Indian summer is a thing of legend. Spanning the globe, people from all parts of the world know one thing to be irrefutably true; India’s hot (among other things, of course!). The span of our country also allows us to have varying kinds of heat experienced in different parts. You can have a dry, scorching heat in landlocked areas such as New Delhi, or desert areas like Rajasthan, whereas you can have an incredibly humid and unforgiving heat all along the coastline.

Through the years as we battle the ever-increasing temperatures and even more sporadic Monsoon of recent times, we’ve learnt little tips and tricks to maintain a comfortable temperature at home to manage the summer months in Mumbai without increasing our A/C use, our electricity bills, or our carbon footprint!

1. Always Start With The Easiest First– a simple table fan, a metal bowl or sieve, and ice! Most of us have a pedestal fan or table fan somewhere in the house, so fill a metal bowl with ice, place it in front of your fan, turn it on and let the air in the room cool. Key tip- keep the blinds closed during this time- you don’t want the sun causing the ice to melt faster than it needs to! And, if you don’t have ice, you can also use other frozen items. Easy, quick, and cost effective.

2. Cross Ventilation– When looking at creating a breeze in your home, it’s important to consider the time. So, throw open your windows on two opposite sides of your home to allow a cooler air to circulate first thing in the morning between 6am to 8am and post sunset for 2 hours. A number of residential properties in Goregaon or even flats in Thane West have the added benefit of being close to large expanses of greenery, allowing for the air to be cooler anyway as their ratio of green cover to concrete is lower than other parts of the city. In fact, if you’re lucky enough to own a 1 or 2BHK flat in Dahisar with a direct view of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, you’re living the dream! So, take full advantage and let the air reset and refresh your home.

3. Au Naturel– Not that ‘au naturel’. We mean bring nature home. Using plants at home can be incredibly beneficial in shading the room from the harsh sunlight, along with enhancing the homeliness of your interiors. Plants always liven up a room. So go on and invest in some nice leafy pots to place on the east and west sides of your home to help keep the sun’s harsh rays at bay.

4. Drape it well– We recognise wanting to have an ornate curtain that speaks to our character, as yourself why heavier curtains were introduced into our society rather than being the norm. Because they are counter-productive, especially in the summer months. So instead of going for the heavier drapes, opt for something light and airy like a white or cream sheer curtain with a natural shade bamboo roll up blind. The combination filters the harsh light, allows the room to breathe, it’s affordable, and when you dress it up along with the plants we spoke of earlier, you’ve added sophisticated character to your home without thinking!

5. Unplug– It’s such a simple thing but so easily overlooked. Our electronics generate heat simply by being plugged in. They need not be on. So, a little tip we’ve come across is to make sure all your electronics that are not being used are unplugged entirely so that there isn’t that additional warmth permeating through your home.

6. Dehumidify– Humidity is the Mumbaikars greatest challenge in the summer. We live in a constant state of sweat because the sweat refuses to evaporate into the air that is already heavy with moisture! A fantastic investment for all homes is a dehumidifier, which can run for long periods of time to suck the moisture out of the air, leaving your home slightly cooler, less damp, and generally more comfortable to sit in. Some of them also let out cool air, making it an additional fan and that much more exciting as an investment for your home!

As a general rule today, most top developers in Mumbai offer finishes that assist in energy saving and subsequently help keep your home cooler than the alternatives- such as LED lights and tinted windows. As we step into a warmer, harsher climate due to Global Warming, it’s important to know the various tips and tricks to keeping your home comfortable, but it’s also worth looking at the developer who made your home, and the way they approach their projects, and subsequently their clients and environmental impact. We can only make a change for the betterment of our planet, if we all work together and that includes corporations who make an extra effort to go as green as possible- so keep an eye on your developer and have a cool summer!