Farida Abdel Malek 
In extreme heat and hot weather, it's unbearable to be able to relax, chill and cool down. You want to save electricity use and your summer house might not even have AC, so how can you survive the summer heat? The Art of Manliness inspired us with some of the below tips on how to keep your house cool without the AC. We bet that you have never heard of at least a few of these.
1. Keep your blinds and blackout curtains closed during the day and intense sunshine.
2. Keep windows open at night to let the house cool down during your sleep time, so you wake up to a cooler home.
3. Don't keep your windows open while the AC is running because it emits a lot of heat.
4. Finish your laundry and dish washing in big batches because the machines also produce heat.
5. Try to minimize your oven use and if you have the option and space, preferably cook or barbecue outdoors.
6. Put interior plants that help keep the environment cool. Some of these are: Aloe Vera, Areca Palm Tree, Ficus, Fern and the Snake plant. They lose water during transpiration so it keeps the surrounding air fresh and toxin free.
7. Invest in windows and doors of really high quality to keep the intense heat out.
8. Keep your house an open space, minimize the furniture and carpets and try to keep most room doors open.
9. Try to shade the area surrounding your house and windows. Like using trees, balcony awnings or shutters.
10. Try to use more natural light and switch your warm light bulbs to cooler toned ones.
Main Image Credit: Amardeep S.
