Optimize your apartment for warmer months— all the cool kids are doing it! Literally. Whether you’re bracing for a sweltering summer, or you reside in a place that’s sizzling year-round, knowing how to cool down your apartment is life (and money) saving information.
Since hot air rises, top-floor apartments are often more susceptible to toasty temps. But no matter what floor you call home, we’ve come equipped with apartment cooling tips so you won’t sweat the issue any longer.
Block the Rays
You may have filled your place with apartment-friendly plants, but unless you want your home feeling like an actual greenhouse, we suggest stopping the sun in its tracks. The light shining in your windows heats up your home like an Easy-Bake oven. Closing your blinds or drawing your drapes can prevent heat gain by 45 percent, lower indoor temperatures significantly, and save you money on the utility bill. If you don’t want to live like a vampire 24/7, prioritize obstructing west-facing windows, which are hit the hardest during the hottest part of the day (late afternoon).
Blackout curtains are a sure-fire way to keep the sunshine out of your apartment, but make sure the ones added to your cart have a light-colored backside to reflect rays far, far away. Consider placing those homey household plants in front of the windows to block even more direct light.
Keep Your Cool
Did you know the cool air you’re paying for could be slipping right out your front door? The audacity! Luckily, we have some energy-saving tips that will keep you cool and help you keep your cooling costs in check. If your apartment isn’t equipped with tightly sealed doors and windows, there are affordable solutions to keep the chilled air in and the hot air out. Weather-stripping your space requires placing adhesive strips on areas susceptible to draft. It can be purchased at your local hardware store, is easily installed, and is often made of malleable foam or rubber material.
Cool air may even be making a break for it through your baseboards, so if you suspect poor covering at the base of exterior walls, stock up on some extra weather-stripping supplies. Not only will this insulation hack keep your apartment cool in the summer, but it will keep it cozy in the winter. Ensuring the air you’re paying for stays in your apartment where it belongs will keep your home and bills cooler.
Power Down to Cool Off
If you’re paying for AC yet constantly running heat-generating appliances in your apartment, you may be sabotaging your own sanity. Perhaps your downfall is doing several loads of laundry a week or that you prefer falling asleep to mindless television. Whether you’re regularly using the dishwasher, computer, curling wand, or stovetop— appliances big and small generate heat and contribute to a warmer apartment.
We’re giving you an excuse to put off doing the dishes or making dinner just a few more hours. Waiting to use large appliances during the cooler hours of the night and early morning could help you stay cool and collected while keeping energy bills low. Even when stagnant, appliances use energy and generate heat, so consider unplugging them until it’s time for usage. It’s not procrastinating if it’s saving you money— right?
Although you may love firing up the oven or using your new air fryer, cooking is a serious heat- generating hobby. If you’re looking to keep your apartment cool, consider dining out, ordering takeout, meal prepping throughout the week, or taking advantage of community grills outside your complex. Here's to more summer cookouts!
Adjust the Lighting
What if your lightbulb moment for staying cool this summer is ditching the lightbulbs altogether? Some of the heat swirling around your apartment could be from the lights you’re using. Incandescent bulbs are inefficient and waste nearly 90 percent of their energy by emitting heat throughout your home. LED lights are one possible solution. Cool to the touch, these eco-friendly lights emit significantly less heat. Switching to more energy-efficient lights can lower your indoor temperature and electric bill.
Make Time for Your Fans
Fans are a great way to keep your apartment cooler while reducing sometimes-pricey AC. While fans don’t necessarily cool the air, air movement effectively cools people. If you really want to feel more comfortable inside, you’ll want to do more than just flip a switch. Strategic fan placement and adjustment will optimize your ability to handle heatwaves.
The first thing you should know is that not all blade-spinning directions are created equal. Clockwise fans will warm the room as it pulls air upwards. Conversely, counterclockwise fans will push air downward, keeping the room breezier by creating air circulation. Creating good air circulation in your apartment will expel health-harming pollutants, remove stagnant air, and regulate indoor temperatures.
If you’re going to open your windows to improve apartment air circulation, utilize fans to create a cross breeze and prevent cooled air from escaping immediately after it’s created. Rooms with openings (windows or doors) on walls opposite each other are candidates for successful cross-breeze spaces. Facing floor fans out the window creates a vacuum to purge stuffy air and create a cooler breeze.
If you have rooms you’re not using throughout the day, consider shutting their doors to keep cooler air and currents congregated in communal spaces. Also, utilize exhaust fans in high-humidity areas such as your kitchen and bathroom.
Check the Air Filters
Air filters are great for trapping dust and other pesky pollutants, but if yours are past due for a change, your apartment could be warmer, your HVAC system is working harder, and your bills are getting larger. Landlords and apartment complexes should replace your filters before you move in, but you’ll want to ensure the job is done once you have the keys. After that, the filters should be replaced/cleaned every one to three months. Whether this is your responsibility or your property manager’s responsibility will vary from property to property (see your rental agreement for the particulars), so you’ll want to smooth out those details early on. When packed with dust mites, dirt, and pet dander, air filters can wreak havoc on your HVAC system and inhibit enough air from cooling down your residence.
Tweak the Thermostat
We’ll end our apartment cooling tips on perhaps the most obvious fix. Chances are, if your place is too stuffy, the first place you’ll be running to is the thermostat to adjust the temperature. Cranking the AC all summer can leave you with a nauseatingly high electric bill, so knowing how to best utilize the thermostat is in the best interest of you and your wallet.
It's helpful to note that no matter how low you set your thermostat, the unit will push out cool air at a steady speed. Setting an 80-degree apartment to 60 will not ensure a quicker cool-down period, but a longer one. The system will simply continue creating cool air until the set temperature is reached. For this reason, save money by only setting your thermostat to the desired temperature.
To save even more dough, turn the thermostat up while you’re out and off when you’re out of town. Consider investing in a smart thermostat to regulate temps for maximum efficiency. By dialing the temperature down during cooler hours and up only during particularly steamy ones, you’ll save money and energy on summer AC mayhem.
