With the high temperatures of recent days, many people regret not having air conditioning at home. So we explain to you how to refresh the air in your home to better withstand high temperatures.
Even if we have not yet faced what Météo France calls a “heat apocalypse”, the high temperatures we are currently experiencing, including in the North of France, sometimes make us regret not having installed air conditioning at home. Maos, as Ademe reminds us, “he There are many alternatives to air conditioning to effectively cool your premises, including the use of an efficient ventilation system or the installation of passive solar protection”.
In the north of France, the strongest heat is currently observed between Seine-Maritime, Yvelines to the west of Paris and Eure with peaks around 35°C! pic.twitter.com/ho8WUgAia9
— The Weather Channel (@lachainemeteo) June 25, 2023
How to withstand the high heat?
With a few simple good habits, it is possible to naturally refresh your interior to better cope with the hot weather. The first reflex to adopt today if you had forgotten it since last summer: drink at least one bottle of water a day. Because the first risk, in case of heat, remains dehydration.
- Don’t drink alcohol
- Avoid exertion, especially during the hottest hours of the day
- Spend several hours a day in a cool place
- Eat enough (for example one of these recipes for gazpachos and cold soups)
- In case of emergency or illness, call 15.
>> Stay alert to the symptoms of heat stroke: red, hot and dry skin (without perspiration), intense headaches, nausea and/or vomiting, incoherent speech and/or confusion, a feeling of discomfort… It is then imperative to call the SAMU (15 or 112).
How do you keep rooms cool?
If you have sun protection (blinds, shutters), use them! By preventing the sun from beating on the windows, you will more easily keep the freshness of your interior space.
Think of ventilate the house during the cooler hours (especially in the morning on arrival) and close the windows during the hottest hours.
Why air conditioning is not a good idea
Against the increasing episodes of high heat, many of us want to invest in “the” easy solution: air conditioning. Yes, but here it is: it is not ideal for health. First, for the throat and the eyes, which find themselves irritated and dried out by this constant flow of conditioned air.
Then, for allergies: indeed, the constant mixing of air (often in an enclosed space) promotes the circulation of allergens (pollen, animal hair, etc.) which can aggravate symptoms in allergic people.
Worse: according to specialists, poorly maintained air conditioning can quickly become… a veritable nest of bacteria! The filters become clogged with dust, the water condensation tank becomes populated with bacteria and mold, and all these undesirables are released into the atmosphere.
>> If you still opt for air conditioning: fix it at most 4℃ below the outside temperature and not drop below 26℃. If the temperature difference between the air-conditioned room and the outside is too great, there is a risk of thermal shock.
In video: tips for cooling your legs in hot weather
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Create drafts
When night falls, open your windows wide to enjoy the fresh outside air. If your home has a floor, also open the upper windows to evacuate the hot air that is in the house – this is called a “chimney effect”!
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Hang a damp sheet in front of the windows
Dampen a sheet and hang it in front of your ajar window: this grandma’s trick really works to cool indoor air through evaporation. The air passes through cool, damp fabric, helping to lower the temperature of your room.
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Turn away your fan
Fill a bowl or a canvas bag with ice cubes and place it in front of a fan. The diffused air will be cooler and more humid, like a sea breeze.
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Keep blinds and shutters closed during the day
To keep your home as cool as possible, close the shutters and/or blinds as soon as the sun shines on the windows: think about it in the morning before leaving for work! Also invest in a thermometer for the house and close the shutters and/or the blinds as soon as the temperature outside exceeds the temperature inside. A little gymnastics that allows you to stay cool longer.
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Make the VMC work
In the evening, turn on the bathroom ventilation (other called VMC for controlled mechanical ventilation) as well as the kitchen hood because they allow the hot air to be evacuated to the outside of the house and replace it by the cooler air from outside (not to be done in the middle of the day, at the risk of bringing in even warmer air!).
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Unplug electrical appliances
Even when not in use, our computers, phone chargers, power strips… generate heat. It is therefore recommended to turn them off and unplug them completely. Also avoid using your heating appliances: hair dryer, oven, kettle…
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Redesign your interior
To promote air circulation and encourage the feeling of freshness, start by decluttering your interior: put away the knick-knacks that accumulate heat, roll up the carpets that make you hot, get rid of the bedspreads that also keep the heat in.
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Create a rampart with plants
Whether indoors or outdoors, plants maintain a pleasant atmosphere of freshness thanks to their evapo-transpiration mechanism: this is a good reason to flower your interior and the edge of the balconies. Water preferably in the evening to refresh the surrounding air. And for next year, think of climbing plants on walls exposed to the sun: they flower the temperature by blocking the sunlight that heats the exterior walls.