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14 Ways to Make a Room Cooler During the Summertime (without AC)

Well, summer is here, and unless you live in Antarctica, temperatures are probably higher than what you’re used to. Now, you might have central air in your home, and you might not have a problem paying a higher utility bill this month.

how to cool down a room

But what if you don’t have air conditioning in the home? What if you do, but you need to keep the bill down this month for whatever reason? What if you do have it, and you don’t mind paying the bill, but temperatures are so hot outside that certain rooms of your home still have trouble getting cool, and if you stepped outside, you could probably cook an egg on the top of your head?

Here are a few great, cost-effective ways to cool down a room during the summertime, without using AC.

#1: Tropical Mist

Take a bowl of ice, or even just an ice pack, and set it in front of a fan. The cool air coming off the ice will be whipped up and carried around the room by the fan, creating an incredibly cost effective cooling mechanism. If you want to get really creative with it, try infusing the mist with some pleasing scents by placing slice fruit in ice water.

#2: Blackout Curtains

A large part of the heat that’s entering the room is caused by (get this) the sun. Go figure, right? Impede the entry of those unwanted sunny rays by putting up blackout curtains that block light from entering the room and warming it up. This won’t do the trick alone, but it sure goes a long way, especially when done in conjunction with some of the other tricks we’ve listed here.

#3: Changing Fabrics

If you’re not so focused on appearance, you might not realize or care that between Labor Day and Memorial Day, one wears black, and between Memorial Day and Labor Day, one wears white…and never the twain shall meet, mix, or mingle.

But did you know that certain fabrics are naturally more conducive to retaining heat, while others are lighter and more breathable? Consider changing the sheets on your bed seasonally to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Flannel is great for keeping you cozy, but just too constricting in the summer, when cotton is a better choice because it naturally stays cooler.

#4: Barbecue

This one might surprise you, but using kitchen appliances can create a lot of heat in your home. During the old days, people used to find warmth by the oven, so it’s easy to see why you might want to avoid cooking up a storm, especially during the day, inside your home.

#5: Use Bathroom and Kitchen Fans

These fans are designed to pull air out of your home and release it into the wild, especially after you’ve just taken a hot shower or fired off all four or six burners of your stove to stir fry a multiple course pan-Asian fusion meal. Even if you’re not using heat generating sources like your oven or shower, consider keeping the fans on, because they’ll suck hot air out of your home.

#6: Let in the Night

At night, the air is (hopefully) cooler, and there’s definitely no sunlight to facilitate an internal temperature rise, so consider opening some windows or doors at night if you can). It helps if you have screens on the openings to prevent unwanted critters like mosquitoes from entering your home.

how to cool down a room in the summer

#7: Create a Cooling Current

If your home has double-hung windows, you can actually create a cooling air current in your home by opening the bottoms of the windows on the upwind side of your home (the side that faces the wind) and opening the tops of the windows on the downwind side (the side that doesn’t face the wind).

This action will create a cooling air circulation that flows through the interior of your home. If you don’t have double hung windows, you may not be able to act like Bill Nye the Science Guy, but you can open windows that are across from each other to make a nice cross breeze.

#8: Change Your Lights

Did you know that regular incandescent bulbs lose 90% of the energy through heat? If you’ve ever changed a lightbulb before (who hasn’t) you’ve probably noticed they might be hot to the touch. Heat radiates, so those little light bulbs are contributing to the warmth of your home. Consider ditching them for some energy efficient CMLs (compact fluorescent lamps), or any similar product with greater energy efficiency.  

#9: Slide to the Right

If you think we’re talking about the Cha-cha Slide, think again, because that will probably just make you more sweaty.

Take a look at your ceiling fans, if you have them, and see if you can adjust them to move counterclockwise. In the winter, the slow, clockwise motion of a ceiling fan helps distribute warm air, while in the summer, a faster, counterclockwise motion is much better for moving a breeze around. In fact, most fans come with a switchable setting, so if you haven’t checked that out yet, we suggest giving that a try.

#10: Close Doors

If you know there are parts of your home you won’t be entering during the day, like that creepy wing of the mansion housing all the old portraits with eyes that follow you as you move. This will prevent precious cold air from escaping into these rooms, and prevent hot air in those rooms from spreading out into the rest of your home.

#11: Insulate

If you’re considering a long term solution to prevent this summer dilemma from occuring every year, consider finding a way to finance some lasting changes to your home, such as upgrading windows, doors, and possibly even siding to better insulate your home. There are plenty of great, Energy Star rated products out there, covered by excellent warranties, that pretty much ensure better insulation for your home, keeping it cooler during the summer.

#12: Go Cultural

Try sleeping lower to the floor, as is done in other cultures around the world, especially ones in hot climates. Heat rises, so keeping low will minimize the impact of a hot room on your body while you sleep. Another technique that’s creative and fun is to sleep in a hammock if you can find a way to put it up. The hammock is open on all sides, which provides excellent air circulation for keeping you cool while you sleep.

#13: Go All-Natural with the Grains

A buckwheat pillow (that’s right, a pillow stuffed with buckwheat) does not absorb heat like a traditional pillow, so it’s a great option for keeping cool at night. You can also try filling a sock with rice grains, and putting it in the freezer, to create an all natural ice pack that will stay cool for a long time, making your bed a much more chill spot to sleep.  

#14: Window Treatments

If you’re looking for yet another slightly more expensive permanent solution that still costs way less than installing centralized air, consider getting window treatments like blinds, shutters, or shades, many of which come with the ability to facilitate temperature regulation by the window.

One way to stay cool in the summer is to replace your windows, siding and doors. At Feldco, we make sure you’re setup with the best products that maximizes air circulation and insulation for your home. Over 500,000 delighted homeowners chose Feldco because we offer the best in class products and professional installation. Get a free quote now and call us today!

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