Cooling the apartment: The best tips for cooling in summer

Simple and inexpensive: Soak towels or cotton bed linen in cold water and then wring them out well. Hang the cloths on a drying rack in the middle of the room or in front of the window. What happens? The drying fabric extracts heat from the air, cooling the room. 

Don't let the heat into the room in the first place. This is the best way to keep rooms cool. Keep all windows and doors closed during the day and do not leave them ajar.

Take advantage of the natural cooling in the morning and evening: When it is noticeably cooler outside than inside, open all windows and doors completely and ventilate. Let as much air as possible into the room so that it really "pulls through" and the warm air is replaced by cooler air.

Our tip: Ventilate for at least 20 minutes.

Rooms heat up significantly when sunlight enters – darkening the rooms can therefore be useful. Ventilate well in the morning and then lower the shutters to keep the heat out. This is especially important on the south and west sides of the house. Blinds and curtains can also help. Only open the darkening when the sun has set and the temperature outside is lower than that in the room.

Turn off unnecessary electrical devices and lights completely in the summer. Even in standby mode, devices like computers or televisions emit heat.

In the summer, you should also avoid using the dryer and, if possible, dry your laundry outdoors. This reduces additional heat in the living space and saves energy costs.

Cooking and showering increase the humidity in the room. The air needs to be exchanged. The best way to do this is through short cross-ventilation: open two opposite windows to create a draft. The moist air flows outside, and dry air comes in. Exhaust hoods also carry the warm air from cooking outside.

Our tip: If possible, cook outdoors. Move your kitchen outside. It's not only fun but also reduces the humidity inside the room. Do you have an apartment with a balcony? Then just set up the table grill and enjoy.

Carpets absorb warmth, store it, and slowly release it back into the room. This is comfortable in winter, but very unpleasant in summer. On hot days, it's best to store loose carpets in the basement, as the stone or wooden floor feels pleasantly cool in the heat.

Indoor plants are a beautiful decoration and bring life to the room. They are natural humidifiers, as they release more than 90% of the watering back into the air. The greenery also provides more oxygen in the room.

Large-leaved plants such as room linden, bird's nest fern, or dumb cane are particularly suitable. The following plants also improve the indoor climate:

• Spider plant
• Aloe Vera
• Bamboo palm
• Snake plant
• Sword fern

This measure is neither cheap nor can it be implemented quickly. However, thermal insulation protects against both cold and heat. It is an insulating layer between the interior of the building and the outside world. Thus, both heat and cold stay outside. 

Taking a quick shower before going to bed is refreshing and helps with falling asleep. However, the water temperature should not be too low so that the body does not cool down too much. The reason: Otherwise, the body is stimulated to sweat more. Choose a lukewarm temperature and do not dry yourself completely after showering. This way, the refreshing feeling continues to have an effect.

The heat doesn't bother us while sleeping, only when falling asleep. A "cooling bottle," for example, helps: Simply fill a hot water bottle with cool water and place it between your legs.

Body care products with essential oils, such as peppermint oil, also have a cooling effect.

The classic: Put the nightwear or bed sheet in the freezer before going to sleep. In summer, you should choose light sleepwear that absorbs and releases moisture. Linen is particularly suitable. Sleeping unclothed should be avoided, as it can lead to hypothermia with an open window. The shoulder areas are particularly affected. Severe muscle tension after waking up can be the result.

Surface cooling for walls or ceilings ensures pleasant temperatures in rooms during the summer. Cold water circulates in the cooling pipes, thus cooling the surfaces. The cooling works with radiation exchange: Humans release excess heat to the cooling surfaces via the surroundings. The result is a pleasant, cool indoor climate, free from drafts and dust turbulence. Additionally, the surface cooling is silent and can also operate at night.