Keep your home cool and airy in summer: tips and tricks without resorting to air conditioning!

-» How to refresh the environment? Start by preparing the freshest food!

Take a break from using the oven and stove to prepare your meals. These appliances are one of the main causes of feeling stuffy at home that you can quickly combat. What do you think about preparing fresh food?

We are not just talking about the simple salad with lettuce and tomato, but more exquisite dishes with fresh cheese, seitan, tofu, lentils or even seaweed. If you really appreciate the taste of the sea, then you can have fun preparing sushi. Accompany these dishes with delicious lemonade, orange juice, smoothies, always served with ice cubes.

-» Change the bed linen to take the heat out of the room!

Need solutions to make your room cooler? Do mosquitoes like to bother you at night while you leave your windows open?

Start by changing your bedding to fresher, lighter fibers like silk and cotton. Store those heavy polyester items - preferably in other parts of the house other than the bedroom. If that´s not enough, take the opportunity to spray the bed with water or a neutral fragrance before going to sleep.

-» Free the room of unnecessary objects!

The more objects you have in your room, the more likely it is that heat will build up. We recommend that you gradually free yourself from unnecessary objects of lesser sentimental value that so often heat up and help to perpetuate the feeling of a stuffy environment. Take advantage of a cooler summer night to get them out of your room.

-» Use and abuse your fridge and freezer!

The vast majority of people have a fridge and freezer at home and can use them to refresh the house. You can use cold compresses that will relieve you of the heat and also the joint pain that is quite common this season.

You can even put the sheets and pillowcases in the fridge or freezer for a while. Who knows if you won´t even be shivering from the cold this trick can be so effective.

-» Place natural plants everywhere!

Natural plants are your best friends! There are plants that filter the air and prolong the freshness of the different spaces of the house. Examples are:
•   Anthuriums;
•    Espada-de-São Jorge;
•   Chrysanthemums;
•   Peace lilies;
•    Boa constrictors;
•   Dracaenas;
•   Begonias.

Give preference to natural plants to air the house but be careful not to get too much sun as they can dry out or die. If you don´t have a lot of space, you can create a vertical garden as a room divider and take advantage of the flow of ventilation inside the house.

-» Fan and ice are the best allies!

Do you like to use fans during the summer but the air is still too hot? You can place ice cubes in a bowl in front of the fans and let the air circulate. If instead of small cubes, you have an ice pack you can put it inside a pan. If the cold air disappears, you will have to repeat the procedure as many times as necessary.
You can also place bowls with ice around the house and as the air circulates you will have a more airy environment. You can add rosemary and lemon or orange slices to create a natural scent.

-» Paint the walls of the house in soft tones!

Light colors help keep the house cool in the summer so the walls don´t get as hot. You should paint the walls white, beige, yellow, lime green, peach, champagne or cyan blue. They are more minimalist styles but they combine well with any type of decoration and furniture.
Another advantage of light colors at home is the feeling of spaciousness and space they leave and the possibility of creating a more relaxing atmosphere.

-» Put furniture and cabinets in the right places!

It´s time to make changes at home! Once the walls are painted, start by placing the furniture and cabinets so that they do not block the drafts. It is also important to place them in places with little sunlight to combat the increase in heat at home and not to lose their color.

Those who live in drier areas can air the house during the summer by opening windows at opposite ends. If you live next to highways or places with a lot of pollution, open the windows punctually to avoid contaminating the spaces.
There are those who prefer not to open the windows during summer days or even install blackout curtains for better thermal insulation.

Enjoy your home during the summer!

Source: Idealista News (Decoration)