Air conditioners are a must-have for every house in India, especially during the summertime. However, if you are someone who enjoys green initiatives and is looking to desperately cut down on your monthly electricity payments, then you might want to arm yourself with the below listed tips on how to keep cool in the summer months without an air conditioner.
Everybody feels the need to plomp themselves in front of the air conditioner during the peak of summer and get some much-needed relief from the incessant heatwaves and terrible humidity (which is prevalent in the coastal regions). For people who wish to go green and save on electricity costs, it can be especially daunting to stay indoors without running the air conditioner for at least a few hours. Luckily the tips detailed below should help anyone looking to do so sleep and remain indoors in comfort without switching on their air conditioners.
- Curtail The Heat By Investing In Blinds
In the summertime, heat enters houses via open doors, vents, and windows. Investing in curtains and blinds that keep all these openings completely covered during the day is a great way to get the temperature levels indoors to drop drastically. Start by pulling your blinds shut early in the afternoons so that none of the heat emitted from the sun when it is the hottest enters into your house. Remember to pull them apart early in the evenings, so that some breeze or necessary ventilation begins entering in. Cotton and linen material works the best for blinds, while bamboo and jute material works great for screens. The color of your blind and screen also plays an important role. Dark colors tend to absorb more heat, which is why it is best to settle on white and light pastel hues.
- Curtail The Humidity Indoors
Investing in a humidifier is something that all Indian households seem to have started doing. Humidity is capable of amplifying the heat event it is mild and the temperatures are not that high. The excess moisture in the air can cause a person to perspire a lot even if the temperature happens to be fairly moderate. Getting a dehumidifier will help you filter out this excess humidity and suck out the moisture from the air inside your house. Aside from humidity, dehumidifiers also help greatly in filtering out excess dust particles, dander from other humans and pets, and other toxic atmospheric content, leaving you clean air to breathe.
- Incorporate Light Colors Into Your Surroundings
White and light pastel colors always work best for Indian homes. They prevent the absorption of too much heat and result in reduced temperatures indoors. Pastel colors such as sky blue, aqua green, and beige, not only help keep the air indoors fairly cool, but they also add to your home’s aesthetic appeal and elegance. Such colors also help in brightening up your home, meaning you will be able to save a lot of unnecessary lighting and the resulting electricity charges.
- Cross Ventilation Is Paramount
While closing open windows and shutting your blinds is crucial, it is also important to open the windows where the sun’s rays aren’t directly coming through, in order to facilitate some degree of cross ventilation. Think about putting your windows through shifts by opening and shutting them according to the time of day when the sun shines directly through them and when it doesn’t. When you do so and happen to have at least two or more windows in your house open at any give time, you allow for decent cross ventilation of air to occur. This helps in preventing excess humidity from building up and allows for the better circulation of air.
- Sleeping Soundly Without Switching On The Air Conditioner
The material and the sort of clothes that you wear while sleeping pay a huge role in whether you will need the air conditioner or not. Clothes made from polyester, silk, and other such materials tend to make one feel hotter than it actually is. Wearing light clothing made from linen or cotton is the best way to sleep well without having to switch on the air conditioner.
Following every one of the tips above this summer should help you weather the heat with ease!
