During the hot summer months, it’s a challenge to stay cool, and it can become uncomfortable in your own home. Air conditioning is the best way to regulate the temperature, but it’s not an option for everyone. In this guide, we’ll provide some tips on how to cool a room without AC and hopefully help you survive the summer.
25 Ways To Cool A Room Without AC (Tricks To Survive Hot Summer)
Staying cool in summer without air conditioning isn’t easy and requires more creative thought. Here are 25 tricks broken down by category so you can survive during the hot months:
Quick Fixes
1. Open Window & Interior Doors At Night
There’s nothing worse than a stuffy room on a hot summer night. Opening the windows and doors might seem obvious, but it’s a great way to encourage airflow through your home and remove some of the excess heat. This should help you feel a lot cooler immediately and hopefully give you more comfortable conditions to sleep in.
2. Use Ice
Keeping a ready supply of ice in your home is always a good idea. You can have it in water to cool you down or place a bowl of it in front of your fan so that cool air blows around the room.
3. Use Insulated Window Film
Insulation isn’t just used to keep heat in. It can also keep the heat out and maintain the temperature in your home. Using rolls of window film can help keep the heat from the sun out during the day and reflect it back out. You can buy window film from any hardware store, and it only takes a few minutes to put it up.
4. Turn Off Electronics
Every single electronic device gives off some heat, even if it’s just trace amounts. PCs give off a lot of heat, even when on standby, which can make the temperature rise in your home. Try to turn off all the electronics in the room to limit the heat being given off, and this should hopefully reduce the temperature.
5. Hang Damp Towels
Hanging damp towels around your home will help to cool it down. The air around your home will pick up on the cool moisture and lower the temperature quickly. This works particularly well if you’re using fans in your room.
6. Seal Off Different Rooms
Cool air lingers in rooms for longer if the doors are closed. By sealing off different rooms if they’re not in use, you can help to keep the temperatures down and stop the cold from escaping. It’s worth opening the doors up again at night to let cool air flow through your home, though.
Lifestyle Changes
7. Drink More Water
This might seem obvious, but the majority of American’s don’t drink enough water every day. Water helps to cool you down by allowing your body to sweat. As you sweat, heat is naturally dissipated from the body and leaves you feeling cooler. Drinking cold water will also have the effect of cooling you down instantly as it goes through your body. Adult males should have about 3.7 liters of water a day, and adult females should have about 2.7 liters, but remember that you’ll need more in hotter conditions.
8. Take Cool Showers
Various studies have shown the health benefits of cold showers, and they’re becoming a bit of a trend right now. Cool showers are a great way to instantly cool you down and help you get more comfortable. If you take a cold shower before bed, it should help you sleep through the night.
9. Cool Your Pulse Points
Your pulse points are where you feel your heartbeat more and where your blood gets closest to the surface of the skin. By cooling these points, you help spread the cold through your body as it travels through your arteries and veins. Try using ice packs or cold rags on your wrists or around your neck to cool down quickly.
10. Switch To Cotton Sheets
Cotton is a natural material that has been proven to keep you cool while you sleep. It’s breathable and has sweat-wicking properties, which help keep you comfortable through the night.
11. Use The Egyptian Method
Egyptians are pretty used to being hot, and they’ve developed their own method for staying cool at night. They use water to dampen their bedsheets and then stretch them out over their beds to lie on. This isn’t practical for some people, but when you’re desperate, it’s a great way to cool down quickly.
12. Sleep In Breathable Clothes
It’s worth investing in breathable clothes to help you stay cool at night. Lightweight, breathable pajamas will help you keep your body temperature down and keep you comfortable throughout summer.
13. Use A Chill Pillow
Chill pillows, mattresses, and sheets are all designed to keep you cool at night. The materials used help draw out heat from your body and leave you feeling much more comfortable. You can even put the pillow in the fridge for a longer lasting cooling effect. A chill pillow will cost $50-100, while a whole bed set will probably cost $200-300. The best place to get these is on digital marketplaces like Amazon.
14. Sleep Lower Down
Heat rises, so the coolest part of the room will usually be nearer the floor. Try to move your bed so it’s as low as possible, or move your mattress to the ground to help you sleep more comfortably. Hammocks are also a great way to sleep better in hot conditions because you’ll get a bit more ventilation. If you’re brave enough, you can also set it up outdoors.
15. Wash And Cook At Night
If you have the option, being strategic about when you cook and clean can help to keep the whole temperature of your home down. Your stove and washing machine give off a lot of heat, and during the day, they’ll make your home feel very stuffy. Try to use them at night if you can so you don’t feel the impact as much.
Technology
16. Use A Fan
Fans don’t work the same way as air conditioners because they don’t actively cool the air, but that doesn’t mean they can’t help you feel cooler. By moving the air around your room, they can help cool it, and if you position it properly, it will make you feel a lot more comfortable.
Try to place the fan near the door and towards the hottest part of the room to maximize the benefit. There are several different types of fans to choose from, and you can spend anywhere from $30-$300. Using two fans at once can be an effective way to create a cross current and can be more cost-effective than buying one expensive machine.
Related Article – Fan Vs AC
17. Use A Dehumidifier
Dehumidifiers work to remove moisture from the air, and while they don’t directly influence the temperature, they can help you feel cooler. By removing some of the humidity from the air, it can feel more comfortable and less hot. Just make sure you get a small dehumidifier, or the mechanism can add more heat to the room than it removes.
Related Article – Dehumidifier Vs AC
18. Use Bathroom Fans
Your bathroom will usually come with a fan installed to help get rid of some of the moisture generated from your bath and shower. This is a great way to cool down your whole home without investing in new technology, and if you start to run the fans more frequently, it should cool down your home. Make sure you keep an eye on your energy bills as you will spend more money running the fans.
19. Adjust Your Ceiling Fan
If you have a ceiling fan in your home, you need to set it to rotate upwards when it’s hot and downwards when it’s cool. When your ceiling fan rotates upwards, it helps draw hot air away from you because it rises anyway. You’ll feel the benefit much more and avoid having hot air blown down back at you and increasing the room’s temperature.
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Home Improvements
20. Invest In Insulation
Insulation around the room will help cold air linger for longer and reduce the amount of heat going into your home. Look at your walls, ceilings, and doors and see if you can install basic insulation. Draft excluders on your doors and fiber wool in your ceiling can help you reduce the temperature in summer. Insulation will work particularly well if you’re using fans to improve airflow.
21. Install Dark Curtains
Dark curtains help keep the heat out and lower the overall temperature in the room. During the summer months, they’ll make a big difference during the day and can also make it easier to sleep.
22. Change Light Bulbs
Light bulbs give off a lot of heat. By replacing your standard bulbs with energy efficient alternatives or LEDs, you can reduce the amount of heat going into your room. As a result, you should hopefully be able to lower your energy bills too. It would be best if you also tried to turn off your lights as much as possible to keep the temperature down.
Longer Term Solutions
23. Plant Trees Around Your Home
This definitely isn’t a short-term fix, but planting trees around your home will help to create shaded areas and block out some of the sunlight. Large trees will work best, but vines can also help to protect your walls from the heat. If you plant them now, you’ll enjoy the benefits next summer.
24. Install A White Roof
White reflects heat, whereas black absorbs it, so it’s practical to change your walls and ceilings to white if possible. Look at the possibility of installing a white roof or a white roof cover and painting your walls white. For any roof work, you’ll need to get certified professionals involved to do it safely.
You can have a go at painting your walls yourself, but you’re often better getting a professional involved to make sure it looks good. This work can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand, depending on where you live. This is another longer-term option but worth the expense if you live in a very hot area.
25. Install Window Awnings
Awnings are overhangs over windows and doors which provide shade around your home. They help to limit the amount of sun going into your home and shade the entrances so you can keep the temperature down. You’ll probably need a professional to help you install these, so it isn’t a cheap fix, but a great long-term option.
People Also Ask (FAQ)
How can you keep your room cool after the AC has turned off?
Your AC will provide a lot of cool air into the room, so your best bet is to try and keep the air in. Keep your windows and curtains closed, try to keep the doors closed, and invest in some insulation. This will help you feel the benefits of the AC for longer.
How do you get hot air out of a room?
You need adequate ventilation to get the hot air out of the room. Opening and windows and using fans can help you blow it out of the room, and your best bet is to create a cross draft from multiple angles to remove the hot air.
Why is my room so hot even with the fan on?
Fans alone don’t generate cold air; they just blow the existing air around. This can help you feel cooler, but you’ll feel the benefit more if you put a bowl of ice in front of the fan as it’s blowing.
How do you lower your temperature quickly?
To lower your body temperature quickly, you need to focus on your pulse points. Take ice and apply it directly to your wrists or behind your ears to instantly feel cooler. You can also use fans to help direct more airflow towards you.
What food makes the body cool?
Cold foods with high water content will help you lower your body temperature. Cucumber, watermelon, and leafy vegetables will all help you feel cooler.
Conclusion
Air conditioners are the best way to keep a room cool, but there are other options available. Your best bet is to try and use a couple of different methods listed here in conjunction with each other so you can maximize the benefit. Hopefully, this guide has given you some inspiration about some short-term and long-term fixes that will help you keep the temperature down this summer.
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