Three quick electric fan hacks to keep you cool during UK heatwave – and they don’t cost a penny

THE U.K. is in the midst of another brutal heatwave this week, forcing Brits to haul their fans out of the cupboard to help stay cool.

The mercury is due to soar on Friday and Saturday – here's how to get the most out of your gadget.

Stick a bowl of ice next to it

Your fan is designed to move air around the room, sucking it in from the back and blowing it out of the front.

This keeps us cool as faster-moving air from the fan pushed away the warmer air that is in contact with our skin.

It helps us to feel cooler as moisture in the form of sweat on our skin evaporates more quickly in the presence of the air.

One way to make that air feel even COOLER is to stick a bowl of ice in front of your fan.

As it evaporates, the steam will rise in front of the fan where it forms a lovely cool breeze that gets pushed around the room.

Give it a good clean

As your fan is used, it collected dust in the vents, on the blades and even in the motor.

This can reduce the efficiency of the device, meaning it doesn't push around the air quite as well.

It can also pose a fire risk as your gadget is more likely to overheat due to dust's insulating properties.

Give your fan a good clean, removing any dust from the blades and any other surfaces.

Where to place your fan in a room

Fans and purifiers tend to be engineered to work in single rooms.

When placing the machine, make sure there are at least a few feet of clearance on all sides so that the air can circulate effectively.

If the air outside is cooler than the inside, place your fan by your window with it facing the interior.

This way, the cooler air from outside will be blown towards your body, helping the sweat to evaporate even faster.

During the current heatwave, however, it’s probably best to keep your windows closed and direct the fan towards your body while you sleep.

This allows the movement of air over your skin to more effectively speed up the sweat evaporation process.

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