Keeping your home cool in hot weather can be a real struggle, but there are seven simple, science-backed things you can do to avoid overheating. A BBC expert explained more09:20, 15 Jul 2026The recent run of hot weather has meant keeping our homes cool and comfortable has often felt like an uphill struggle. The majority of UK properties are designed to retain heat, which serves us well during winter months, but proves far less helpful at this time of year when they can transform our houses and flats into virtual furnaces.‌Fortunately, there are several straightforward measures we can take to bring temperatures down, and it simply requires a bit of scientific know-how. BBC science journalist Caroline Steel has revealed seven simple methods to apply physics principles that will help you stay cool. She detailed the tips in a video posted on TikTok, reports the Express.‌Opening her video, Caroline said: "I finally found a use for my physics degree - staying cool in this heat. I've got seven tips."‌1: Shut your windows"I know windows allow a breeze through your house, but (it's) a breeze of hot air," she said. "If it's hotter outside than it is inside, keeping your window shut traps the cool air in and keeps the hot air out."2: Draw your blinds and curtainsCaroline explained doing this "stops light passing into your house, because that's then absorbed by objects in your home, and those objects then give off infrared radiation or heat."3: Turn off electronic devicesAccording to the first law of thermodynamics, energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted into another form. And Caroline said this means energy used by things such as your television or computer will be converted into heat, in turn making your home hotter.‌4: Get a fan"It works by blowing this warm layer of air that sits on your skin off your skin and it helps your sweat to evaporate, which cools you down," Caroline said. "But - big but - it doesn't work if the air temperature is higher than your body temperature."5: Open your windows in the evening"When the air outside becomes cooler than the air inside, then it's time to get those windows open," Caroline said. "For me, that's around 7pm at the moment."6: Place a fan facing out of a windowPositioning a small fan on her windowsill pointing outwards, Caroline explained: "The fan is sucking hot air from in the room, blowing it out of the room, and then pulling in cooler air." An overlaid caption added: "This only works when it's hotter inside than outside."‌7: Make hot items wet"As that water evaporates, it will take heat from the material it's resting on," Caroline said.Content cannot be displayed without consentWrapping up, she said: "Physics is really your friend right now, so good luck out there."‌Viewers were also quick to chip in with their own suggestions in the comments. One wrote: "Tip number eight: buy an air conditioning system. " Caroline responded: "Yes fair."Another commented: "Wet hair acts like AC (air conditioning) for your body. " Caroline replied: "Yes!!! I use this every day. I've become a three showers a day person."A third suggested: "Take cold showers," to which Caroline replied: "I should've included this."Article continues belowOne user responded: "I have the same fan as a physicist, I feel like I've made the right choices in life." While another quipped: "Instructions unclear - poured water on my computer."