Last Updated: June 2026
At a Glance: Keep Your House Cool During The Summer
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This article is a practical guide detailing 17 different methods to beat the summer heat indoors.
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It can help homeowners maintain a comfortable indoor temperature during the hottest months while actively lowering their monthly electricity bills.
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The guide covers a wide variety of strategies, including reversing ceiling fan rotation, blocking sunlight with reflective films or drapes, minimizing appliance heat, optimizing cross-ventilation, and even hacking a regular fan with ice to act as an AC unit.
Lower your monthly bills with these practical ways to keep your house cool this summer.
RELATED: 11 Outdated Summer Heat Survival Myths Debunked (Here’s What Actually Works)
Cost-Effective Ways to Keep Your House Cool This Summer
1. Set Your Ceiling Fans to Rotate Counter-Clockwise
Doing this will help move the warmth away from the room. In turn, you will feel cooler. I bet you didn’t think you could do that, did you?
This method of reversing the rotation of the blades will push the warmth to the ceiling instead of blowing it to your direction.
2. Reduce and Reflect Sunlight
Direct sunlight coming into your home can increase the temperature. Placing blinds, curtains, or reflective window panels are some of the ways how to keep the sun out of windows.
Keeping direct sunlight away from your room will reduce the warmth in the space.
I’ve used these exact budget-friendly setups to block out the blazing sun before it turns my living room into a total greenhouse. Here are the absolute best tools I recommend to instantly slash your indoor temps without blowing your budget:
Last update on 2026-06-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
3. Turn Off Lights When Not in Use
Light bulbs produce heat, especially the incandescent ones. If you can’t replace this antiquated type of bulb, the least you can do is minimize their usage.
Some homes install solar panels to help minimize the cost of electricity.
4. Be Smart About Your Doors
If a room is cooler than the outdoor temperature, close the door. This will retain the colder room temperature for as long as possible even in the warmest part of the day.
5. Don’t Cook Inside
The kitchen can create and retain a lot of heat when you are cooking. The best compromise is to cook during the coolest time of the day.
If you can opt to cook in your backyard, that’ll be a great excuse for a backyard barbecue!
6. Put Smooth White Fabric Covers On Your Furniture
White fabric covers will help retain less heat in your furniture. These covers will also reflect the light.
Some would say that it absorbs less heat from sunlight. The furniture and interior of the house stay cooler in the process.
7. Open Windows at Both Ends of the House
By opening windows at both ends of the house, you let air move freely throughout the whole structure. This is called a cross-ventilation.
This process helps reduce the temperature in your home. You’ll be surprised at how much cooler it becomes!
8. Dehumidify
The best time of the year to cool off at the beach is now! But if you’re a homebody, you’re probably thinking of ways to keep your house cool during the summer.
Here’s one: If you live in a humid area, your sweat evaporates slower, so it’s best to wear loose cotton and other natural fabrics to boost cooling.
Lowering the humidity will also help you feel cooler. Of course, there are other ways to keep your house cool.
9. Point Box Fans Out the Windows
When you do this, you push the hot air out. This is one thing many homeowners do not realize.
Sometimes, it’s better to use fans for exhaust rather than creating an artificial breeze.
I love using the box-fan exhaust trick to dump heat, but balancing a bulky, rattling box fan on a narrow window sill always felt like an accident waiting to happen. I switched to a dedicated unit that locks right into the frame:
- DUAL SPEED SELECTION: Enjoy the flexibility of choosing between two air output options on this twin speed window fan. Select...
- SECURE AUTO-LOCKING EXPANDERS: Experience a secure and snug fit with the auto-locking accordion expanders featured in this...
Last update on 2026-06-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
10. Unplug Appliances or Electronics
In this age of electronics, heat is a normal by-product. If you have kids or teens playing with their Xbox on large flat screen TVs all day, maybe it would be best to minimize their playtime.
Pull out those plugs if you are not using a gadget. Less heat produced means a cooler interior.
For TVs, game consoles, chargers, and office gear, a basic smart plug like the Kasa HS103P4 makes it easier to shut down heat-producing electronics without crawling behind furniture:
- Voice control: Kasa smart plugs that work with Alexa and Google Home Assistant. Enjoy the hands free convenience of...
- Smart Outlet Control from anywhere: Turn electronics on and off your smart home devices from anywhere with your smartphone...
Last update on 2026-06-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
11. Hack a Fan Instead of Turning On the AC
Turning on the air conditioning is the most convenient solution, but you won’t be too happy once you get your power bill.
Did you ever think of how to cool down a room with ice? It’s a classic, but it’s proven to work. Take some ice in a bowl, place in front of a fan, and you get an instant air conditioner.
It may not be as cool as the real thing, but it’s still pretty darn effective! Better put those ice cubes to good use!
12. Hang Wet Laundry On a Clothesline Instead of Using the Dryer
A dryer is no different from an oven in the summer. They are heat multipliers, so try not to use them if you don’t need dry clothes right away.
Besides, line-drying will also cool the air coming into your home if the wind direction is favorable. I personally use this retractable clothesline to save space:
- 【Non-Sagging Design】The Retractable Clothesline is a non-sagging design, there is a locking device and a rotating...
- 【Large Capacity & Heavy Duty】The longest length of this line is 15.1 feet, and there is enough space to hang your...
Last update on 2026-06-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
13. Make Use of Your Bathroom and Kitchen Exhaust Fans
Apart from drawing out any excess steam, these exhaust fans also draw out the heat from other rooms nearby.
There will be a noticeable difference. You can probably do this at the warmest part of the day when you’re not using your AC.
14. Do Your Laundry and Ironing at a Certain Time of the Day
Just like cooking in your kitchen, you can do this on the cooler parts of the day. This way, you won’t be adding to the warmth of your home’s interior.
Plus, your work will be much more comfortable − unless you have a strict schedule to keep.
15. Damp Curtain
People from the old days used this technique before the birth of air-conditioning units. This is quite similar to putting ice in front of the fan.
As long as there’s a breeze, that is. You can even add fabric conditioner to add fragrance!
16. Let the Night Air In
In the summertime, nights tend to be much cooler. Make the most of this by opening the windows before sleeping.
Of course, security should be your primary concern prior to leaving them open as you doze off. Make the necessary preparations like installing grills or just leaving the upper windows open if you live in a two-story house.
17. Plant Trees Strategically
This may be a long-term plan, but the benefits are also long-term. After a few years, you will be proud of the natural shade you’ve created.
Plant them in locations where you think the sun beats down on your home the hottest, especially during summer.
This video from DIYonTheCheap will show you how to cool down a room with a fan:
Now you have a few more ways to keep your house cool and cut your bills this summer! This list just might do you some good when it comes to getting rid of or minimizing the heat in your home.
If you have barn animals, you can also find ways to keep them cool. Stay off your feet and beat the heat this summer!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How should I set my ceiling fans during the summer? You should set your ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise. Reversing the rotation of the blades pushes the warmth up toward the ceiling instead of blowing it down in your direction.
2. What is a cheap way to block out the sun and cool my living room? Placing blinds, curtains, or reflective window panels over your windows is a highly cost-effective way to keep direct sunlight out. Keeping direct sunlight away from your room will reduce the warmth in the space and stop your living room from turning into a greenhouse.
3. Does unplugging electronics actually help cool down a house? Yes, because heat is a normal by-product of electronics. Pulling the plugs on gadgets when you are not using them means less heat is produced, which results in a cooler interior.
4. How can I create cold air without turning on the AC? You can place a bowl of ice directly in front of a fan to create an instant, DIY air conditioner. Another classic technique is to hang a damp curtain by the window, which will cool the room down as long as there is a breeze blowing through it.
5. Why should I run my bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans? Aside from pulling out any excess steam, these exhaust fans also draw out the heat from other nearby rooms. Running them during the warmest part of the day, especially when you aren’t using your AC, can make a noticeable difference in the temperature.
QUICK POLL
Let’s say the government is asking you to turn off your AC during a heat wave to prevent a grid collapse. Will you ration power for the greater good or prioritize your family’s comfort?
Where do you draw the line between personal responsibility and the greater good?
