After our editor Clare Speak recently published an article on how she's learned to embrace Italy's approach to surviving the the long, hot summer season, reader Laura Ricci wrote in to share her thoughts.

"I was hoping for more tips!" she said. "And none of the things I learned from my neighbors were mentioned".

We agreed that readers could always benefit from the advice of locals on this issue – so we're sharing Laura's tips and tricks for keeping cool below.

Close your shutters

Italy’s ubiquitous shutters aren’t just there for privacy or to make your building’s exterior more attractive – they play a key role in regulating your home’s temperature.

“If you opened your shutters in the spring, now it is time to close them to cover your windows”, says Laura.

Anyone who’s visited the home of an Italian nonna in August will know there are no half measures here.

Living like a vampire may take some getting used to, but using your shutters to block out “as much sun as possible” in the heat of the day is how Italians keep their apartments from turning into an oven.

READ ALSO: Six ways to beat the heat in Italy without air conditioning

Let in the cool morning air

A good way to freshen up your home at the start of each day is by emptying out the stale air of the night before and replacing it with cool morning drafts.

“About 6am I wake and immediately open all the windows” to allow the cooler currents to circulate through the house, Laura says.

“The cool breeze will last for 30 minutes to one hour, when I shut everything again. I usually return to bed while this air exchange goes on.”

Fill your freezer* *

There are two good reasons for keeping your freezer full, says Laura: “You'll want more ice, and a full freezer cycles less frequently than a half empty freezer.”

The science on this is debatable, according to the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources: while fuller freezers mean lower temperature fluctuations, “[Y]ou also need to get that food cold in the first place, which will take a lot more energy than cooling air.”

What’s undisputed, however, is that a full freezer will maintain its temperature for twice as long as a half-empty one if the power goes out – an increasingly common occurrence in Italian cities.

Around 75-80 percent capacity is ideal, according to appliances manufacturer Whirlpool; you’ll want to keep air vents unobstructed to maintain good air flow.

Refresh your dehumidifiers

High humidity is the main culprit driving up the perceived temperature in many parts of Italy during the summer.

While an electronic dehumidifier will do the best job, you can also buy small dehumidifier boxes containing absorbent granules – but don’t forget that these will periodically need replacing to remain effective.

“Every three months the spots where I have the little dehumidifying blocks set out need to be checked”, says Laura, noting that houses with stone walls often release more moisture in the summer.

READ ALSO: How I learned to stop fighting the long Italian summer

Linen is your friend

“Summer calls for linen towels” says Laura: “So I put away the cotton towels that dry the skin too well for summer comfort, and raise the humidity while drying.”

“Linen towels are just absorbent enough, without drying the skin more than needed, and they dry quickly.”

By the same token, she adds, linen bedding is “ideal for hot summer weather”, while “cotton and flannel is better for cold weather.”