Latest news with #JadeOliver
The Sun
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
The simple ‘cross' rule you must follow to keep your home cool in the heatwave – and it costs nothing
WITH temperatures hitting 34C in parts of the UK, keeping your home cool and comfortable can be a real challenge. But Jade Oliver, Home Stylist at Express Bi-Folding Doors, has revealed that making a few simple changes around your home can make all the difference. 2 2 The secret, she says, lies in mastering smart ventilation - and her 'cross' hack won't cost you a penny. 'The simplest and most cost-effective way to cool your home is by creating a cross-breeze,' says Jade. 'Open windows or doors at opposite ends of your home to encourage airflow, it acts like a natural wind tunnel that pushes warm air out and pulls cooler air in. "It's a technique we regularly use in our showrooms when temperatures rise, and it can instantly reduce the indoor heat.' This zero-cost method, often overlooking in favour of fans or air con, is one of the most sustainable ways to ventilate a property - especially in modern homes that benefit from wide windows and sliding doors. Jade adds: 'Even if you don't have large doors, this trick works in any home with two accessible points for air to move through. "To boost the effect, open upper windows upstairs to let hot air escape, as heat naturally rises.' Alongside this clever ventilation method, Jade shares more expert advice to help households beat the heat this summer, with all the tips focused on low-effort, low-cost changes that can make a big difference. Here are her seven budget-friendly ways to keep your home cool this summer... Create cross breeze Open windows or doors on opposite sides of your home to flush hot air out and bring cool air in. Six items every UK driver should remove from cars this weekend In multi-storey homes, open upstairs windows to allow heat to escape from the top. Time your airflow right Ventilate during the coolest parts of the day typically early morning and late evening. Avoid leaving windows open in the middle of the day when the air outside is hotter than inside. Otherwise you risk letting in warm air and making your home even hotter. Keep your curtains, blinds closed Curtains and blinds should be kept closed during the day, but once the heat starts to drop they can be opened again. Invest in a thermal or blackout curtain to keep rooms significantly cooler. Create a DIY 'cool room' Focus on keeping just one room as your designated cool space ideally one that's naturally shaded. Set up fans, keep blinds drawn, and move there during the hottest parts of the day to avoid overheating the entire house. Switch up your bedding and decor Swap heavy duvets and throws for lightweight cotton or linen versions. Natural fabrics are more breathable and help regulate body temperature better than synthetics. Opt for lighter-coloured bedding and cushions too, as they reflect rather than absorb the heat. Switch off unused tech Electronics like TVs, laptops, and chargers all generate heat, even when not in use. Turn off unused devices at the plug and try to limit oven and stove use during the hottest times of the day to avoid heating up your home unnecessarily. Add houseplants Indoor plants not only brighten up your home but can help cool it down. Plants like peace lilies and ferns release moisture into the air, which can create a refreshing effect indoors.
Tom's Guide
25-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Tom's Guide
Experts recommend the 'DIY cool room' technique to protect your home in a heatwave — here's how to do it
When temperatures soar, your home becomes a safe space to escape the heat. But keeping cool can result in costly bills, and that's if you have the option of AC. Fortunately, experts have recommended a simple way of keeping your cool without sending your energy bills skyrocketing in a heatwave, and I'm going to try it immediately. Jade Oliver, stylist at Express Bi-Folding Doors, suggests making a "DIY cool room" when a heatwave hits. The principle is simple: you don't have to cool down your entire home, just one room which can act as a safe space for you and your family when the heat gets a bit much. Here's how it works. "Focus on keeping just one room as your designated cool space," says Oliver, "ideally one that's naturally shaded." My editor will be pleased to hear that in my home, this is my office. It sits underneath my upstairs neighbor's balcony, meaning it doesn't receive much direct sunlight. Once you've chosen your cool room, you can focus all your energy and hacks into that one space, essentially leaving the rest of your home to absorb the warmth as opposed to cooling a space you're not even using. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. "Focus on keeping just one room as your designated cool space" I don't have AC, so I need to get creative with how I keep my home cool. That means I turn to anything from the caveman method to the wind tunnel method to bring some cool to my home. According to Oliver, you should "set up fans, keep blinds drawn, and move there during the hottest parts of the day to avoid overheating the entire house." Once the hottest parts of the day are over, you can then turn your attention to bringing down the temperature in other parts of your home naturally, without sending energy bills soaring. This fan is the perfect companion for hot weather. It's portable, rechargeable, can be used indoors or outdoor and comes with a detachable misting tank that'll cool you down even further. In our Shark FlexBreeze review, we said: "It cools you off like a cucumber in a lux grocery store". And with a $50 saving, it's an excellent deal for such a premium product. My living room has huge glass doors that open to the garden, and it picks up a lot of heat in the summer, even with the blinds closed. So as part of following the "DIY cool room" technique, I'll make this space out of bounds until the worst of the heat is behind us. But I still want to sit there in the evenings. So to bring temperature back down without cranking up the AC, you can turn to natural cooling techniques. "Ventilate during the coolest parts of the day, typically early morning and late evening" says Oliver. "Avoid leaving windows open in the middle of the day when the air outside is hotter than inside. Otherwis,e you risk letting in warm air and making your home even hotter."
Tom's Guide
05-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Tom's Guide
Experts recommend the ‘wind tunnel method' to keep your house cool in a heatwave — and it won't cost you a dime
We all look forward to the warmer weather and spending more time outdoors soaking up the sun's rays, but when the heat continues to escalate we are often unprepared. Our homes can quickly become heat traps, and rather than offering a cool escape, they can feel even hotter than outside. Having a good night's sleep is out of the question, and even one of the best cooling fans will have its work cut out to compete with the heat. Not only that, following a disturbed night, we find it even harder to cope with a heatwave during the day. While I'm all for wearing loose, cotton clothing and staying hydrated by drinking iced coffee on repeat, intense heat calls for a few more drastic measures to cool down our homes. Rather than battening down the hatches to stop the heat seeping in, and employing the caveman method, I'm ready to throw my windows and doors open wide. But, why do experts believe the "wind tunnel method" is the best method to keep your home cool in a heatwave? I turned to Jade Oliver, showroom stylist at Express Bi-Folding Doors, to discover the secret that lies behind cooling down your home in a heatwave. And the best bit? It won't cost you a dime. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. 'The simplest and most cost-effective way to cool your home is by creating a cross-breeze,' says Oliver. 'Open windows or doors at opposite ends of your home to encourage airflow — it acts like a natural wind tunnel that pushes warm air out and pulls cooler air in.' "It acts like a natural wind tunnel that pushes warm air out and pulls cooler air in." She adds, ' It's a technique we regularly use in our showrooms when temperatures rise, and it can instantly reduce the indoor heat.' This zero-cost method, often overlooked in favor of fans or air conditioning, is one of the most sustainable ways to ventilate a property. Plus, it works especially well in modern homes that benefit from wide windows and sliding doors. Although it can still work well in all homes. I live in an older property with sash windows, and they can be easily opened to create a large airway. However, if you don't have large windows you can still create the same effect. Oliver says, 'This trick works in any home with two accessible points for air to move through. To boost the effect, open upper windows upstairs to let hot air escape, as heat naturally rises.' Shark's FlexBreeze Pro Mist is Shark's smartest cooling fan yet. It offers immense versatility, with a portable design (complete with carry handle and even a bag) and can also be converted to a freestanding fan. It's also rechargeable, and features a removable misting attachment for next-level cooling. A cross breeze is effectively cross ventilation. It works by wind entering through one access point, such as a door or window, and exiting through an opening on the opposite side. The method creates a current of air across the interior of your home which allows for passive cooling. The cooling method is powered by wind, so no energy is required. Apart from cooling down your home, it's a common method to reduce pollutants. Apart from the "wind tunnel method", there may be times when you don't want your doors and windows open wide to create a cross breeze. When this is the case, Oliver suggests the following methods to cool your home. Oliver advises that it's best to ventilate your home during the coolest parts of the day — typically early morning and late evening. And she says, 'Avoid leaving windows open in the middle of the day when the air outside is hotter than inside, otherwise you risk letting in warm air and making your home even hotter.' Start by keeping your curtains and blinds closed during the day, then once the heat starts to drop they can be opened again. Oliver also recommends investing in a thermal or blackout curtain to keep rooms significantly cooler. 'Focus on keeping just one room as your designated cool space, ideally one that's naturally shaded,' says Oliver. And she suggests, 'Set up fans, keep blinds drawn, and move there during the hottest parts of the day to avoid overheating the entire house.' Don't forget to swap heavy duvets and throws for lightweight cotton or linen versions. 'Natural fabrics are more breathable and help regulate body temperature better than synthetics,' says Oliver. It's also worth opting for light-colored bedding, as they reflect rather than absorb the heat. And while you're thinking about staying cool at night, consider switching your mattress for one of the best cooling mattresses, as we can all benefit from a good night's sleep. Electronics like TVs, laptops, and chargers all generate heat, even when not in use. And being mom of two boys who enjoy gaming, I know just how much heat these appliances kick out!Apart from turning off unused devices, Oliver also recommends limiting oven time during the hottest part of the day. As an alternative, I'd recommend one of the best air fryers, which will allow you to enjoy hot meals without heating up your home. The Ninja Air Fryer Pro 4-in-1 is awarded the top spot in our Air Fryer Buying Guide, and right now you can save $40 at Amazon. We think that's a pretty good deal on an exceptional product that has a 5-qt basket and a lot of capability.
