Stay Cool This Summer… By Smearing Yogurt on Your Windows

If your air conditioning bill is higher than your self-esteem right now, science has a deliciously bizarre solution: slather yogurt on your windows.

Yep, yogurt. As in, the stuff you eat for breakfast while convincing yourself it’s healthier than ice cream. According to a researcher in the U.K., coating your windows in plain Greek yogurt can cool your home by more than six degrees Fahrenheit. Not by eating it… by literally painting it on your windows.

The idea is that yogurt forms a thin, white film that reflects sunlight and keeps your place from turning into a rotisserie chicken oven. Think of it as sunscreen for your house… if sunscreen smelled like dairy.

They used a basic supermarket-brand Greek yogurt with 10% fat. No word on whether it was organic. They did not use the fruit-on-the-bottom kind, because having peach chunks melting down your window is a level of chaos nobody needs.

Worried about the smell? Don’t be. Researchers say it only stinks for 30 seconds while drying. After that, it’s scent-free… unless you have a dog, in which case your windows are now snackable art.

Also surprising: it doesn’t attract bugs or pests. (Science didn’t explain why. We assume bugs have standards.) Supposedly, it’s also not messy, unless you’re the kind of person who can’t handle a spoon without it turning into a crime scene.

Best of all, you only need about a tablespoon per window. So you can cool your house and still have enough yogurt left for your sad desk lunch.

For anyone reading this and screaming “WHAT ARE WE DOING,” don’t worry… the same study also found that covering your windows with tinfoil works even better. Which is great if you want your neighbors to think you’re either growing something illegal or waiting for the mothership.

But if you’re into weird science, minimal effort, and smelling like a Mediterranean deli for a few seconds, give the yogurt hack a go. One brave soul online tried it on the inside of their office window and said it made a noticeable difference. And visually? It “just looked like white paint.” Cool and cultured.