We'll be needing each and every one of these tips today.
With temperatures set to break the highest on record in the UK in Leeds today, reaching 39 degrees and a scorching 41 across Yorkshire, if there was ever a time to be preparing your home to stay cool, this would be it.
Those who have spent time abroad where temperatures like this are more frequent are experts in keeping their homes as cool as possible, so overseas property experts from YourOverseasHome.com have compiled a list of ten ways that we can keep ourselves and our homes from melting in the heat.
Keep reading to find out what they recommend you change in your home to keep cool over the coming days.
It might seem counterintuitive, but if the air outside is hotter than the air in your home, keeping your windows closed could help your home stay a little cooler.
Keep curtains and blinds closed
Much of the sunlight that enters your home through the windows turns into heat, so it’s a good idea to keep your curtains and blinds closed, at least during the hottest times of the day. You may even want to opt for blackout curtains to keep windows covered and block the sunlight out completely.
Manage the humidity
While dehumidifiers won’t necessarily reduce room temperature, they can help control the sticky, thick air that makes hot days even more uncomfortable. Humidity decreases the rate at which our sweat evaporates, making us feel much hotter and sweatier, so investing in a dehumidifier can make your home a bit more comfortable during the hottest and most humid days.
Use large appliances at night
Large appliances can give off significant amounts of heat, so try not to use them on the hottest days if possible. Instead, pop washing machines and dishwashers on overnight instead. This will also help save some money on electricity bills - it’s a win-win scenario!
If you spend most of your time in one room, consider closing the doors to the rooms you don’t use as often - like bedrooms and bathrooms. Closing off parts of the house can help keep the cooler air concentrated in a single area, and means the room you’re using the most will cool down faster - and stay cool.
Swap out incandescent lights
Incandescent light bulbs waste a huge amount of their energy in the heat they emit, so if you’re trying to cool a room down without AC, small shifts like switching to compact fluorescent lamps can have a surprisingly significant impact, while also lowering your energy bill.
Consider fan placement
Fans only keep air moving around, rather than actually cooling the air itself, so make sure you’re setting them up in the best locations. It’s best to place them next to open windows at night or in hallways so that they draw in cooler air to the warmer areas.
Image: Unsplash
Opt for cotton sheets
Textiles like flannel sheets and fleece blankets are fantastic for insulation, but cotton is a far smarter choice at this time of year as it ‘breathes’ easier and stays cooler. If you really want to up the ante, pop your sheets in a carrier bag in the fridge an hour or two before you go to bed, so that they’re nice and cool for you to sleep on.
Keep your extractor fans running
Turning on the extractor fans in your bathroom and kitchen can help pull the hot air that rises after you cook or take a steamy shower out of your home.
Unplug any electrical appliances that you’re not using
Plugged in electronics generate heat even when they’re off or not in use, which can make an already hot home even hotter. Unplug things like toasters, kettles, TVs and device chargers when you’re not using them.
In gutting news for the Owls, the already struggling Sheffield Wednesday FC have been informed that they could very well be starting next season with an immediate points deduction.
From bad to worse, it seems, at the moment.
Wednesdayites have been through it all over the past few years, with unpaid debts and salaries resulting in administration, sparking protests; now relegation to the third tier and the threat of complete collapse.
And as if things weren't hard enough already, Sheffield Wednesday have now been told that they will automatically be deducted 15 points from the beginning of the 2026/67 League One campaign if creditors aren't paid in full - starting with outgoing and controversial owner, Dejphon Chansiri...
BREAKING: Sheffield Wednesday look set to start life in League One next season with a 15-point deduction, because none of the bidders currently trying to buy the club is prepared to pay £15m to the outgoing owner, Dejphon Chansiri. pic.twitter.com/UoAgIMsB4p
Chansiri has loaned over £60 million to the organisation during more than 11 years in charge, but because this money was never converted into share capital, he is the entity that the club owes the biggest amount to.
Addressing supporters in a statement back in September 2023, the 57-year-old member of the millionaire family that controls the Thai Union Group, wrote: "I will not inject any more money into the club if I am being treated unfairly.
"Those fans who create trouble [for] the club and me, and believe that they are the real owner of the club, need to be responsible for the financial matters of the club from now on."
It's fair to say that relations with the fans have far from improved since then, and they've been left even more furious following this most recent development.
At present, Chansiri must be paid at least £15m (effectively almost half of the entire organisation's total purchase price at current valuation), but none of the interested bidders has ultimately been willing to do so thus far.
However, the Arise Capital Partners LLC consortium - led by David Storch and son Michael, as well as Tom Costin - has been identified as the 'preferred' party to complete a buyout.
Newcastle United Mike Ashley was also said to be in the running to take over the club, but ultimately was unprepared to settle this fee with Chansiri, and there remain doubts over whether or not Storch is willing to either.
As for the loyal Hillsborough matchgoers, they have accused the EFL of punishing them and the club rather than the ownership and wider executive board, who have overseen this turbulent period for the historic local institution.
One person wrote underneath the post in social media: "So a club gets penalised because their owner is a piece of shit, but Man City and others just get away with it, makes sense"; many others have simply added that the pending treatment is "unfair" and targets the wrong people. What do you make of it all?
Elsewhere in the Steel City, fresh hope and a new chapter are coming to the world's oldest football club as native musician Jon McClure has been confirmed as the new chairman. Find out more down below.
Featured Images — Kenneth Yarham (via Geograph)/Kivo (via Wikimedia Commons)
Trending
People from Yorkshire wanted to take part in next series of BBC’s popular Gladiators reboot
Emily Sergeant
The BBC is back casting for the next series of Gladiators, and producers are looking for people from Yorkshire to take part.
The gladiators are ready for a new series… but are the contenders?
That’s right – arguably the most exciting and energetic sports entertainment game show of all time is coming back for another series following its long-awaited reboot back in 2025, and that means that the BBC is looking for some brave new contestants to take part.
Yorkshire residents are among those producers are calling on to consider sticking an application in.
Unfamiliar with the premise of Gladiators? The massively-popular series – which is based on an American show of the same name – sees four contestants compete in a number of physical challenges against the ‘Gladiators’, all with the aim of securing as many points as possible for the final event, which is known as ‘The Eliminator’.
Image: BBC
Contestants battle against each other to win a place in the grand final, and ultimately be crowned the champion for the series.
Putting out a UK-wide casting call on the BBC website this week, producers Hungry Bear Media wrote: “Gladiators, one of the most exciting and energetic sports entertainment game shows ever is back for a fourth series.
“We are on the look out for the bravest members of the British public who have the speed and skill to take on our superhuman Gladiators.”
Reckon that’s you then?
With filming set to start soon, applications are now open for the new series of Gladiators, and all you need to do to be in with a chance of being selected as a contestant is being over 18 years old, and fill out an application form.
You can apply on the BBC website here, before applications close on 31 May 2026.
Sophie Smith -
19th July 2022 
