I don't think any of us were expecting temperatures to exceed 30°C in May, and for me, it felt like a bit of a scramble to get my home heatwave ready.
While I aspire to be one of those people who has a consistently cool home in summer, I do have a way to go, and so I'm taking stock of how my home faired in this first proper hot spell of the year. After all, if past summers are anything to go by, these record temperatures are going to be more commonplace, and as someone who isn't that heat tolerant, works from home and has a pet, keeping as cool as possible is a non-negotiable.
This is what I've learned and what prep I'm doing now for when it gets hot again.
1. It's worth having different types of fans
Investing in one of the best fans is essential for surviving a heatwave in some sort of comfort, but lugging one fan around the house with you is no fun when it's hot. Plus the type of fan you need might vary depending on where you want to use it.
So I've decided I need multiple fans. I like a really quiet pedestal fan in the bedroom and living room, a desktop fan for when I'm working, plus a handheld portable fan that can go with me whenever I am out of reach of the others.
I've been loving this super-quiet Duux fan in my bedroom. Not only does it look stylish with its solid grey colourway, but the natural breeze mode is absolutely lovely as I drop off to sleep.
A desktop fan is a must-have while I'm working from home in a heatwave. This Morphy Richards one keeps me cool and in the lower settings is gentle enough to not dry out my eyes when it's blowing near my face.
This brilliant and portable little fan has helped me through the heatwave, going with me where my other fans can't. I love all three attachments that each offer their own cooling experience.
2. Somewhere cool to sleep is a non-negotiable
For some inexplicable reason, my bedroom is hands-down the hottest room in the house and it's very difficult to keep it cool no matter what I do. And that's a big problem when it comes to sleep.
After spending a couple of nights sleeping on the sofa (and now physically paying the price), I've decided that I need an comfortable option for sleeping downstairs when it's roasting hot.
My ideal would be upgrading to a sofa bed, but if my budget won't stretch that far,
Investing in a sofa bed to sit downstairs is not only great for when guests come, but it's also right there ready when you need to sleep downstairs because it's too hot in your bedroom.
I'm also considering a floor cushion like this when I need to sleep downstairs. I love that when not in use it can be disguised as a foot stool.
I'm also partial to the idea of an air bed that can be completely packed away when I don't need it.
3. I need more cooling solutions in my garden
While I'm careful to only walk my dog early in the morning when it's coolest, she does need to go out into the garden throughout the day. And my garden is a roasty little sun-trap, which is nice on mild days, but absolutely unbearable in a heatwave.
And so I need to create more options for shade and doggy cooling before we get the next hot spell.
I definitely need a parasol that's easy to move around the garden so I can tailor the shade where I need it. I love the striped design and fringing on this one so it's both functional and adds some personality to my garden.
On a really hot day, my dog would love this splash pad (and I'd definitely dip my toes in to cool down too). Better still, it folds down to almost nothing so it'd be really easy to store.
I've definitely got my eye on this pergola to sit on the patio outside my kitchen window. Not only will it give me some much needed outdoor shade, but it'll help prevent the sun from baking my kitchen too.
4. A misting fan is a good halfway house between a fan and portable AC
When it gets really hot, it can feel that fans are just blowing warm air around the room. But if you don't want to go down the portable air conditioner route, then a misting fan is a good mid point.
I just tried by first misting fan, and was really impressed by how cooling it was. I didn't end up drenched either. You've got to be in the path of the airflow to feel the benefit, unlike a portable AC that will effectively cool the entire room.
For something portable that I can use indoor and out, this Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting fan comes highly recommended from a friend of mine.
5. I shouldn't wait for a heatwave to buy a portable air conditioner
Every single time there is a heatwave, the best portable air conditioners sell out. We've been covering portable air conditioners for years at Ideal Home and we've seen it happen time and time again.
When I realised that my bedroom has reached 29°C, despite having the window and curtains closed, I was ready to treat a portable air conditioner as an impulse purchase and finally buy the one I'd had my eye on for a while. But alas, so had every other boiling hot person in the country it seemed, and my top picks were quickly selling out.
But now I have learned my lesson, I will definitely not wait until the heatwave hits to buy a portable air con unit, I'm keeping an eye on stock levels and as soon as my favourite is back in stock, I'm buying it.
At the time of writing, this portable AC is in stock at Amazon, and can connect to your phone so you can control it from wherever you are.
Budget friendly and in stock? Sign me up! This portable AC is ideal for those who don't want to spend a fortune on a cooling solution for a small room.
An air conditioner, fan and dehumidifier in a single unit, this Bosch model is well reviewed, energy efficient and relatively quiet to run.
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