This Bizarre Yoghurt Trick Can Cool Your Home – And It’s Backed By Science

YoghurtThe UK is literally not built for roasting temps, which is why heatwaves really are so much worse here than in other countries. That might be why I’ve tried everything, from creating a cross-breeze to shutting my curtains during the day to keep my own home cool (in vain). Good, if strange, news though: scientists think they’ve found a solution that may be lying in your fridge, or at least have learned that a truly bonkers approach is surprisingly effective. Dr Ben Roberts, a Loughborough University lecturer in healthy buildings, said that flinging (well, coating) your windows with yoghurt really could protect you from harmful rays (yes, really). How can yoghurt protect my home from the sun? Dr Roberts and PhD student Niloo Todeh-Kharman tried a month-long experiment, coating the window of one home with yoghurt and leaving the panes of another, identical one bare (normal day at the office, of course).They found that the home with the dairy-draped windows was, on average, 0.6°C cooler – but on roasting hot days, it was chiller by a far more hefty 3.5°C. That’s a significant drop, especially considering recent research from the University of East London found 80% of UK homes now experience overheating during summer, up from 18% in 2011.It worked, Dr Roberts said, by providing a thin film on the glass that reflected some of the sun’s light back, therefore stopping some heat from entering the home. The expert added that the food only smelled bad for “30 seconds when drying”: the odour “disappeared” after that; it can’t mould if it fully dries, which it will on a sunny day, as all the bacteria-harbouring moisture evaporates. He said he was “quite surprised” by the results of the test, though to be honest, we’re amazed it was invented.So, should I add yoghurt to my windows?If you want to, it might actually protect against this heat. But it’s far from the only way to lower the mean temperature in your home, nor is it the only effective “low-cost” option the Loughborough University experts tried. They also learned that tinfoil, which is more reflective than yoghurt, lowers homes’ temperatures by 5-6°C when placed facing out of the glass. Meanwhile, shutters, blinds, and curtains seem to be a great way to keep your home at a reasonable-ish level of heat.Related...This Phone Charger Mistake Can Ruin Your Sleep In A HeatwaveThis Is The Best Time To Hang Out Clothes During The Third HeatwaveSo THAT's Why UK Heatwaves Feel So Much Worse Than Other Countries

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This Bizarre Yoghurt Trick Can Cool Your Home – And It’s Backed By Science

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