Staying cool during the Tennessee summer is a bit of a challenge. A few hours out in the heat and humidity, and your perspiration will have perspiration. But did you know that there are a few tricks that you can use that will keep your home cooler, and your air conditioning bill a dash lower?
1. Change Out Your Rugs
If you have wood or tile floors, replace your wool or synthetic area rugs with one made out of natural fabrics. Sisal, jute, and other flat weave and braided rugs are available in an assortment of patterns and colors.
2. Keep Your Curtains Closed
While curtain-less windows that let in lots of natural light are a current ultra cool interior design trend, during the hottest part of the summer you are going to be a lot cooler if you pull those curtains, close the plantation shutters, and drop those blinds. Blocking the light, also blocks the heat. When you aren’t home, keep your windows covered to block the light, because light means heat.
3. Turn Off the Lights
Speaking of light and heat being synonymous, another way of keeping the temperature down in your home is to turn off the lights. So is turning off all of your electronics, computers, iPhones, iPads, etc.
4. Don’t Cook, Especially During the Heat of the Day
When the temperatures rise, bring out the grill and make lots of salads. Keeping off the stove will keep the house cool, but eating cooler foods will also keep your body temperature down. Just as a good cup of hot chocolate warms you up in the winter, cooler foods keep you cool in the summer. So bring out the watermelon, berries, and fresh veggies.
5. Stay Away from Sweets, Alcohol, and Caffeine
While cool foods are good at keeping you cool — sweets, alcohol, and caffeine all cause the body to crave more liquids. Alcohol and caffeine can cause dehydration because they are diuretics. So grab a bottle of ice water when you are thirsty on a hot day, instead of an ice cream, bottle of soda, or margarita.
6. Hang Dry Your Laundry
Dryers create a lot of heat. That is how they dry. Instead of using a dryer, hang dry your summer washing. Hang it outside, or get an indoor drying rack. There are so many different types of racks, from wall mounts to overhead Shelia Maids that come down from the ceiling.
7. Use Linen or Cotton Sheets
Natural sheets — linen and cotton – breath where synthetics do not. Synthetics are made out of oil derivatives, which are essentially plastic. And plastic holds heat in, while linen and cotton let the heat out in the summer, and keep the heat in during the winter. That is why natural fiber clothing, like natural fiber sheets, as well as natural fiber rugs, makes you feel cooler.
City Tile hopes you use these tips to stay cool on these hot summer days. To learn about more ways to keep cool during the summer, check out our previous story about creating a cool patio.
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