With UK summer temperatures soaring this year, many people are relying on fans to keep cool indoors. But fans are not actually designed to eliminate heat — they work by circulating air and drying it out, reducing that sticky, sweaty feeling.
According to Vikki from Lifestyle Homecare Services, a simple kitchen item can make a fan far more effective at genuinely cooling you down. Vikki said: "All you need to do is add something cold/frozen in front of the fan and the air being circulated should be much cooler than before. Freeze an old carton of milk filled with water and sit it in front of the fan."
Why a frozen milk carton works
Fans merely push air around a room, temporarily blowing warmth away from you, but the hot air remains trapped inside, so the relief does not last long. Placing ice in front of a fan proves far more efficient because the fan draws heat from the surrounding air, using energy to melt or evaporate the ice.
This means a frozen bottle does not just cool the air down — it actively strips away heat before it reaches you, leaving you feeling considerably more comfortable. Any bottle will do the job, but milk cartons are particularly effective because they are built to contain substantial amounts of liquid and have a greater surface area, so they soak up more heat than a standard water bottle and keep your space cooler for longer.
How to boost a fan's cooling power
First, fill a clean milk carton with water to roughly three-quarters full, leaving room for the water to expand when frozen, then place it in the freezer.
Once frozen, put a towel underneath the carton to catch any drips or melted water. Position the fan in front of the carton, leaving a small gap to keep moisture away from the fan. Turn the fan on, and you should instantly feel far more comfortable, no matter how sweltering it gets this summer.
