BBC science journalist Caroline Steel has shared seven simple, physics-backed tips to help keep homes cool during a heatwave. In a TikTok video, she explained how basic scientific principles can be applied to beat the heat.
Tip 1: Shut Your Windows
Caroline advised keeping windows closed when the outside air is hotter than the indoor air. 'I know windows allow a breeze through your house, but (it's) a breeze of hot air,' she said. 'If it's hotter outside than it is inside, keeping your window shut traps the cool air in and keeps the hot air out.'
Tip 2: Draw Your Blinds and Curtains
Closing blinds and curtains stops sunlight from entering and heating up objects in the room. Caroline explained that this 'stops light passing into your house, because that's then absorbed by objects in your home, and those objects then give off infrared radiation or heat.'
Tip 3: Turn Off Electronic Devices
According to the first law of thermodynamics, energy from devices like televisions and computers is converted into heat. Caroline said that turning them off prevents this extra heat from warming your home.
Tip 4: Get a Fan
A fan helps cool you down by blowing away the warm layer of air on your skin and aiding sweat evaporation. However, Caroline noted a key caveat: 'It doesn't work if the air temperature is higher than your body temperature.'
Tip 5: Open Windows in the Evening
Once the outside air becomes cooler than inside, it's time to open windows. Caroline said that for her, this is around 7pm during the current heatwave.
Tip 6: Place a Fan Facing Out of a Window
By positioning a fan on the windowsill pointing outward, it sucks hot air from the room and pulls in cooler air from outside. A caption on the video clarified: 'This only works when it's hotter inside than outside.'
Tip 7: Make Hot Items Wet
Wetting hot surfaces allows evaporation to cool them down. Caroline explained: 'As that water evaporates, it will take heat from the material it's resting on.'
Concluding her video, Caroline said: 'Physics is really your friend right now, so good luck out there.' Viewers added their own tips in the comments, such as using air conditioning, wetting hair, and taking cold showers. Caroline agreed with these suggestions, noting she has become 'a three showers a day person.'
