Keep It Cool: How to Beat the Heat at Home This Summer

It feels like we wait all year for summer to arrive: the trips to the beach, the warm evenings outside, the backyard cookouts with friends and family. But while summer weather is enjoyable in certain situations, it can make the inside of our homes uncomfortable—especially if we don’t take steps to beat the heat.

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to keep your home cool, whether you live in an area with hot summers or where it can be warm year-round. And if you don’t have central air conditioning, don’t worry—from using the best fans to circulate cool air, to using the right cooling material for your bed sheets, these tips will keep you comfortable all summer long.

10 Ways to Cool Down a Room Fast

When temperatures rise outside, home interiors get hotter, too. Whole-house air conditioning systems may sound good, but you need faster, less expensive cooling solutions that help you cool down a room fast.

Fortunately, there are a number of cooling methods that offer convenience and are easy to use, like using curtains during the day and reversing your ceiling fan. With any or all of these methods, soon you’ll cool down a room fast to more manageable temperatures.

A ceiling fan
Graphic: Kailey Whitman for The Spruce

6 Mistakes That Are Making Your Home Feel Too Hot (and How to Fix Them)

Once the summer months arrive, so does the heat—and there’s nothing worse than a hot home in an even hotter season. If you’re noticing that your home is working overtime to stay cool during the warmer months or year-round, there may be some problems you need to solve.

Recognizing issues with your air conditioning or other cooling method is imperative to staying cool once the high temperatures arrive. Here are 6 mistakes you may be making that are contributing to your home feeling too hot and how to fix them, according to a professional.

Backyard patio with firepit
The Spruce / Photo Illustration by Kailey Whitman / A Beautiful Mess

These Cooling Appliances Will Actually Look Good in Your Home—Including a Chic Window AC Unit

The warm weather is here, and that means it’s time to pull out your fans, dehumidifiers, and air conditioners. If you aren’t blessed with central air in your home, then you are all too familiar with the yearly task of finding the right cooling appliances and positioning them just so as to ensure you stay cool in all areas of your home.

This year, if you’re looking for something a bit more stylish than the rickety old table fan you inherited from your parent’s house, or the window AC unit that acts as a major eyesore, we’ve got you covered. Here are 11 cooling appliances that are actually design-forward.

Windmill air conditioner
The Spruce / Graphic by Kailey Whitman / Windmill

How to Keep Your Bedroom Cool in the Summer

Summer is filled with memory-making pastimes like family vacations, outdoor activities, ice cream cones, and days spent frolicking at the beach. But the clear, sunny skies can lead to steamy hot nights when the sun goes down, making it hard to sleep. Instead of reaching for your thermostat, you can tweak your bedroom’s furnishings to a summertime ensemble that will keep you cool and offer a better night’s rest.

Bedroom with small fan next to bed.
The Spruce / Photo Illustration by Kailey Whitman / Adelyn Duchala

11 Cooling Bedding Options to Help You Beat the Heat While You Sleep

If you tend to feel overheated at night or live in a hot climate, a set of cooling sheets may make a big difference in getting a good night’s sleep. We’ve thoroughly tested many sheets (nearly 200 sheet sets and counting!) in The Lab and at home to see how they perform in real life. When we test the top sheets, we sleep on and launder them over the course of several weeks. Then we rate them based on attributes such as quality, texture, breathability, durability, and overall value. Below we’ve compiled the most cool-feeling, moisture-wicking options we’ve tested in person, plus some additional top-rated cooling sheets we found via independent research.

The Spruce testing cooling sheets
The Spruce / Photo Illustration by Kailey Whitman / Dera Burreson

The Best Fans to Keep Your Home Cool and Comfortable, Tested by Us

A good fan circulates fresh air and can help you feel cool and comfortable in a hot or stuffy room. We purchased 31 fans in different shapes and styles and tested them in the Lab to see how they performed. We then spent hours evaluating their airspeed, design, portability, effectiveness, and value. We also sent 15 fans home with our testers to gauge their performance over six months and asked them to consider factors in their own homes. Backed by our testing in The Lab and at home, here are our best fans to keep you cool.

A group of circular fans
Graphic: Kailey Whitman for The Spruce

Chill Out—Here’s How to Cool Down a Room Without AC or Windows

Learning how to cool down a room can eliminate the misery of stifling-hot rooms that lead to sleepless nights. A whole-house air conditioning system may sound good. But you need faster, less expensive cooling solutions that help you cool down a room fast. Fortunately, there are a number of cooling methods that take between a few minutes and an hour to employ. With any or all of these methods, soon you’ll cool down a room fast to more manageable temperatures.

Fortunately, there are a number of cooling methods that take between a few minutes and an hour to employ. With any or all of these methods, soon you’ll cool down a room fast to more manageable temperatures.

Evergreen trees providing shade for a house
Graphic: Kailey Whitman for The Spruce

The Best Air Conditioners to Keep Your Home Cool

When the weather turns hot and muggy, a reliable air conditioner is a necessity for staying cool. We spent hours researching the top air conditioners on the market, from window units to wall-mounted and portable models. With that in mind, we evaluated each air conditioner’s size, efficiency, cooling area, features, performance, and price. There are many AC styles to choose from—some of which are fairly basic, while others offer smart features and other conveniences—but they can all help you beat the heat and save energy.

Someone turning the dial on a window air conditioner
Graphic: Kailey Whitman for The Spruce

Text taken from: https://www.thespruce.com

Make appointment

We specialize in heating and air conditioning repairs. We are very close to you.