When the house is warmer than outside in summer
Short answer: A house that has stood in sun all day is warmer than the air outside by evening. Air it out early in the morning and keep curtains closed during the day.
The house stores the heat
Brick and concrete walls give off heat well into the evening, because they absorb sun warmth through the day and release it slowly again. That is why the bedroom is often warmest around ten, long after the sun itself has set. See bamboo bedding.
Air out when it is coldest
Open windows between four and seven in the morning, when outside air is coldest across the whole day. At that time you can swap warm indoor air for cold outdoor air, without letting the day's heat back in afterward.
Curtains keep the sun out
Keep curtains and blinds closed during the hours the sun hits the windows directly. Light coming through glass warms a room far more than most people expect, even through a closed window on a hot day.
Thin clothing indoors
Indoors in heat, thin and loose clothing is the only thing that works, because it lets air move along the skin instead of trapping warmth against it. See bamboo clothing for women.
Switch bedding to summer weight
Thin bedding and a summer duvet are the single biggest change in a hot bedroom, because a thick duvet holds body heat all night regardless of how warm the room already is.
A fan moves air, it does not cool it
A fan does not make air colder, it moves it, so sweat can evaporate from the skin. This works best when the skin is slightly damp and the room air is not already very warm.
The kitchen holds heat the longest
Cooking adds extra heat to the house in the middle of a hot day. Choose light meals that do not need long oven time, and air out the kitchen afterward so the heat does not spread further into the rest of the house.
The evening air change
Late in the evening, once the outdoor temperature is finally below the indoor one, windows can be opened again. Cross ventilation between two rooms on opposite sides of the house moves air much faster than a single open window.
The night gets easier with proper loungewear
Loose loungewear in the evening prepares the body better for a hot night than tight clothing does. See home and homewear in bamboo and bamboo sleepwear.
Frequently asked questions
When should you air out the house in summer?
Between four and seven in the morning. That is when outdoor air is coldest, so airing out at that time achieves the most for the least effort.
Why is the bedroom warmest in the evening?
Because walls and ceiling release the heat they absorbed during the day. That release continues for a long time after the sun has set.
What helps most in a hot bedroom?
Thin bedding, a summer duvet and airing out early in the morning. Together they keep the room several degrees cooler through the night than without them.
You can find the full range at Bamboo-Clothing.com.
