When a heatwave hits, it can be impossible to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. Many properties simply aren’t designed to cope with the intensity of the summer sun, so when your interior becomes hot and stuffy, there are a few clever tricks you should bear in mind. From DIY cooling solutions to top tips from the experts, these clever ideas will help you beat the heat and stay cool, calm and collected – no matter what Mother Nature throws your way. Click or scroll on for more...

There's more than just traditional fans and air-con units on the market these days. Enter: evaporative air coolers. Models like the Evapolar use natural water evaporating technology to draw in hot, dry air and make it cool. As well as reducing the temperature, these nifty units also work double-time as dehumidifiers, cleaning dust particles from the air. Win-win!

Believe it or not, it might be time to dig out your hot water bottle – bear with us. While these winter essentials are perfect for keeping you cosy in the cooler months, they're also ideal for hot, humid nights. Simply fill the bottle with cold water, pop it in the freezer, and you've got a makeshift ice pack ready to go! 

The summer heat doesn't just affect the human members of your household. Spare a thought for your four-legged friends, especially the fluffy ones. Ensure your furry family members have a means of coping with the warmer climes too by investing in cooling mats. Typically filled with a non-toxic gel, their self-cooling designs will ensure your pets stay chilled out all summer.

Whilst sitting in front of the TV and putting your feet up might seem like the perfect heatwave activity, it can actually create more warmth in your home. Gadgets such as TVs, DVD players, radios and laptops generate heat and only add to the rising temperature. So, keep everything switched off to help cool you down.

With more of us now working from home or adopting hybrid work routines, you may be yearning for the blissful days of sitting in an air-conditioned office. To keep things as cool as can be when the mercury rises, purchase a small USB desk fan or mini air-conditioning unit to keep next to you on your desk.

It might seem odd to shut up shop when the temperature rises but closing your windows during the heat of the day can really help the house stay cool inside. Open them up at night when air temperature outside drops to capture some breeze. If you have sash windows, be sure to open them equally at the top and bottom. This allows the cooler air to flow in through the lower opening and the warmer air to escape through the top.

Keep things cool around the house by ensuring that you keep the sun out with appropriate window treatments, especially in south-facing rooms where the sun blazes in. So be sure to close your curtains and blinds before you head out for the day. Install sun-blocking curtains or blinds that block up to 99% of UV rays. They also stop furniture fading and help block out light at night for a better sleep. Wooden shutters are another great and stylish option for keeping rooms dark and cool.  

One easy way to stay fresh and unflustered this summer is by opening your internal doors to ensure air flows throughout your property. You can cross ventilate by opening windows on opposite sides of the house and allowing the breeze to permeate throughout the rooms and up to the hotter, higher levels. This is especially worth doing at night time when upstairs bedrooms can get oppressively hot.

If your property has an attic with a window or vent, try opening the attic hatch on really uncomfortably hot evenings. As hot air rises, this will give it somewhere to go and can help cool down the rest of the house.

There's little need to have your lights blazing during the long summer evenings, especially when it's a muggy one. Light bulbs give off heat so by switching them off you can help keep room temperatures in your property down while saving on energy too.

The same goes for the appliances in your home. From toasters and microwaves to kettles and coffee makers, items that have to be plugged in will be generating heat. So if you're not using them switch them off, especially at night when your body temperature can soar.

Steamy showers, steaming pans, boiling kettles and laundry can also exacerbate a hot and humid home. If you're cooking, keep lids on your pans to keep the steam in. Leave putting the dishwasher or washing machine on a cycle until the coolest part of the day and keep hot showers to a minimum. Have a quick cold shower instead – it's a lovely way to refresh yourself before you retreat to bed.

When it comes to creating interior ventilation, it might not be as straightforward as opening a window. When it's hot outside, opening a window will only increase your home's temperature. In order to create effective airflow, you need two openings – one for the air to flow in and one for it to escape through. Open a window on the shaded side of your house to draw fresh air inside. Then, on the side facing the sun, open a window that's located high up, to usher hot air outside.

For a more economical and environmentally-friendly option than air conditioning, get yourself an effective fan or two. Dotting them around the house in a heatwave helps create air movement and can be a quick cooling solution. There's a huge range of fans out there from simple desk fans to ceiling fans and futuristic tower ones. If you're putting one in your bedroom, get as quiet a model as possible and preferably one with a remote control so you can switch it off in case of night-time chills.

To make the most of your new fans, think cleverly about exactly where you place them. On really steamy nights, you can create a cross breeze by placing a fan opposite an open window or door. This will push hot air out and let any cool breeze flow in. Another neat trick during muggy weather is to place a bowl of ice in front of a fan, which acts like a homemade AC unit.

If all else fails and the muggy temperatures simply aren't abating, it might be time to install air conditioning. For those with compact spaces and smaller budgets, a portable air-con unit can be a great option rather than a wall-mounted system. It'll set you back a few hundred pounds (or more for a top one) but it could be money well spent for staying cool and comfortable over the summer. And you can stow it away in the winter. 

For the ultimate cool and calm night's sleep, look into getting a mattress that helps regulate your body temperature. For example, some soothing mattresses are made using a gel-infused foam that allows greater airflow and helps dissipate your body heat. You can also get special toppers to slip on top of your existing mattress when steamy nights get you all hot and bothered. Don't forget to switch from your winter duvet to your summer one, too!

While sleeping alone might not be an option for every couple, it might be worth considering during the hottest nights of the year. Not only will sleeping solo give you additional space, it will also dramatically reduce your body temperature. Ultimately, our bodies generate warmth, so by sticking together you're increasing the temperature of your bedroom. If you have a spare room you can put to use during the heatwave, we guarantee you'll have a far more comfortable night's sleep.

First up, the bedroom. The optimum temperature should be between 16 to 18°C, but when summer sets in this can be hard to achieve and a restful night a distant dream. Avoid tossing and turning by opting for natural fabrics such as linen and cotton. They absorb sweat and are breathable. Ditch your winter duvet for a lightweight summer version, or simply use cotton sheets with the option of an extra blanket on top.

Chill hot cheeks and slip off into sweet dreams with a specially designed cooling pillow. You can get ones with gel pads inside or try a comforting cool touch pillow with special fibres that disperse heat and moisture. Or do-it-yourself by popping a pillowcase in a ziplock bag and putting it in the freezer. The cool relief won't last long but it will offer a brief respite. Some people also swear by buckwheat pillows, which allow greater airflow and don't retain heat. 

Spritzing down your sheets with cool water before you get in at night should help you to at least start the night at a more comfortable temperature. You can easily make your own by filling a spray bottle with water and keeping it in the fridge. Give it an extra kick by adding a couple of drops of relaxing lavender oil, cooling eucalyptus oil or aromatic rosemary.

If spritzing your sheets still doesn't do the trick, you can pop your bedsheets in the freezer for the ultimate cold embrace. This will keep your bedding as cool as can be and ensure a peaceful night's sleep – just remember to put them in an air-tight freezer bag. 

What could be better on a hot and sticky, sleepless night than a cool breeze blowing under the sheets? This ingenious design, called bFan, is an ultra-quiet blower fan that can be adjusted to curve up over the foot of the bed, drawing air from the vent at the bottom and blowing deliciously cold air across the surface of the mattress. It even has a remote control so you don't even have to get out of bed to turn it on.

If the heat in your bedroom really gets too much, it might be an idea to sleep in the cooler downstairs rooms during a heat wave. Create a little temporary bedroom in your living room with a low-level futon or better still if you have a basement, make a den down there until the heat subsides.

Another option if you're really struggling to sleep in the heat is to set up a hammock in your home or even outside. There's a good reason why hammocks are popular in tropical countries – they allow the air to circulate all around your body. And if that doesn't work, the gentle rocking motion should send you drifting off into a peaceful slumber. However, if you're sleeping outside you might want to spray yourself with insect repellent first.

In 2019 the paint brand Valspar worked with Professor Charles Spence, head of the Crossmodal Research Laboratory, to see how different colours can affect the perception of human body temperature. The study placed 157 participants in three separate rooms, each set to the same ambient temperature of 18°C and asked them to record the temperature they felt in each of these rooms. The study found that over a quarter (28%) felt coolest when in the navy blue room, with some even claiming that they felt up to three degrees cooler than the actual room temperature.

If whitewashing your entire home isn't a practical option for your property, think about keeping internal walls light and white in sun-filled rooms. Opting for light-coloured curtains and blinds will also help reflect the sun's rays back out of the room rather than absorb them. And if you have leather furniture, cover it with light-weight throws so you don't find yourself sticking to it on humid evenings. 

If you're looking for a more permanent solution when the summer rolls around, it's time to rip up your carpets and lay down some tiles. Carpets retain heat, while natural stone such as slate, limestone or ceramic tiles will repel heat, keeping you cool in the summer. 

A few well-placed pot plants not only add a nice bit of greenery and an oasis-like feel to your home but they may also help keep things cool. Many plants, including aloe vera and palms, are known to help cool air temperatures. They also act as natural humidifiers and help purify the air of some pollutants.

It might be more mind over matter but when the temperatures start rising it's a good idea to pack away those furry rugs, knitted throws and chunky, textured cushions until the nights start to draw in again. Replace wintry fabrics with a lovely lightweight rug, scatter some bold coloured cushions around and go for floaty throws to lend your home a bright and breezy summer vibe.

Rethinking your wardrobe is not only a great way to free up space, but it will make staying cool during summer extremely simple. Swap out your winter wardrobe for loose, lightweight clothing made of natural fabrics. Avoid synthetic materials and tight clothing, and remember, dark colours attract the heat, so stick to light shades and soft pastels. If you're working from home, take the opportunity to wear something a little less office-ready, but a little more comfortable.

While it might seem essential to have an at-home fan or air conditioning unit for the hottest months of the year, there are plenty of DIY options that can keep you cool. In fact, a damp cloth or a splash of water on your pulse points is proven to be more effective than a fan. Apply something cold to your wrists and temples and your body temperature will drop. You can also place your skincare items in the fridge and give yourself a cooling facial before bed. Do the same with after-sun to take the heat out of your tan!

If you're well and truly fed up with sweltering hot summer days and battling muggy nights, it might be time to think about a long-term solution. Good insulation not only keeps your house cosy in winter but it also helps keep it cool in summer. It reduces the amount of heat coming in through the walls and helps keep the cool air inside your home.

Similarly, double-glazed windows aren't just for keeping the heat in your home during winter. Designed to act as a barrier against all outside temperatures, double (or even triple) glazed windows will also help reduce the impact of hot weather and keep your rooms noticeably cooler in the summer months. 

The last thing you want to be doing on a scorching day is slaving over a hot stove and a good thing too as using the oven will only get the temperature soaring in your home. Stick to refreshing salads, call in a takeaway or better yet get the barbecue going and head outside for an alfresco feast.

Many hotter countries set up outdoor kitchens in the summer months when things get too steamy to cook inside. So why not adopt a little of the hot-weather lifestyle and create a space on your terrace or garden to chop, cook and eat? You could really go for it and install an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven for quick and dreamy Med-inspired dinners. You won't want the summer to end.

From ice cream makers to popsicle moulds, there are plenty of home appliances and gadgets that can help you get creative in the kitchen this summer. When your house is sweltering and you're in need of a pick-me-up, pull out the gelato machine and whip up a frozen treat to entice the whole family. If ice cream isn't for you, have a go at making ice coffee, cold brew tea, cookie sandwiches or frozen yogurt - the perfect accompaniments to a summer's day.

Gardeners can also help keep their properties cool by thinking cleverly about what they plant around their property and where. Strategically placed trees and shrubs can provide shade and keep internal temperatures cooler. Creepers and vines work particularly well by helping keep external walls cool. And you'll have created a lovely little shady enclave outside that you can retreat to.

Not green-fingered? A quicker solution to help cool external walls is to install a portable awning. Use them to create some shade on the south and western sides of your property where the sun blazes. Canopies can also create a shady area on a sunny patio or garden, creating a lovely cool zone where you can seek some respite for an alfresco meal or a cold drink. Stringing up some colourful fabric for a makeshift canopy or using a large outdoor umbrella will also work. 

Another more extreme tactic to tackle the external heat is by whitewashing the exterior of your property. An age-old trick used by inhabitants of hot countries such as Greece, white reflects the light and helps keep things nice and cool inside. Simply painting your roof white will also reflect the sun's rays away from your home.

For those summer days when it is too hot to even sit outside, you can rely on cold water to bring down your body temperature fast. From a spare plastic storage container filled up from the tap to a child-friendly inflatable paddling pool, adding a spot to splash in is guaranteed to make the heat more bearable. Be eco-conscious and try to reuse the water for washing the car or watering plants in the evening.

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