LifestyleHeatwaveAs temperatures soar in the UK, many Brits are looking for ways to keep their homes cool without using air conditioning or fans15:14, 26 Jun 2026Temperatures in Spain can soar to 45C in certain regions during the summer months, particularly across Central and Southern Spain. According to a recent survey by property experts Idealista, just 41% of Spanish homes are equipped with air conditioning, which explains why so many Spaniards turn to traditional cooling techniques to keep their properties comfortable during heatwaves and spells of extreme heat.‌As a Spaniard, the technique I've witnessed most frequently over the summer is the "lockdown" or "blackout method". To maintain a cool home throughout the day without resorting to air conditioning or a fan, people shut their shutters entirely in the morning (typically between 8am and 9am or as soon as they wake up), blocking out the sun and heat.‌They won't open them again until the night, keeping their homes in complete lockdown during daylight hours.‌Most properties in Spain come fitted with exterior shutters that completely block out light; however, British households can adopt this same approach using curtains or blinds.‌Travel experts at Spainwise explained: "Keep blinds, shutters and/or curtains closed during peak sunshine hours but leave windows open at night and early in the morning so your room can cool down."On Reddit, Spaniards confirm this is the most widely-used method for keeping homes cool in summer. One person commented: "Open the windows in the morning until 11 or so. Then, close the blinds so almost no light passes into the house. And then, at night, open them again."Another user explained: "If your house is 'cool' when you wake up in the morning, and you close it up, it'll be easier to keep the heat from coming in during the afternoon (or to keep the cool air in). Basically, it's like the refrigerator door.Article continues below"And if the house has heated up in the afternoon but is still cooler than the street, then you keep it closed. At night, you open it, when the outside temperature is similar to or lower than the inside (apart from the fact that you can create drafts and have a better thermal sensation)."A third offered a particularly clever piece of advice: "Do not, under any circumstances, leave your house in siesta hours. If you thought we are lazy, it's because you didn't spend a summer in my village. These hours are the hottest ones, you'll face heatstroke."Other handy tricks for keeping your home cool during extreme heat include placing a bowl with water on the windowsill or hanging a damp sheet across the window.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Heatwave