People struggling with heat trapped in their homes during a heatwave might find relief through a cooling technique known as 'night flushing'. Georgina Bisby, a content creator, journalist, and founder of Your Home Explained, shared the method on her popular YouTube channel, Georgina Bisby DIY.
How Night Flushing Works
In a recent video, Georgina explained 'how to keep your house cool in summer naturally without AC.' She recommended night flushing for the evening hours, particularly to make bedrooms more comfortable before sleep. According to Georgina, homes store heat like a battery: walls, carpets, and furniture absorb heat during the day and release it at night, causing homes to feel unbearably warm even after midnight.
Georgina said: "If you feel like your home gets hotter every day during a heatwave, you're not actually imagining it. Our homes store heat like a battery. So, in hot weather, your walls, carpets, and furniture absorb heat during the day, then slowly release it all night. Which is why homes can still feel unbearable even at midnight."
Preventing Heat Build-Up
She warned that many people only take action once the heat has built up, but homeowners should aim to prevent it in the first place. Georgina said: "Ideally, when a hot spell is forecast, from the first warm day, block sunlight early, ventilate at night, and stop your home from storing heat before it snowballs. Modern buildings actually have a name for this. It's called night flushing. And it sounds technical, but it's pretty simple. It's just about keeping heat out during the day and then dumping it out overnight."
She added that you should check the temperature before opening windows, waiting until the outside air is cooler than the inside air. "It's worth having a thermometer indoors and perhaps checking hourly temperatures on your weather app because houses can still hold loads of heat long after sunset. So, even if it still feels warm outside, you might find that it is actually cooler than inside."
Optimal Ventilation Timing
"Once you're sure that it's cooler outside, open your windows, create air flow through the house, and ventilate hardest overnight and before sunrise because the coolest temperatures are often just before sunrise," Georgina advised.
The NHS website also offers advice on coping in hot weather: "Keep your living space cool. Close windows, curtains and blinds during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees." The NHS added: "Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep, and make sure to check on anyone who is at higher risk from the heat."
Recognising Heat-Related Illness
The NHS also warned: "If you or someone else feels unwell with a high temperature during hot weather, it may be heat exhaustion or heatstroke." Always speak to a medical expert if you have health concerns.
