Fix cheap bamboo chicks - If your west-facing kitchen reaches temperatures of above 35 degree Celsius during the summer and even higher while cooking dinner or baking a cake, you can simply prevent the sun's heat from getting inside the kitchen by just hanging cheap bamboo blinds on the outside of the window to keep the kitchen temperature cool. Cheap faux bamboo blinds start at Rs500 and go up to Rs4000. But the best part is that bamboo blinds or chicks last for really long and block the heat to large extent. No wonder these chicks, the oldest means to keep the house cool still remain a favoured choice of many. Chicks are now available in various colours and designs to suit your needs and the décor of your house. Indiamart offers info on a lot of dealers who can customize your needs and price range.
Keep the draperies closed - As tempting as it may be to let the sunlight enter your home, all that sunshine can raise internal temperatures by about 5 to 10 degrees Celsius. Another cheap way to keep your home cool is to close the draperies on windows that are in direct sun, opening them only after the sun has shifted off the glass panes. If you have mini blinds, tilting the blinds to refract the light outside will keep a room much cooler than tilting the blinds the opposite direction. And as dark and dull as it may sound, hang thick, dark curtains during summers, especially in rooms which receive direct sunlight all day as it can help your room stay less hot. Bright, fancy and light colored, transparent curtains and shades may attract you a lot, but remember they will make your already hot room into a furnace.
No cooking or baking at noon – No we are not asking you to starve yourself and skip your lunch but just avoid cooking in the noon hours when the sun is very harsh. Kitchen appliances such as stoves, range tops, and dishwashers will also heat up your kitchen by 10 degrees or more. Therefore to prevent heat from entering your kitchen, allow your microwaves and ovens and heaters to rest. These appliances produce a lot of heat and do not cool down easily. So whatever cooking you have to do, make sure you do it in the morning so even you can relax and pamper yourself. Also, keep the evening meals cool, i.e. a great summer salad, a fruit shake or some grilled vegetables which do not require heating.
Use fans in the morning - If you don't have a whole house fan (most popular in the west) to cool your home, a cheaper alternative is to open the windows in the morning and use box fans to draw the cool air indoors and stale air outside. Usha box fans are easily available online, or at any store with Rs1800. They are small cheap and efficient and draw the stale air out quite rapidly. So if the start of your day is fresh, the rest of day will definitely end on a cool note. This way you would use your coolers and ACs only when the sun outside is harsh and not right from the morning.
Photo by Sanny.