Summers in India Can Be So Harsh That Even Air Conditioners and Coolers Fail Us Occasionally: Tips on How to Keep Your House Cool Naturally (2020)

The relentless Indian summer can be pretty difficult to cope with. That's one of the reasons why it is so important to know how to keep the house cool in summer. Particularly using natural means, so we use as less electricity and other resources as possible. In fact, using a ceiling fan is much better than using an AC to cool your home. Cooling your home naturally is known as passive cooling.

Passive cooling includes cooling of both the entire house as well as that of people in it. The idea is to lower the humidity along with good air movement. There are a lot of ways and simple tips through which you can completely cut off the use of AC in your life and opt for a more sustainable way of cooling your home. We have mentioned a lot of such ideas right below.

Now that you know a bit about natural cooling, you should know how exactly you can do natural cooling of your home on your own. These are some of the easiest tips you can try for long term natural cooling of your home, and they are absolutely cost-effective too.

If you want to know how to keep the house cool in summer naturally, then you should ponder on long term plans. For example, you can choose darker glasses for your windows so that you can block the sunlight through them.

If you have a lighter window pane, then you can invest in good sun blocking curtains which are good enough to block all the sunlight coming into your home. Make sure to close the blinds and curtains in the morning as the air starts to get hotter afterwards.

Seasonally changing the kind of fabric you use is a great idea to adapt to the environmental conditions around you. The same goes for your bedsheets too. Cotton is the ultimate fabric choice for summers as it is light, airy and quite cooler as compared to other fabrics.

Opt for cotton sheets on your bed and do the same for pillow covers too. This will instantly freshen up a room and change the temperature to quite some extent.

To learn how to keep the house cool in summer naturally, you should get to know about your home more than ever. The best way to feel a lot more refreshing in summers is by opting for lighter hues for the interior of your home.

You can stick to lighter colours permanently so you won't have to make changes every summer. Such colours reflect light and heat instead of absorbing it. This way, your home would look brighter too.

Another way to maintain the low temperature of your home is by minimizing the opening and closing of doors, especially the main entrance door of your home. You can definitely open that doors which are in the shade but avoid opening southern doors of your home.

You will be shocked to know how much heat you can reduce by this method. It can actually make a difference of about 2-3 degrees in your home temperature. If you have kids at home, try locking the doors.

Apart from focusing on reducing your house's temperature, focus on your body's temperature too. You can stick to icy drinks to keep your body's condition on check in summers. Prefer lighter clothes such as those made from cotton.

Applying cold cloth on the neck and wrist can also help you in cooling from the inside. Try dipping your feet in cold water to instantly feel a lot cooler and comfortable in the scorching heat. And definitely do not skip showers.

To work on how to keep the house cool in summer naturally in India, you should focus on more and more natural ways. One of the best ways to low down your home's temperature is by using window planters.

Window planters help in humidifying and cooling the hot air flowing in your home too. Apart from looking extremely beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, these plants also purify toxins in the air and improve its quality. Some of the best recommendations for window planters are Ferns, Aloe Vera, Ficus tree, and Areca Palms.

Use of oven and stove also adds to your home's temperature, especially if you do not have kitchen chimney or proper ventilation in your home. You can also try instant pots as they don't add to much heat in your house. Also, the one-pot cooking method is easy as well as time-saving too. Invest in outdoor ovens or BBQs for long term comfort.

The last tip in our list is to understand what time is good enough to let the outside air enter in your home. Even in peak summer times, the temperature drops in the night and this is when you are supposed to let the air in.

You can open your windows and balcony doors in the night to cool down your home naturally. However, do not forget to close all the doors and windows by the morning as this is the time when hot air starts to flow again.

Now you know how to keep the home cool in summer, but passive cooling may not work that efficiently in extremely high-temperature areas. This is why using AC, coolers and ceiling fans alongside the above methods would not be a bad idea. In fact, it is essential for you to not solely rely on natural cooling as you may suffer from heat strokes in severe environmental conditions.