Using aluminum foil to beat the heat? Don't make these 3 common mistakes

As the sun begins to shine, we're all telling each other how lovely the weather is and what summery plans we have. And then, pretty quickly, we start complaining because it's suddenly gotten too hot, especially inside our homes.

Getting to sleep at night is seriously uncomfortable and the heat makes everyday tasks a whole lot harder – even when you've been practicing the 'caveman method' all day long. If, like me, you're desperately searching for solutions to cool down your home, you may have come across the technique of using aluminum foil to beat the heat.

A simple household object used to wrap up leftovers or line your baking sheets can actually act as an incredibly handy way to reflect the light away from your home. By simply taping up foil on your windows, you can stop the sunlight from getting through your glass windows and heating up your home. While it sounds pretty simple, there's 3 common mistakes you might be making.

1. Covering the inside of your window, not the outside

It's easy to assume you should be lining your windows from the inside because you're providing coverage, right? Wrong. Yes, the foil will feel like it's keeping the light out because you won't see it, but you're still allowing the sunshine to heat up your actual windows.

By doing this, you're not stopping the heat from getting in, it's just gathering behind the foil. So, it won't be reflecting away because you're not covering the actual windows. You should head outside and place it there. It's not the most attractive design for your house, but you won't care when you're sitting inside a lovely and cool home.

2. Using thin foil

While it's tempting to reach for your everyday foil because you've already got it in your home, it might not be the right pick. Thin foil isn't as durable and also won't reflect the heat for as long as a heavy duty roll. So, in the long run, it might end up costing you more if you have to get through more thin foil to make sure your house remains cool.

Remember as well, if you're taping up foil to the outside of your windows, you'll have to be out in the heat replacing it. Heavy duty foil will last a lot longer and also do a better job. Plus, it will also protect your window panes from cracking from the heat.

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I recommend purchasing some heavy duty aluminum foil for better coverage as well as longer lasting heat reflection. It may mean buying thicker foil than what you use day-to-day, but it's worth the investment for the heat it blocks out!

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3. Not adding a protective layer

While this isn't an essential step of putting aluminum foil on your windows, it is an advantageous one, if you've got the time. As mentioned above, when using foil to reflect heat away, sometimes it can seep into the window panes around it which puts them at risk of cracking.

You can help prevent this from happening by adding a protective layer of cardboard round your windows before taping up the aluminum foil. So, instead of throwing your cardboard away in the trash, reuse it!

This will absorb any heat that makes it through your foil and make sure your windows stay cool. The hot foil may also leave behind a residue, but if you've got cardboard underneath, it'll leave it on there instead of your windows.

More from Tom's Guide

• Frozen bed sheets and cold spoons — weird tips for how to sleep cool during a heatwave
• Experts recommend the 'caveman method' for keeping your house cool in a heatwave — here's how it works
• How to cool down a room in a heatwave — 10 essential tips