stay Cool in the Heat without Air Conditioner

Written by: Sumita Roy

Beating the heat naturally is something most of us have forgotten. Well not entirely naturally, because it would be a totally ludicrous idea to go on without even a fan- that so in the Indian heat. My point is to obliterate the use of air conditioners.

It is true that most of us can in the present context afford an A.C. but here I am not talking about affordability, here I am more focused on the aspect of conserving energy and preserve nature by adhering to natural means, as much as possible.  

Therefore I have listed a few tricks in which you can effectively beat the heat without spending much on your electricity bill.

Keeping the blinds closed

This is a simple way to keep your indoors from the unnecessary heat access. Almost 30 percent of the heat in your home comes from your window. In order to reduce this steady access, you will have to draw your curtains and pull the blinds. 

Indoor temperatures vary dramatically through this simple step. Use of blinds prevents your home from becoming a mini glasshouse- more so if the windows are south or/and west facing.

Closing rooms

This is also an effective way to prevent heat inflow. During the afternoons, if you keep your west/ south facing rooms closed, then this will prevent heat access to all the internal parts of your home. 

I mean you can shift yourself and your family to the cooler rooms, and close the doors of the room which are comparatively hotter. Closing the blinds of the windows is not enough, you will have to shut the room completely. This will prevent heat inflow to the other parts of your home.

Swap your sheets

Changing bed sheets is a way to freshen up the rooms. But in a hot weather, just changing the sheets is not enough, you will have to make sure that the material used is suited to the weather conditions. An unstarched cotton, preferably light colored, sheet will be best suited to this purpose. 

Materials like flannel sheets and fleece blankets are fantastic insulation providers, but cotton for hot weather is a better choice- it stays cooler and breathes easier. Though docs recommend not using pillows, but if you need to, then buying buckwheat pillow is more preferable. These have a naturally occurring air space between them; these are good in releasing your body heat unlike the others which capture the heat between your body and their surface.

Set your ceiling fans to rotate counter clockwise

Many of us do not know about which is the ideal way a ceiling fan’s blade should move. It varies from season to season, and should be changed accordingly. During the summers the ideal rotation of the blades should be counter-clockwise. Setting them in this direction at a higher speed will help the air flow to create a chill breeze effect. This will make your interiors cooler.

Personal touch

Think about how our ancestors survived the heat.  If they could have done it, then why can’t you? Sipping iced tea, lemon drinks, cold drinks, chilled soda, fruit juices or just cold water- this is the range of beverages you can consume regularly to cool your body. This also helps you to keep your body hydrated and make up for the water your body loses through continuous sweating.

Applying wet towel or cloth in strong pulsed areas like wrists, neck, or even on your face can help you regulate your body temperature. And be smart while choosing the color, style and texture of your clothing. Like your sheets an unstarched and old cotton dress/ sundress would be better.

Turn on your exhaust fans

Most of our bathrooms and kitchen have exhaust fans. These are important appliances that ca be used to increase cross ventilation. Therefore leaving them on for at least a few hours will help to increase cross ventilation within your interiors. 

Every time you cook or take a shower, leave them on. This not only sends the heat out of your house, but helps in the inflow of fresh breeze. Having said that, you will not want the cooler breeze leaving your home, therefore make sure that the windows and doors are closed and the cracks present in walls, caulked.

Let the night cool your home

It is a common practice for every air conditioner free home to keep their windows open in the nights. During the nights, ordinarily temperature tends to drop.  To make most of this temperature drop, you can strategically place your table fans to create a breeze tunnel thereby forcing a perfect cross breeze. Just be sure to close your windows and its blinds early in the next day, before it gets too hot in the morning.

Also read: Summer decor tips for your home

Say no to incandescent lights

If you are thinking about switching your incandescent bulbs to CFL or LED lights, then now is your time. Incandescent lights waste 90 percent of their energy in the production of heat, which is already there, and completely uninvited. Therefore throwing them/ replacing them with CFL or LED lights will be better in saving heat emission and energy conservation. You electricity bill will also show the impact of this change.

Grilling outdoors

During summers grilling outside your home will help you keep your interiors cool. If you are changing your bulbs to keep the internal temperature low, then you can also consider cooking outside. There are several advantages attached to this kind of arrangement. 

First it will prevent the rise in temperature which is a side effect of cooking indoors; also, while being outside; you can switch off the interior lights and open all the windows, further lowering the temperature of your house.

Make a few improvements

If you are committed to the ideology of not using air conditioners, then there are a few long term changes, if incorporated within your household, will help you to insulate your interiors better. Installation of insulated window film is a smart choice; their work is similar to that of blinds. 

Awnings and potted plants, or planted trees in your windows help you further to keep the temperature within desired range. More specifically, if the vines are present in front of the west/south facing windows, then better insulation will take place.

By using these few non-A.C. techniques you can bring in a great change in terms of keeping the temperature of your house in control. Though these won’t make your interiors as cool as an air conditioner, but surviving the heat in a natural way is better for more than one reason. 

First, it prevents your electricity bill from shooting up; second, it preserves energy and nature; third, it increases ones stamina to resist and live through heat; fourth, in case of a power cut you will not be swooning due to the heat; fifth, your body will be immune to numerous extremities of nature. 

How to Bug-Proof Your Home?

Written by: Sumita Roy

Most of us are either frightened of bugs or simply fascinated by them. But one thing that does not change, whether you like them or not, is that they do not belong within your house. Their intrusion can cause you a range of problems- from simple irritation to as much as spreading of harmful germs and diseases. Whether it is an itchy bite of the mosquito, constant buzzing of bees or painful stings of scorpions, none of these are welcome in your safe haven.

The knowledge that even as common insect as a cockroach can cause allergies or asthma attacks, especially to children of the household. This knowledge further adds on to our distaste for which we intend to get rid of bugs. But the problem with this job is that they find more than thousand ways to creep into your household, without you noticing them. 

Sometimes cleaning them out feels like a lost battle when you bug free your home after doing a deep clean and again within a matter of few days they again reappear.

However, by understanding the source of their attraction and eliminating them from your household can help you to keep them off. Like humans, insects need food and comfy shelter to survive. Infestation is the best way to ward off their existence, but there are other options as well that can help you to restrict their entry, entirely, making your home bug free.

1. Door sealing

You would be surprised to know that your visitors and family members are not the only ones who use doors to enter your household. Bugs and vermin also use the same to gain entry. 

If you look carefully you would be surprised to discover numerous easy entrances and paths formed trough unsealed gaps in your doors. To ward off their entry through the door you need to seal these gaps.

And to keep insects from crawling under the door shutter, you can install sturdy steel/ aluminum threshold under the door. For better protection install a door sweep along with it. You can opt for vinyl or neoprene brush sweeps. These provide best protection against bugs' entry.

Caulking the door frames is another important way to close or seal their entry way. Also remember, none of these techniques will help you if the doors remain open. Install a door closer with adjusted closing time for automatic closing of doors.

2. Add screens

Many people prefer natural ventilation through doors and windows during hot and humid weather conditions. But you should know that it is not just you who like the idea of keeping your doors and windows open. The vermin like it too! They can invade your household through this direct entry way.

In order to gain access to natural breeze without letting the insects sneak in, you need to put up screens in doors and windows. Choose finer mesh possible to keep out of most common household pests. It is all the more attractive option because installing screens is a very simple and easy task.

Also keep in mind insects can find a way through holes in existing screens as well. Therefore, if you are doing the installation on your own, try not to create any holes in it. Use screwdrivers to push broken wires. If these tend to come out loose along one or more sides, then use staples (for wooden frames) and splining tools(in case of aluminum frames) to reattach these.

3. Yard maintenance

Mosquitoes thrive in pooled water. If you have a yard that has stagnant water, then it can start providing apt atmosphere to mosquitoes to breed.

By eliminating water pooling in your yard, you will discourage breeding of bugs trying to enter your household. Another problem arising from having a yard is- it can block your drainage system. With twigs, leaves and grass falling off on the channels, these can get clogged and provide apt atmosphere for pest proliferation.

Aerating the lawn is a good idea. By aerating, I mean, allow water to naturally get absorbed into the soil. Proper sloping is another feature that can help you with good drainage.

Having swimming pool is a luxury feature that many people want to have, but a few have the scope to own one. But this can prove to be a bane if you cannot maintain it properly and end up having a dirty pool with only insects and pest swimming on it. However, maintaining it is not a very difficult job, but may be a bit tedious, if your pool is large. 

When not in use, keep your pool chlorinated and filtered regularly. And change the water in your fountains twice every week. This will keep mosquitoes from hatching eggs.

While taking care of your yard, check whether piles of leaves are blocking the drainage system or not. If they do, clean them off with a nudge of a broomstick. 

4. Crack repairing

Bugs come in variety of sizes and shapes, as a result keeping any kind of hole or crack in your house makes it an easy way for vermin to introduce themselves. As a result, sealing the cracks present in the exterior of the home is an essential way to resist insect intrusion. 

You can start with this job by conducting a thorough inspection of your house. Cracks in foundation, rotted wood and crumbling bricks make you home very vulnerable to insect attack. You will have to seal these points by using cement/ mortar. For a rotted wood you cannot do anything other than changing the wood. 

Caulking your house is a very good way to seal minor holes, or very small cracks. Caulking is usually done on window frames, where ever holes are created. Caulks are very cost effective as well. Caulking also helps to keep your home weather proofed.

5. Sealing around pipe penetrations

Insects, especially the flying ones, can easily gain entry through the holes drilled on your walls done with the purpose to install cable lines, phone wiring and internet services. 

Sealing these open entrances is a way in which you can ward off insect entry. In the picture given along side you get an idea on sealing of these holes.

However, this is for smaller cracks and holes. For larger drain pipes located either in ground level or the roof line you need to use expandable polyurethane foam. Certain installers prefer copper mesh or steel wool as the base layer, behind this foam. These deter insects that crawl their way through the holes.

6. Do not provide them supper

Bugs always find a way to enter a household even if you try to protect your interiors from them. Therefore, eliminate things that truly attract them- their food and cozy accommodation.

Remove clutters, unprotected food and water sources. A cluttered home promotes insect breeding. Disorganized cupboards and piles of papers are their favorite spot. Also storing food in air tight containers and storing unsealed food products can help you to ward of insect attack.

Disposing the wastes in your dustbin, everyday, is another idea that will help you to keep your home safe. While the garbage is still home, keep them stored properly in a corner. Shut the lid of the compost bin post usage so that insects cannot enter it.

7. Keep the foundations clear

The foundation is the closest point of contact of your house. Bugs try to find easy entry ways through flooring. This is mostly applicable for those saying in ground floor apartments or independent house.

By keeping the foundations clean you can protect your household. Termites, fleas, spiders breed nicely in wet areas. By keeping moisture away from the foundations you will prevent insect intrusion breeding.As said earlier, if you find any discrepancies like holes, caulk them fast.

Many people apply chemical insecticides to keep pests and vermin away. But these can cause problems, especially if you have children running around the household. For a more natural solution, you can use boric acid or diatomaceous Earth at the base.

8. Encourage natural predators

Relying on natural predators is one of the best options to keep your house bug-proof. Warblers and swallows are potent mosquito killers. Bats eat a large variety of vermin like scorpions, mosquitoes, spiders, and wasps. 

To encourage this type of natural cleaning you can plant trees in which they can create nests and supply water resource as well. The food they will provide themselves by keeping your house free of insects.

Therefore, through effective planning you can get rid of bugs for quite a period of time. Inspection of your household is the initial step towards bug-proofing your home. If you do not know the weak points in your home, how will you mend them? After this first step, a steady cleaning and repairing of holes will provide you a comparatively less threatened interior.