Most of us love the summer, but with temperatures pushing 30 degrees and the weather seemingly getting hotter for longer each year, we can quickly begin to wilt. This blog provides nine tips on how to beat the heat in your Victorian home.

1. Close the curtains

When the mercury starts climbing, your first impulse may be to fling open the curtains to let the sunshine in, but that will, in effect, turn your home into a greenhouse and intensify the heat. Keep your curtains or blinds closed during the day.

2. Create an icy breeze

To make your room fan more effective, place a bowl of icy water in front of it. Rather than simply circulating the warm air already in the room, as the ice evaporates, it will make the air feel much cooler with a refreshing icy breeze.

3. Use a cold hot water bottle

Fill a hot water bottle with cold water and then freeze it so you can cling to it when the heat is really on.

4. Invest in cotton sheets to beat the heat

Treat yourself to some Egyptian cotton sheets with the finest breathable thread you can afford. Lightly coloured cotton sheets are far cooler than the showy silk and satin ones that will have you sweating through the night.

5. Enjoy some salad days

Domestic ovens generate a huge amount of extra heat so ditch the roast dinner for a salad and perhaps dine in a shaded spot outside to beat the heat. The dishwasher, washing machine and tumble drier are other kitchen appliances that will generate extra heat so use them sparingly during a hot spell. 

6. Turn the lights off

Light bulbs also generate heat so avoid turning them on. It stays light until almost 10pm so you don’t really need them until it gets late anyway.

7. Turn off the tech too

Like light bulbs, your electrical appliances radiate heat. Unplug your devices and don’t be tempted to charge them overnight unless you really need to.

8. Take a cool shower

Turn the thermostat down when you take a shower to beat the heat. The steam from a hot shower causes humidity which will add to your discomfort.

9. Sleep downstairs to beat the heat

We all know hot air rises so it will be a lot cooler if you have the space to sleep downstairs. If you can’t sleep downstairs – perhaps you live in a flat or you simply don’t have the space – you could make your bed on the floor, which will be cooler than sleeping higher up. 

Some cool summer reading

If the steamy nights have made it uncomfortable for you in bed at night, read our blog to find out how to improve your sleep the Victorian way.

If the prospect of a scorching summer has you dreaming of a family holiday by the coast, read our blog to find out about a Victorian seaside holiday – just like Jane Austen’s Sanditon.

Strangely, the very elements of your Victorian home, such as thick stone walls, draughty windows and high ceilings, make it warm in the summer but cold in the winter. With that in mind, it’s never too early to think about heating hacks to keep your Victorian house warm in the winter.

Finding the right insurance is a breeze with Adrian Flux

It’s difficult enough to sleep at night when the heat is on, so the last thing you want to be worrying about is your home insurance. Get a fast and friendly quote for specialist Victorian home insurance from the experts at Adrian Flux. Call 0800 369 8590 for a swift no-hassle quote –  81.5% of all customers receiving an online quote in August 2022 could have obtained a cheaper quote over the phone. Alternatively, book a callback at a time that suits you.