Video: 5 Money Saving Tips for Cooling Down Your Home

Though Summer temps in the Phoenix area routinely register in triple digits, there are ways to survive the heat. The Phoenix.org website cautions that we all should know the signs of heat illness, and take some basic precautions when Summer sizzles. Suggestions range from staying hydrated to, believe it or not, covering your head, arms and legs when you’re outdoors. But what should you do when you’re inside?

To be sure, it’s not just us Arizonans looking for ways to cool down this year. Record breaking temperatures seem to have invaded every nook and cranny of the U.S. In an NBC News post earlier this Summer, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported weather stations in the nation broke or tied nearly 8,600 daily heat records in May alone. This Summer, record highs have been shattered over and over, throughout the entire country.

So whether or not central air conditioning is a “thing” in your part of the country, there are a few ways you can ease the discomfort of an extraordinarily warm Summer, inside your home.

Video: 5 Money Saving Tips for Cooling Down Your Home

For your convenience we’ve included a transcript directly below this video.

Transcript for: 5 Money Saving Tips for Cooling Down Your Home

Welcome to Today’s Home Update, I’m Amanda.

If you’re looking for ways to keep your home cool without wreaking havoc on your utility bills, here are some great ideas to try.

Close your drapes. Keep your drapes closed during the sunniest part of the day to keep your home from heating up. Or try light colored black-out curtains.

Limit the use of heat producing appliances such as the oven, hair dryer, and iron.

Frost your fan! Need to cool off while sleeping or working at your desk? Grab a mixing bowl, fill it with ice or frosty ice packs, and set it at an angle in front of a large box fan pointed toward you. The fan will pick up the cool air and blow it right in your direction.

Dehumidify. While getting a plug-in dehumidifier will not necessarily cool your house, it will strip humidity from the air which will help you feel more comfortable. A dehumidifier will also extend the life of your furniture, and can even help prevent wood floors and doors from warping over time.

Reverse that overhead fan. By setting your fan to run counterclockwise in the Summer, warm air will be pulled away from you.

Thanks for watching Today’s Home Update, see you next time.

Feature photo by collin-armstrong-272043-via unsplash