Property expert Laura Hamilton has shared her top tips for staying cool at home as temperatures in parts of the UK are set to reach up to 39°C on Thursday, August 13. The 44-year-old presenter revealed several methods to avoid discomfort during the heatwave, particularly at night, beyond simply using a fan.
Chill Your Bedding
One trick Hamilton swears by is chilling a pillowcase or thin bedsheet in the fridge before bed. She said: "Put your pillowcase or a thin bedsheet in a sealed bag and chill it in the refrigerator for a short while before bed. It’s a brilliant yet simple bedtime trick."
The type of bedding also matters, she stressed: "Your body can make your bed feel like a heat trap. Use lightweight bedding, breathable sheets, and avoid thick duvets. A cotton or linen sheet can feel dramatically better than synthetic bedding."
Reduce Indoor Heat Sources
Hamilton advised avoiding household habits that add unnecessary heat: "Avoid using ovens, having long hot showers, using clothes dryers, and using unnecessary appliances during the afternoon. Even lights and electronics add some heat and TV’s and computer games consoles can give off a lot of heat too."
Closing curtains during the sunniest part of the day is also beneficial. "One of the simplest ways to keep your home cooler during a heatwave is to keep your curtains closed," she said. "It sounds simple, by keeping your curtains or blinds closed during the hottest and sunniest parts of the day, you can significantly reduce how much solar heat enters the room. The key is to close them before the sun hits the window."
Window Wisdom
Opening windows may not always help, Hamilton cautioned: "This is a big one. If it’s 35 degrees outside and 25 degrees indoors, opening the windows will usually make things worse. Open them when outdoor temperatures drop below your indoor temperature. So at night!"
She also recommends solar-control, heat-rejection window film: "It blocks a significant portion of solar heat entering through the glass and can make rooms noticeably more comfortable near sunny windows. It also helps reduce UV exposure that can fade furniture and flooring. For maximum heat reduction, an external shade/film or exterior solar screen is generally more effective than film applied to the inside because it stops sunlight before the glass heats up."
Hamilton shares more property tips on her YouTube channel, Property with Laura Hamilton, with episodes released every Friday at 5pm. Her new home brand, Laura Hamilton Home, will launch soon with curated wall art collections.
