5 decor swaps to keep your home cooler this summer

If the summer temperatures and humidity are messing with your sleep, you’re not alone. Here are four tips to chill out and sleep well, even on the hottest nights of summer.

As the temperature outside rises, the annual quest for a cooler home begins — but without spending a fortune on our utility bills.

Try incorporating these home-cooling design moves. By swapping out heavy textiles for airy fabrics and setting up effective cross-ventilation, you can create a cooler house without touching the thermostat. Here's how to design your way to a chill, summer-ready house.

If your home is full of cozy wool rugs or fluffy shag rugs, give them the summer off. Roll them up and store them safely, making sure they are protected from bugs and out of direct sunlight so they won't fade.

Then, embrace a bare hardwood or stone floor, which is cooler underfoot. For those spots that need a rug, such as beside the bed or under the kitchen sink, swap in a flatwoven rug in a natural fiber.

Gauzy, lightweight curtains might create a summery vibe in a room, but because they let lots of sunlight filter through and won't help cool the space. To lower your energy bill, invest in shades that have a white plastic lining on the outside of the window as this reflects back as much light as possible.

For those who don't have central air conditioning, cross ventilation is your best friend on hot days and will help keep the fresh air circulating.

To start, open two windows (or a window and a door) that are located across the room or even across the house or apartment, depending on the size of your space. Set up a fan next to one window, so it will help propel the fresh incoming air throughout your home. The more powerful the fan, the better the airflow. For extra cooling power, try this trick: Place a bowl of ice in front of the fan to quickly chill the air. If you have a second fan, position it facing out toward the second window, so it will pull the air inside your home back outside.

Pro tip: If you’re working from home this summer, arrange your desk near the path of the airflow, so you’ll get a refreshing breeze all day long.

Design your way to a chill, summer-ready house.

If you typically have your bed and living room sofa piled with an abundance of snuggly blankets and throw pillows, it's time to streamline.

Now is a great time to wash any removable throw pillow covers and store most of them away for the season. If you decide to leave a pillow or two out, swap the heavy velvet covers for lightweight linen or cotton ones.

Instead of keeping cozy blankets strewn across the bed or sofa, store them nearby in a handwoven floor basket, just in case the A/C gets a little chilly at night.

Fact: No matter how hot your home may get during the day, it somehow manages to feel warmer the second your head hits the pillow. To avoid summertime night sweats, building a cooler bed is a must.

Start by investing in ultra-breathable bed sheets. Even if you’re not a fan of a top sheet during the fall or winter months, it may be the perfect replacement for a duvet or comforter this summer.

And don't forget a cooling pillow. So long, night sweats!

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Unless you have messy little ones who use your pristine, white kitchen chair covers as target practice for their SpaghettiOs, you don't need to be washing your slipcovers every week. It's best to spot-clean them first, and if the stain is bad, you can always throw them into the washer on a rinse-only cycle. Be sure to always check your slipcover tags for specific care instructions.

You can get by with washing your slipcovers — yes, even the couch and pillow covers — about once or twice a year, according to Reviewed.com. Washing them too frequently could result in premature wear on the fabric.

While you may think that your carpets are due for a deep-clean every few months, Bissell recommends that you clean your carpets at least twice a year. If you have an especially high-traffic carpeted area in your home, or pets and children, you may want to deep-clean every quarter of the year.

Upholstered furniture can also be cleaned on a similar schedule to carpets. Factors like pets and children may increase the frequency at which you need to deep-clean your upholstered furniture. If you’re uncomfortable deep-cleaning your furniture yourself, you can always schedule services for your carpets and furniture around the same time frame.

Although dusting your fans every week with the rest of your cleaning routine is a great way to prevent excess buildup, you don't need to deep-clean your ceiling fan at the same rate. You can clean your ceiling fan with a soapy cloth once a month, Beth McGee, a cleaning expert and author, tells The Washington Post.

Especially in warmer months, when your fan is used more frequently, a weekly dusting is a good way to prevent built-up dust when it comes time for that monthly deep-clean, according to Home Depot.

Home Depot also suggests that box fans should be deep-cleaned at least twice a year, even if they receive regular dusting.

Who knew there was such a thing as cleaning too much?

It goes without saying that any clothes directly against your body — socks and underwear — should be washed after each use. Clothes that see a lot of sweat or dirt should also be washed after each use.

Your other clothes, like blouses, jeans and sweaters, can last a few more wears before needing to be washed, according to Whirlpool. This will help prolong the life of your clothes and maybe even cut down your water bill a bit.

If you pre-rinse your dishes, your dishwasher won't sense the food enzymes that may still be on your dishes, which results in a shorter cleaning cycle and a less-thorough clean on your dishes.

Not to mention that pre-rinsing dishes uses lots of water. This tip may be the best of them all. If we’re being honest with ourselves, no one really likes doing the dishes anyway.

(Southern Living is the ultimate insiders’ guide to Southern culture, recipes, travel and events. Packed with recipes, decorating tips, entertaining ideas, and travel guides, Southern Living delivers the best of the South right to you. Online at www.southernliving.com.)

(For more information, contact Kathryn Weber through her website, www.redlotusletter.com.)

(Real Simple magazine provides smart, realistic solutions to everyday challenges. Online at www.realsimple.com.)

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If the summer temperatures and humidity are messing with your sleep, you’re not alone. Here are four tips to chill out and sleep well, even on…