How do you keep your flat or house cool?
Do you keep an upstairs or loft window open to "let out the hot air" and a downstairs window/door slightly ajar to "let in fresh air"?
Or do you shut all the windows and blinds after 9am to "keep the cool air inside"?

We do the "closed windows and shutters" method which works because we are all out all day but is a bit glum during the weekend so I get told off for opening everywhere up and letting the heat in.

Otherwise just drink lots of cool drinks and substitute the duvet for a thin blanket at night.

I sleep in the fridge during the summer months...

Yes, hubs likes to open up the doors to let the fresh albeit hot air in, too.

No blanket, and 'skinny-sleeping'.


I'd do that but it's already occupied.

I drink lots of iced water and have electric fans blowing everywhere!

I am cool so this keeps my little home cool too

WE open everything in the morning for a little bit to bring cool air in. Then we close everything windows and shades until the sun goes down. We have all day sun and live on the top floor and believe me this is the only way it works. We also invested in a air conditioning for those real hot days to keep at least the bedroom cool. Also lots of fans to lay in front of.

Shutters closed to keep out the sunlight (cooler in the dark), and windows open to keep fresh air circulating

You can then shave your head, sit in the dark shadows of the oppressive humidity and pretend to be Marlon Brando.

dave

*trying to control gag reflex* hehe...
I thought salsa is supposed to be hot hot hot !?! It should be tropical rainforest temperature in your home.

à propos, I went to a bunch of stores yesterday trying to buy a fan NOT made in China (I am weird that way). After many failed attempts I decided to buy an el-cheapo electric fan for 29 CHF at Interdiscount from undisclosed origin (no country of origin on the box), however after peering into the motor housing I see it's made in Quanghongzhou or something like that. At least it kept me cool last night, but my principles still felt violated.

Does anyone know where I can get a "Vornado" brand fan in Switzerland? They're great.

One other thing I have found is if I try to cool off with a cold shower, not only is it unpleasant but I feel 10 times hotter when I have got out of the shower.

My tip is to have a lukewarm shower then you don't feel like you are stepping out of the shower into a blast furnace.

We live under the roof, with lots of skylight windows.... so it can get up to 27C° in here

- Create draught in flat as early in the morning as you can,when the outside temp is still fresh and cool,if possible with the aid of fans,to get the stale overnight air really moving and out.

- get special indoor sunblock rollos for skylight windows,they really make a big difference, i can tell you !!

-Start closing shutters and windows for the day as soon as the sun is about to reach them around 10 a.m.-ish and open them again when the sun has gone away from this side of the house and it's shadowier again.

- Ceiling fans,static and oscillating ones all help a little too,but not if left on all day...

-- a few drops of lemongrass or lemon oil ( or peppermint) in a pot pourri/or cold diffuser of any kind, also help to create a image of cool and freshness

"I love the smell of Napalm in the morning"

You are not the first person to notice the similarity between us

Loathe as I am to be a real perv, or ask a Sutteresque-question : what you are wearing, how many of the guys are wearing shorts in the workplace ?

dave

Buy an air-conditioner, all sorts available now, from split units to mobile ones
that should do the trick.

We have good insulation here. Keeping the windows and blinds closed is the best way of keeping the inside cool when it is hot outside.

Air conditioning helps too we have 2 split systems - one for the bedroom and one for the wine.

So, the closet perv and hidden Sutter in Dave emerges in the heat...

(Off topic! Off topic! Too much information!)

fixed that for you

Pull the sunshade over the balcony in the morning, pull the blinds down at the back of the flat at the same time. Open the windows as far as they will go and put the new fans on. Another trick is to arm your seven year old with a sheet of cardboard and tell her the up and down motion in her arms is good for developing swimming muscles. Need to save electricity and get some use out of her.