In warmer countries, the installation of air conditioning in private accommodation as well as in holiday homes such as apartments and hotels is usually standard. In this country, however, the summers were never so hot that air-conditioned living spaces were necessary. But the past few years have shown that summers in Germany are getting warmer and warmer. And the rising temperatures as a result of a long period of hot weather significantly reduces the quality of life in your own home – especially at night. But is a fixed or portable air conditioner the only way to cool the home? We show you five more environmentally friendly and cheaper alternatives.
Since not only the outside temperatures but also the warm rays of the sun heat up the rooms, you should block out the light during the day. This works best with roller shutters or blinds that are mounted on the outside – i.e. in front of the window pane. In this way, the heat is already shielded before it reaches the interior of the apartment. If you cannot or are not allowed to attach or have them attached, there are other ways of darkening the rooms: You can either attach self-adhesive sun protection films to the inside of the window. However, you should keep in mind that not only the heat but also the light stays outside permanently. Or you can opt for opaque and heat-insulating thermal curtains (preferably made of linen or cotton), which ensure that no sun rays get inside.
If the temperatures are high for several days in a row, the living spaces no longer cool down at night. In this case, it makes sense to leave all windows (and doors) completely closed during the day to keep the heat out. Instead, ventilate extensively in the evening (even better at night), ideally across and over a longer period of time. The best time to do this is when the temperatures outside are noticeably dropping. It is important to note that you really do keep all windows closed during the day – even if the air in the rooms gets warm and stuffy as a result. Only those who follow this procedure without compromise can cool the apartment noticeably. In addition: The fewer people are in the apartment and give off their body heat to the air, the better this method works.
Even though fans run on electricity, they don’t use nearly as much energy as air conditioners. They are therefore a popular tool in many households to cool the home – but strictly speaking they don’t do that at all, as they only set the warm air in motion and accelerate it. As a result, the sweat on our skin evaporates faster and the body (rather than the room) acclimates faster. However, it remains questionable whether setting up a tower fan makes sense when the outside temperature is 35 degrees or more. However, it is always worth a try, also in combination with a bowl full of ice cubes or ice-cold water that you place in front of the device. This is intended to cool the air in a similar way to that of an air conditioning system.
In order to cool down the rooms on hot days, you can not only take measures inside the apartment, but also outside your own four walls: If you have a balcony or a terrace, you can put a shade sail (including UV protection) in front of the windows to attach. And in such a way that no sun rays get into the apartment – ideally on a wall or you use suitable rods to tighten the fabric. Alternatively, you can also attach a clamp awning to the outside wall (or have one installed); there are special models that are only stretched using two stands. Completely without drilling. If you want to install a fixed device with an electric motor, you must be the owner yourself or get permission from your landlord.
Every household appliance that runs on electricity generates heat – even if it is only in stand-by mode. For this reason, it is advisable on hot summer days to unplug all devices that do not necessarily have to run continuously (such as the refrigerator): In other words, televisions and laptops, vacuum cleaners and razors are disconnected from the network. It can also be helpful not to use heat-generating devices such as the stove or oven on particularly warm days. Rather rely on cold dishes instead. And the tumble dryer can also remain offline in summer, since the wet laundry would simply dry quickly in the air. On the other hand, it can make sense to invest in an extractor hood, as it extracts the warm air when cooking and ideally (depending on the model) even directs it outside.
Saving tip: With a Lidl voucher, there is currently a discount of up to 70 percent on household goods.
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