As the temperature rises, so does your house’s temperature. At this time, you want to strike a balance between escaping the heat and avoiding breaking your budget on pricey energy expenses. You may take advantage of cost-effective and easy home cooling solutions in some cases. Sometimes, it might be necessary to make significant changes to your routine. The following tips will help you keep your home cool this summer without spending much money.

1. INVEST IN A MODERN HVAC SYSTEM

If your HVAC system is more than a few years old, it might be time for an upgrade. Technology has come a long way in recent years, and newer HVAC systems are much more efficient than older models. If you’re wondering how to keep upstairs cool in summer, a new HVAC system is a great place to start. This will save you money on cooling costs, but it will also reduce your environmental impact.

In addition to being more efficient, newer HVAC systems also come with various features that can help you keep your home cool. For example, some systems come with programmable thermostats that allow you to set different temperatures for different times of the day. This way, you can have your home cooler when you’re awake and active and warmer when you’re asleep or away at work.

2. INSTALL CEILING FANS

Ceiling fans are a great way to circulate air and keep your home cool. If you don’t have ceiling fans, now is the time to install them. If you have ceiling fans, make sure they are running in the correct direction. During the summer months, ceiling fans should be spinning counterclockwise. This creates a wind-chill effect that will make you feel cooler.

Ceiling fans can be a fast and easy solution when your home feels uncomfortable due to stagnant warm air. You may find that you can raise the temperature on your thermostat a few degrees when you have ceiling fans installed and running. The cost savings you will experience by raising your thermostat a few degrees is more than enough to offset the cost of installing ceiling fans.

3. USE WINDOW TREATMENTS

Window treatments are another effective way to keep your home cool during the summer months. If you own single-pane windows, they can cause you to lose a lot of heat and increase your cooling costs over time. Window treatments help to insulate your windows and keep the heat out. There are a variety of window treatment options available on the market. You can choose from blinds, shades, and curtains. Blackout curtains are a good option if you completely block out the sun’s rays. If you’re still going to let some light in, opt for lighter colors or materials.

4. USE PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONERS

Portable air conditioners are a great way to cool down individual rooms without having to cool your entire house. This can be a great option if you have a room that gets hotter than others or if you want to save money on your energy bill by cooling only the rooms you use the most. When choosing a portable air conditioner, select the correct size for the room you plan on using it in. If you choose a too-small unit, it won’t be effective. If you choose one that is too large, it will cool the room too quickly and shut off before it can remove all the moisture from the air.

5. COOK SMARTER

During the summer months, cooking can make your home feel hotter. Whenever possible, try to avoid using your oven. Instead, opt for stovetop cooking or grilling outside. This keeps your home cooler, but it can also prevent your house from smelling like whatever you’re cooking. If you need to use your oven, try to cook during the cooler hours of the day, like early morning or late at night.

Meanwhile, consider investing in a slow cooker. Slow cookers can be left unattended for hours, allowing you to prepare dinner before leaving for work. This way, your house will smell delicious when you arrive home from work, and it will be cool enough that you can enjoy the meal without feeling uncomfortably hot.

6. UTILIZE NATURAL COOLING METHODS

There are many ways to cool your home without using any electricity naturally. If you live in a climate that gets cold overnight, open up your windows and let the cool air from outside circulate throughout your house. And if it’s not too hot outside, consider sleeping with the windows open instead of turning on an electric fan or AC unit.

Another option is to use damp towels or sheets to cover your body as you sleep. This will help to keep you cooler while also providing a more comfortable sleep environment than simply opening the window would provide.

Planning is key to keeping your home cool during the summer months. By taking steps early to prepare for warmer weather, you can stay comfortable without breaking the bank this season. With these six tips in mind, you can rest easy knowing that your home is ready for whatever summer brings.

It doesn’t matter whether it is cold, or hot outside, whether you are experiencing a damp winter, or extremely humid summer, there are many factors that can contribute to moisture inside your home and the appearance of mold.

Unfortunately, mold can be seen in many places, like clothes, walls, books, toys, and surprisingly, even CDs. It can ruin various precious items that become useless and must be thrown into the garbage.

But does it only affect things, or is our health jeopardized as well? If you’re not too sure about it, yet you want to get the answer to this question, then stay tuned because we’re about to discuss this topic below.

IS MOLD A HEALTH HAZARD OR NOT?

WHAT IS MOLD REALLY?

It can be defined as a type of fungus and there are many types of it that can be found both outdoors and indoors. Generally speaking, it produces spores, which then spread by floating in the air. 

Additionally, mold spores can be seen in practically all indoor spaces, and sadly, there isn’t any way you can prevent them, since they can survive in conditions where mold cannot grow. Furthermore, mold spores love to inhabit places that are warm and moist, so as soon as they land on a damp spot, they start to grow.

On the other hand, mold can grow on various surfaces, such as paper, fabric, plastic, and glass, As it grows, it can potentially digest the material it inhabits 

MOLD AND VARIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS

There are several health issues that can be caused by mold. One of the most frequent questions when it comes to this is, can mold cause headaches and the answer to it is, unfortunately, yes. Headaches are actually quite common in people who have been exposed to toxic molds, like black mold or stachybotrys chartarum. 

Why does it cause headaches? The main reason this happens is due to the fact that mold spores can negatively affect the respiratory system and cause numerous issues with the immune system, which can aggravate the issues with the sinuses. 

And it is widely known how serious and painful headaches can be in people who are having problems with sinuses. In some severe cases, the pain can be so intense that people may feel like something or someone is trying to push their eyes out of their sockets.

ISSUES WITH BREATHING

As mold grows, cells, spores, unstable organic compounds, and fragments are in the air and once this occurs, they will start developing allergens, mycotoxins, and irritants. Some of these things can be extremely toxic, particularly to people who are too sensitive to them.

Additionally, dampness stimulates materials to shatter, increasing the amount of dust and particles in the air. All these particles can negatively affect the nose, throat, and lungs, especially in patients who are suffering from a chronic lung condition, asthma, or any other breathing issues. 

ADDING MORE INFORMATIVE DETAILS BELOW

ALLERGIES

An individual who is sensitive to any mold-related particles may experience allergies after mold exposure. Generally speaking, people who are having mold allergies, will most likely have similar symptoms to other more common types of allergies, like, seasonal allergy or hay fever. So what are the most common symptoms of mold allergy?

• Runny or blocked nose
• An itchy throat
• An itchy nose
• Watery eyes
• Frequent sneezing

It’s worth mentioning that people who are having asthma, or mold allergies are having higher chances of having an asthma attack whenever the mold is present.

OTHER HEALTH-RELATED CONDITIONS CAUSED BY MOLD

Mold can also encourage the production of bacteria and microbes. These bacteria can trigger an inflammatory response in anyone who has been exposed to them, according to the World Health Organization.

Furthermore, the World Health Organization has also stated that both the mold and the microbial agents it makes can increase the risk of fungal and bronchial infections. Potentially, it may cause:

1. Bronchitis 
2. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis 
3. Allergic alveolitis 
4. Allergic fungal sinusitis 
5. Chronic rhinosinusitis 
6. Lower respiratory tract issues in kids that were previously healthy 

Furthermore, World Health Organization, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have added that certain individuals have experienced these symptoms after being in a place where mold is present:

• Fever
• Fatigue 
• Eye and skin irritation
• Wheezing
• Nausea 
• Insomnia
• Headache 
• Sick-building syndrome
• Mucous membrane irritation

Unfortunately, based on the facts that were written here, it’s safe to say that exposure to mold can pose certain health risks. That’s precisely why, if you notice it, do everything you can to eliminate it.