How to keep a house cool during a summer heatwave
How to keep a house cool during a summer heatwave
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1/13 Eve mattress, £599
The Eve premium mattress contains graphite, a material that is great at keeping things cool, giving you a comfortable night's sleep.
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2/13 Dyson Cool Tower Fan, £339
The Dyson Cool Tower Fan has a powerful airflow, uses less energy than other fans and is quiet too – perfect for using at night.
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3/13 Blackout blinds
Investing in a pair of thermal or blackout blinds is another option to consider if you can afford it. Keep blinds shut during the day to stop your home overheating.
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4/13 Silk pillowcase, £45.50
Silk is another natural fabric which will help regulate temperature, keeping you cool in summer. The Lanham pillowcase is made from high-quality mulberry silk.
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5/13 Adjustable pillow, £39.99
The quilted cotton cover of this fab pillow benefits from an air-vent system to keep you cool while you sleep.
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6/13 Retro desk fan, £39.99
This simple, stylish 12in desk fan from Swan features three power levels, adjustable tilt and oscillates. It’s powerful enough for most rooms and comes in a cream colour if you fancy a change from boring black.
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7/13 Tencel flat sheets, from £38.50
Tencel® is a natural breathable fabric often used in sportswear for its moisture absorption. It's both long-lasting and comfortable.
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8/13 Tencel duvet, £75
"Highly absorbent and breathable, the material helps your body control its temperature, and absorbs any unwanted humidity,” says Johnny Chan, product developer at Eve.
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9/13 Copper adjustable fan, £49
When the temperature gets hot, the first thing we reach for is the fan. Cool your room down quickly with this stylish copper - you can adjust its height according to your room design.
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10/13 Peace lily, from £10
Houseplants act as moisture in a stuffy room so there’s really no better time to stock up on some extra perennials, such as this peace lily from Patch.
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11/13 Rubber plant, from £8
Robin the rubber plant, available at Patch, has been approved by NASA as one of the best air purifying plants.
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12/13 Casper pillow
Casper's unique pillow-in-pillow design uses convection and conduction to pull heat out of the open-cell top layer, leaving you cool and comfortable.
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13/13 Peonia pink bed linen, £90 for a double
Boasting a vintage wash finish, Christy's Peonia pink bed linen is made from 100 per cent cotton. Pair it with a dark grey or inky blue colour scheme.
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With the Met Office forecasting a record-breaking 39C in London this week and more than 30C predicted elsewhere in Britain, it’s more important than ever to keep your home as cool as possible, for health as well as comfort.
Such sweltering heat makes it harder to sleep and the daily commute becomes more unbearable than ever.
With a limited number of truly scorching days each year, most British homes don't have air conditioning - but there are some simple things you can do to turn your home into a cool retreat.
From investing in a good-quality fan to closing your windows during the day, here’s what to do to keep the temperature down in your home during a heatwave.
Invest in a good fan
When the mercury shoots up, the first thing we reach for is the fan - but not all fans are created equal.
Some only circulate the hot air in the room, rather than blowing out cold air.
The Dyson Cool Tower Fan has a powerful airflow, uses less energy than other fans and it's quiet, so it's perfect for using at night.
A more affordable option is this retro fan from Very, with three speed settings for optimum air control. And its fab cream colour will look great on your desk.
Place a bowl of ice in front of your fan
Setting up a bowl of ice at an angle in front of your fan will cool the air coming from your fan considerably. As the ice evaporates and the air blows onto the bowl, it will create much-needed moisture and cool you down.
Leaving bowls of water dotted around the house also helps to create moisture.
Keep curtains and windows closed during the day
Though it may be tempting to open the windows when it’s warm outside, this can actually let in hot air rather than cool, warming your home.
Lucy Askew of blinds and shutter specialists Hillarys, says: “The general rule of thumb is if the temperature outside is greater than it is inside, you should keep the windows shut, as you are just letting hot air in otherwise.”
If you have to keep windows open during the day, make sure you do so in a way that encourages a through draught, says a spokesman for OVO Energy.
“This means opening windows at opposite sides of the house and keeping doors open so the air can move through freely. But keep curtains and blinds closed to deflect any direct sunlight.”
Use thermal or blackout blinds
Investing in a pair of thermal or blackout blinds, such as this range from Hillarys, is another option to consider if you can afford it.
“Keep those blinds shut during the day and you’ll stop the sun from turning your home into a greenhouse,” suggests Lucy Askew.
Open your windows at night
It’s not always possible in London, but if you can bear the street noise outside, open your windows in the evenings and you’ll feel a cooling breeze overnight.
Temperatures fall considerably at night, so opening windows will allow cooler air to circulate through the rooms and help you sleep better.
Be sure to close them again in the morning though, before it gets hot again.
Buy a house plant or two
House plants act to bring moisture into a stuffy room so there’s really no better time to stock up.
The most effective plants, according to Freddie Blackett, chief executive of Patch Plants, are peace lilies and rubber plants. Freddie suggests grouping plants together to create your own microclimate.
“As well as looking good, house plants can be a saviour in a heatwave. Through the process of transpiration, plants increase the humidity of the surrounding area, adding moisture and often reducing indoor pollutants.”
Go for cotton or linen sheets
Both cotton and linen are breathable fabrics and much better at keeping you cool during a summer heatwave than polyester and other man-made fabrics, which will only make you sweat more.
"Choosing the right bed linen can have a huge impact on sleep," says Lucy Ackroyd, design manager at household linen maker Christy. "Cotton, silk and linen are all natural fibres that are breathable and can help regulate temperature, keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer." Cotton is particularly good because it wicks moisture away from the skin.
“Another trick when you are changing your sheets – if you have time – is to place them in the freezer for 15 minutes, as they will feel cool when you slip into bed,” adds Ackroyd.
“Cotton may have a natural beauty and the luxe factor that five-star hotels love but it’s also one of the most breathable fabrics, cleverly wicking moisture away from the skin,” says linen brand Tielle Love Luxury.
Tielle’s cotton percale sheets, made from a lightweight, durable and soft cotton, are cool and crisp on the skin, allowing for a good night’s sleep.
Zoe Stewart, decorative bedding buyer at John Lewis, also praises linen for its temperature regulation.
“Linen, made from flax fibres, is considered to be a breathable natural fabric that keeps you warm in the winter and cooler in the summer.”
The plant-based material is also particularly effective for those with dust allergies or sensitive skin as it’s naturally anti-allergenic.
Buy breathable bedding
Go for natural, breathable fabrics when choosing duvets, pillows and mattresses too. The Eve Premium mattress contains graphite, a material that is great at keeping things cool, while the company's memory foam pillows contain added air holes, “so that heat can easily flow away from your head and keep it cool,” says Johnny Chan, product developer at Eve.
This temperature-regulating duvet is made using Tencel, a naturally breathable fabric often used in sportswear due to its moisture management capabilities.
“Highly absorbent and breathable, the material helps your body control its temperature, and absorbs any unwanted humidity,” says Johnny Chan.
Keep the lights off
It may come as a surprise to learn that light bulbs could be emitting extra heat you don’t need when you’re trying to keep your home cool.
Switching off your lights, especially when it’s not dark outside, means your home will be cooler.
“Conventional incandescent light bulbs generate light quite inefficiently, giving off waste heat in the process. Switch to low-energy light bulbs to reduce overheating and save money,” advises OVO Energy.
Don’t charge your phone overnight
Like lights, leaving your phone plugged in overnight and your computer on will generate a surprising amount of heat.
Turn these off before you go to bed and you’ll probably sleep better.
“Turn them off when not in use [don’t just leave them on standby], and make sure the backs of fridges and freezers have plenty of ventilation space – these appliances in particular can pump a lot of unnecessary heat into a room,” says OVO.
Additional tips include avoiding using the oven, keeping a hot water bottle full of cold water for when you need cooling quickly and having a lukewarm shower before bed to keep you and your home cool during the hot weather.
