How to Maintain Indoor Comfort This Summer

While many of us spend the other three seasons anticipating the return of summer, this isn’t to say that summer doesn’t have its flaws. For example, if you hail from an area that receives swelteringly hot weather, staying comfortable in your home all season long may seem like a tall order. This is particularly true for those of us who can’t afford to run our air conditioning around the clock. So, if consistent indoor comfort is what you’re after, put the following pointers to good use.

Invest in Breathable Loungewear  

While many of us regard loungewear as our exclusive at-home attire, there’s a stark difference between cold weather loungewear and warm weather loungewear – especially for people who live in areas with bitterly cold winters. Whereas the former is generally made from bulky, heat-retaining materials, the latter tends to emphasize lightness and breathability. Needless to say, donning loungewear intended for wintertime during the summer is liable to result in a fair amount of discomfort. 

So, if you’re currently in the market for comfortable summertime loungewear, keep an eye out for such breathable materials as cotton, nylon, linen and silk. Fortunately, when searching for women’s loungewear, you’re likely to find that stylishness and breathability don’t have to be mutually exclusive.   

Hang Blackout Curtains

Blackout curtains can aid your home cooling efforts on a number of fronts. For starters, they can minimize the amount of sunlight that finds its way into your home during the sun’s peak hours, thus helping regulate temperature. Similarly, they can effectively seal in cool air from your AC, which can be a boon to your utility costs. 

As an added bonus, blackout curtains can help you maintain healthy sleep habits throughout the summer months. Given how early the ultra-bright summertime sun rises, people who do their best sleeping in complete darkness often see their sleep schedule compromised during this time of year. So, if you’re looking to keep the summer sun out of your sleeping space, high-quality blackout curtains are likely to prove a worthwhile purchase.     

Install High-Quality Ceiling Fans 

If constantly running your AC isn’t an option this summer or your residence lacks air conditioning altogether, take care to install high-quality ceiling fans throughout your residence. In addition to working in tandem with AC, dependable ceiling fans can also function as independent cooling aids. By adjusting their blades to rotate counterclockwise, you’ll be giving them the ability to produce cool breezes that flow directly downward, regardless of whether or not your air conditioning is on. 

Furthermore, if summertime temps in your area cool down considerably after sunset, good ceiling fans can help you take full advantage of this. Simply open some windows, turn on your fans and allow them to circulate the naturally cool air throughout your entire home.

Place Limits on Oven Use 

Depending on the size of your residence, summertime oven use stands to make indoor temps a lot hotter. For example, if you reside in an apartment, condo or other smaller living space, you’re highly likely to feel the effects of summertime oven use. So, if doing so is at all viable, make a point of limiting oven use throughout the summer months – especially during daylight hours. If you absolutely must make use of your oven during the summer, at least wait until the sun goes down. 

If cooking is one of your foremost passions, you’re liable to feel put out by these seasonal restrictions. However, with an impressive abundance of oven-free summer recipes floating around the internet, you should never find yourself at a loss for new dishes. So, rather than view limited oven use as a punishment, you’d do well to regard it as an opportunity to expand your culinary repertoire. Additionally, if you’re fond of outdoor grilling, this may also be a good chance to step up your barbecue game.  

As many of us come to discover, staying cool indoors all summer can prove every bit as tricky as staying warm indoors all winter – especially if you don’t want to run your AC 24/7 and ratchet up utility costs. However, this doesn’t mean that you should resign yourself to an uncomfortable warm residence. Maintaining comfortably cool indoor temps throughout the summer is far easier than a lot of people make it look – particularly if you’re working with the tips provided above.   

Feature Photo by Simona Todorova on Unsplash