Keeping home cool

[nannynick]

How do you prepare for hot weather?

Shutters / Blinds on windows - aluminium foil?

Food - no cook, high water content, refrigerated, frozen ice lollies.
Trying to think of what food I should buy this week to prepare for hot weather.

In a worst case scenario, I would attach wet sheets to an open window- apparently this was a Mid-West homestead trick. But generally, I have electric oscillation fans. Including a little one that plugs into my laptop when I'm working from home.
Cold flannel on the back of my neck works. Menopause plus heatwave plus MS is no joke.

I open windows at night to allow cooler air through. I also keep windows open at the northern facing side of the house to pull in cooler air, and let the heat out through the attic windows in the daytime. (DD keeps the attic windows open all the time now, as she feels too hot, and got herself a small air conditioner recently up there).

All windows on the south side of the house have blinds or curtains closed in the daytime to prevent too much heat getting in. We were amazed in the late summer last year the difference that blinds had in the downstairs "wall of glass" room (after years of thinking about it, we finally got them installed). I tend to have the windows themselves open - I really like the idea of the wet cloths hanging there. And the door in the downstairs on the south facing side is usually open as well as that goes to the back garden - I find it cooler if that door is closed but DD is in and out all the time. I also have internal doors open throughout the house to help the flow of air through.

And when it's hot, I tend to do a lot of BBQ cooking outdoors rather than hot pots in the kitchen. Usually served with salads. Lots of fruit cut into chunks so people will munch on it for snacks, things like pineapple, watermelon, strawberries, orange quarters, etc. And plates of veg sticks - carrots, peppers, celery etc, and a dip they can go into (hummus, tzaziki, salsa etc). Jugs of squash made up with ice are good and leave glasses alongside it - nowadays, we tend to veer more towards keeping a bottle of sparkling water very cold in the fridge and making up squash with that instead. I still drink a fair amount of tea but not so much coffee, and DD loves iced tea.

Thanks. I am stocking up on fruit, ice lollies and hummus. Also hard boiled eggs.

Windows open all night where it is safe to do so.

Shut windows in the morning to keep cool air in.

Shut curtains on the sunny side of the house. Use lined curtains.

I put an old duvet cover or sheet behind the curtains to make another layer of insulation especially behind the dark blinds.

Put your mattress downstairs, it’s cooler down there.

I used the wet sheet at the window last year as the kid's rooms at the top of the house get absolutely roasting and it worked a treat.

For our south facing rooms keeping the curtains shut is essential.

We've left our winter curtains up, they are two layers of heavy fire resistant fabric. We've got windows open to create an air flow, and use reusable ice blocks instead of hot water bottles. I'll have a quick cold shower if it gets too much, and sit with my feet in a bowl of cold water.
I've also got a cooling dog bed to sit on, I got mine from Lidl for about £8.

Google passive house cooling, you'll find loads of diagrams about which windows to keep open and closed to get a good airflow through the house. A window at the top of the stairs can be a good call to open as it draws out rising hot air.

In heatwaves, I don't always open the windows anymore as I found it was heating up the inside of the house too much. But I open morning and evening when the temp is cooler and that does make a difference.

Definitely keep blinds and curtains closed during the day.

I also have 'summer' hot water bottles which I fill with tap water and freeze for cooling the bed (and me!) at night. I never use them for hot water as I worry the temperature extremes weaken the rubber and I don't want to get burned.

I also make sure I have only natural bedding. No polycotton at all - 100% cotton, linen or wool for temperature regulation and just sleep with a cotton sheet.

A dish of water in front of a fan acts as a DIY air conditioner - but the water has to be within the breeze created by the fan and not below it.

If I'm going out for the day, I freeze half a water bottle the night before. Also good for sports or at the gym. Keeps it cold and enough will have melted so that you can drink the whole thing. My mum used to do this for our water bottle with our packed lunches at school - was an absolute life saver.

My kitchen is doing ok heat wise as I managed to put up a freshly washed old duvet cover behind the blind. The living room is about 28 or 29. (Can't find the accurate thermometer)

DS is upstairs with the fan.

26.9 in my flat at the moment. 28.6 outdoor temp. So a little cooler than outdoors but not much.

I opened the windows once it got as hot as outside. Tomorrow is worse. May decamp to the kids dad's house. And persuade my teen to go there as it is closer to school. Give him a lift home so he does not have to walk across town in the heat.

There's one night where the temperature does not fall far. That's going to be tough as I rely on getting the flat cool overnight.

How does everyone attach the sheets to the windows / behind the curtains?

I put cable clips or small tacks into the top corner of the frame as I have wooden frames. And sewed loops on the corner of the sheet with elastic. You can get tension rods. I own though so I can do what I like to the walls within reason.

Ex had curtains held up on a rod when he moved in. He bought his own curtain rail in the end.

It's a cool 25 (!) Degrees inside.

Sacrificed another flat sheet to make a window blind for the biggest upstairs window. I hope it makes a significant difference. And passes the grumpy teen test.

26.3 inside here and I have internal shutters on windows and one which gets the sun this time of day has a picnic blanket (one of those one's with the grey plastic backing) over it to help block more of the sun.
Local amateur weather station is says outside temp is 29.7

I need to cook today when it is going to be cooler.

Sounds odd but I used to know an elderly woman who swore by wearing wet socks to bed on hot nights.

We roll up our floor rugs and stash them away..the room is so much cooler without them...especially with tile flooring.

I've also found that if I stick my feet out from under the sheet or duvet I am a lot cooler. I second only use cotton sheets on the bed.. micro fiber ones heat me right up (great for colder months)

Oh my fuck...forecast 35 now. On PE day.