Summer brings with it sweltering heat that can drive anyone without an air conditioner crazy! However, there are other ways to cool down without going straight to the thermostat.

Close Your Blinds

Letting in that sunlight may be aesthetically pleasing, but it’s also hiking up the temperature. Close them and you can lower the temperature by 20 degrees, especially with windows facing east or west.

Open and Close Doors Appropriately

Keep doors of unused room closed during the day to keep air in the rooms being used. Once the sun goes down, open doors to let the cooler air flow through the house.

Rotate Overhead Fan

Your fan works both in the summer and winter – in the summer though, you want it to be turning counter-clockwise to move the hot air up and the cool air down.

Utilize Other House Fans

When you’re cooking in the kitchen, turn on the exhaust fan to get rid of the hot air. When you’re taking a steamy shower, turn on the bathroom fan to get the same effect.

Crack a Window at Night

If the temperature drops outside at night for you, take advantage of this by cracking open a window. You’ll be cool all night with a little breeze.

Stop Using the Oven or Stove

Cooking in the kitchen is obviously going to heat up the house. However, there’s another way to heat up your food: outside grill. Summer is the best time to grill some burgers anyway, so why waste it?

The cooler you’re able to keep your house throughout the summer, the cheaper your bills will be, the better it is for the environment, and the better it is for your house and your thermostat in the long run.