3 brilliant fan tricks to help cool your room during the hot weather (2024)

We know how difficult it can be to get a restful night's sleep in hot weather, but there are a few tricks you can try with just your fan to help cool your bedroom before you go to bed, and it can be as simple as using a bucket of ice.

Here's how to cool down a room....

1. Create a crosswind

The experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute recommend creating a crosswind, which essentially gets the hot air out and the cool air in.

'First, keep your windows, doors and blinds shut during the day to avoid hot sun beating down into your house. Then, during the evening, open your windows and place one fan facing out of your window, so it pushes the heat out,' they advise. 'Use a second fan, placed inwards, to circulate cool air into the room.'

2. Use a bucket of ice

According to the GHI, placing a bucket of ice in front of a fan as a homemade AC unit is just as effective. 'As the air passes over the ice it will be chilled and will circulate refreshingly cold air around the room,' they explain.

3. Freeze bottles

There is one method that is particularly 'favoured' by the GHI's consumer director, so listen up. All you have to do is freeze an empty one litre plastic bottle, place it on a tray and cover with a damp cloth. Position this in front of the fan so the breeze is cooled from the iced bottle and your room will benefit from the cooler temperature. It couldn't be easier.

Sleeping during a heatwave

When it comes to getting some kip, bedrooms should ideally be around 16-18°C (60-65°F), explains Lisa Artis from The Sleep Charity, but if the outside temperature remains higher at night time, or your bedroom has retained the heat from the day, it can be difficult to keep cool.

If you find that your cooling fan isn't as effective as it should be, there are other tricks you can use that doesn't involve a fan at all in hot or humid weather. For example, switch to 100 per cent cotton bedsheets, avoid consuming too much caffeine, alcohol or a big meal before bedtime, or fill your hot water bottle with ice cold water (read more useful tips for sleeping during hot weather here).

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