SUMMER LIFE HACKS FOR Your Home To Thrive In The Hot Season
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@olivecooke
We love the changing of the seasons. There is nothing more fun to us than switching out our adorable winter long sleeves for our cute tank tops, as the big gassy ball in the sky makes its grand entrance and gives us permission to drink rosè at lunch (let’s be real, did we need an excuse?).
The summer is not just a time of long, light days, it’s also a time of hot, hot heat and sweating our buns off. If you’re sensitive to the power of the big bright daytime star in the sky, you’re probably equally hot and bothered in your home space when the mercury rises (we’re talking thermometers here, not star signs).
But never fear, because we have compiled some of our favorite (and sometimes hilariously obvious) life hacks to keep you feeling as cool as you look in those cut offs — go off, Daisy Duke!
Light bulb moment
Did you know that by switching your light bulbs, you could be on your way to a cooler home? Switching up your bulbs from an incandescent to an LED bulb could be the difference between a Hot Girl Summer and an Overheated Girl Summer. LEDs do emit a little heat (as does everything that’s plugged into electricity), but it’s significantly less than a traditional lightbulb. For reference, an LED bulb produces 16% of the watts an incandescent does at the same brightness.
Cover leather furniture in a white sheet
If you love leather (or pleather) furniture, you’re not alone. And while simplicity of your decor carried to an extreme can become elegance, that elegance can get pretty hot and sticky during the summertime.
One way to tackle this problem is to cover furniture in light or white sheets during the hottest months. We know that dark colors absorb heat, and some materials (like leather) retain heat, so tuck a cute sheet over that sofa to reduce the heat in your apartment. Also it’s like getting a new piece in your space without having to convince your friends to “PIVOT!” Additionally, throwing something over your furniture will protect it and ensure the longevity of this buttery material. We love a multifunctional hack.
Calling all plant parents! Did you know your indoor plants consume hot air as a part of their plant-y processes? If you’ve been hesitating on buying that Areca Palm or Golden Pothos because you’re afraid you’ll be labelled a plant hoarder (been there), never fear! Plants also release moisture into the air through the process of transpiration (when moisture evaporates from the leaves), and they can provide shade by blocking the sun’s rays that want to sneak in through your window. Some of the best plants for homes without air conditioning are:
Speaking of aloe vera, if you accidentally find yourself out and about in the sun and get a dreaded sunburn (and hey, we love a good sunscreen recommendation, so we got you covered there), try this homemade aloe vera ice cube hack: Pour some aloe vera gel into the individual sections of an ice cube tray, and place 2-3 drops of lavender essential oil in each section, stirring gently. Put in the freezer for a couple of hours, and voila!
If you’re really going for that homemade vibe, you can harvest your very own aloe vera plant. Just make sure that your aloe vera is mature before removing a couple of leaves at a time, washing and drying, and separating the gel from the outside of the leaf. Make sure you avoid the roots so you can keep coming back for more!
Ice ice (fur) baby
For those of us with furry friends who share our living space, another icy hack for the summer is to make what’s known as an “ice lick.” An ice lick is pretty simple: Just take a cake mold and freeze toys, bones, and chicken broth, mixed in with some water. Your pets will go crazy for this as they munch and chomp on this cool treat. If you get bored, go on and make yourself one — just replace the toys, bones, and broth with alcohol (we’re kidding of course… You don’t need a cake tin, a wine glass is just fine).
Sleep low
Another simple hack to employ this summer is to move your mattress off its frame and get it on the floor or down into the basement. While we may have raised our eyebrows at college guys who couldn’t — or wouldn’t — realize that a headboard was a definite turn-on, perhaps they were onto something. Hot air rises, so if you’re feeling the heat this summer, try getting low.
Switch up your sheets
There’s nothing worse than rolling around in sticky sheets as you sweat while trying to have sweet dreamtime at night. Did you know that cotton sheets will keep you cool at night? Just like covering your dark or leather furniture can add to the cool in your home, a light shade of cotton sheets will keep your bed feeling light and airy — just perfect for a hot night.
And last but not least…
Airflow
This one might seem so obvious, but it’s worth remembering! Getting a fan, or allowing a cross flow breeze to blow through your space, is one of the easiest ways to cool down your home in summer. If you’re able, opening up your front and back door if they’re on opposite walls will cause stagnant hot air to be replenished with fresh air. Just like your body, a house needs good circulation!