Phew, it’s hot! Tips for cooling your home

The sun is wonderful, but during a heatwave, it can quickly become a nuisance. We’ve put together tips for cooling your rental home in the summer.

Mechanical cooling systems are quite rare in Finnish homes. Most SATOs rental apartments rely on either natural or mechanical ventilation, which might not always be enough during these heatwaves. However, we have a few tips to make your home feel cooler.

Curtains and blinds, also for the balcony

Keep blinds and curtains tightly closed throughout a hot day. If you're about to buy new curtains, opt for light colours. However, good blackout curtains, even if dark, give good protection against the heat. If your home has a lovely glazed balcony, get blinds for it too – a cool balcony in summer heat is a pleasure for both you and your pets.

Fans and ventilation

The best time to ventilate your home is at night or early in the morning. If your apartment allows for cross-ventilation, it will create a pleasant cool feeling, even if it doesn’t actually cool down the home.

Especially after a cool night and on a windy morning, ventilate your home promptly.

If you have a fan, place it in front of an open window at night or early in the morning. You can also place it near the door to push hot air out of the room. Don’t direct the fan straight at your face while you sleep – or you might wake up with a very dry throat in the morning.

You can enhance the effectiveness of the fan by freezing a 1.5-litre water bottle. In the evening, place the frozen bottle on a towel near the fan’s air intake. Ensure the towel or bottle doesn’t touch the fan’s electrical cord, and let the fan run.

It’s too hot in my SATOhome – what to do?

If your SATOhome is unbearably hot and nothing seems to help, send a message to our customer service via OmaSATO. The maintenance company and our House Experts can check if there is a solution to the problem. However, if your home doesn’t have mechanical cooling, options might be limited.

It’s especially important to contact us if the temperature in your SATOhome repeatedly exceeds 32 degrees.

Balancing humidity

Humidity levels matter. The more humid the air in your rental home, the more uncomfortable it feels during a heatwave. Avoid long warm showers and baths, as well as using the apartment sauna, and keep the bathroom door closed. Keeping the bathroom door closed at other times, too, reduces the home's humidity load.

While the myth that houseplants purify the air has been debunked (you would need at least ten plants per square metre to purify the air better than normal ventilation), plants do help balance humidity. Plants that absorb moisture include ivy, bamboo, calatheas, tillandsias, and orchids. If you’re not very allergic, a fern is also a good companion during a heatwave.

Cooling materials in linens and clothing

You can fight the heat with textiles. Linen, cotton, and cotton percale are natural materials that cool and maintain a consistent temperature. It’s advisable to use natural materials for bedding, such as duvets and sheets.

For instance, cotton percale is densely woven and firm, so it doesn’t cling to the skin. Linen, on the other hand, breathes, absorbs moisture, and transfers heat away, making it an excellent choice for those who tend to sweat while sleeping.

Slide into a cool bed at night – put the sheet and pillowcase in the freezer for a moment just before bedtime.

On a hot day, avoid wearing clothes made from synthetic fibres. Polyester, polyamide, and acrylic do not breathe like natural fibres, making them sweaty to wear. Viscose, on the other hand, can feel wonderfully cool, especially in a light breeze, as a dress or blouse material.

Consider your pets

Summer heatwaves often bother dogs, who will appreciate a bed strategically placed in a shady corner or a cooling mat from a pet store. While cats can stretch out in the sun for hours, you should still be cautious with them. Keep your pet’s water bowl always full and change the water to fresh regularly. A water fountain is also an excellent solution.

Monitor the wellbeing of rodents and keep water bottles clean and full. Fish enthusiasts should ensure that the aquarium water doesn’t get too warm. Changing all the water to cool isn’t advisable, as fish don’t like rapid temperature changes, but fans can help keep the water slightly cooler than room temperature.

You can also help dogs, cats, and rodents by using a cool towel: wet the towel with cold water, wring out the excess, and place it on your furry friend’s back or neck.

Water is the best cooler

You can cool your body with water: wet a small terry towel with warm water and wipe your skin with it, or simply wet the inside of your wrists with ice-cold water or an ice pack.

Classic tip: turn off electrical appliances

Many electrical appliances are fortunately more energy-efficient these days and don’t emit as much heat as they used to. However, turn off computers and televisions on hot days, when you’re not using them. If you feel like baking, choose treats that are quick to bake, as the oven will heat up your home as well as your baked goods.