Are you searching for a way to stay cool in hot weather this summer without increasing your energy costs? If so then you’ll enjoy my tips to stay cool without air conditioning.
Using an air conditioner unit during the summer heat may sound reasonable, as it certainly cools your home down quickly, but is the cost worth it?
The increased energy bill may have you realizing that you should use other means to stay cool this summer.
Below you’ll find a list of my tips and ideas to help you stay cool this summer without increasing your energy bill.
How to Stay Cool Without Air Conditioning
Take a Cool Shower
If you have a swimming pool, then, by all means, use that to stay cool without air conditioning. If you don’t have a swimming pool, then a cool shower is the next best thing.
This will help reduce your body temperature so that you can stay cool for a little bit during the height of a hot summer day.
Increase Water Consumption
A nice cold glass of water, when consumed regularly, will help make you stay cool in hot weather without the extra cost of using energy to run an air conditioner.
Consider keeping a pitcher of ice-cold water in the refrigerator all summer long to stay cool without using air conditioning.
It’s important to stay hydrated so try to drink 8 – 10 glasses of water every day.
Use Cooling Cloths
Did you know two of your body’s cooling spots are on the back of your neck and on your wrists?
Consider keeping a wet cloth in the freezer so that you can place it on these spots when you feel like you’re overheating.
The placement of cooling cloths on these spots will reduce your body temperature helping you to stay cool no matter how hot it gets indoors.
Use a Fan
While a fan does use some energy, it will not increase your energy bill as much as air conditioning will. Consider having fans strategically placed throughout your home to get the air flowing.
Having your fans set to the optimal cool setting will ensure that the air in your home keeps moving.
This moving air will help your sweat evaporate, leaving you feeling cooler without a significant increase in energy costs.
For ceiling fans, make sure they are turning in the right position. This is a trick a lot of people aren’t aware of.
There is a toggle switch on the fan housing to change blade direction.
In the hot months, the blades need to be turning counter clockwise. This will create a bit of a wind chill, cooling you and your house.
Come late Fall, make sure you switch them to turning clockwise to keep the heat lower to floor level.
And don’t forget handheld fans. Small enough to fit in your pocket or purse and very inexpensive.
Eat Frozen Fruit
Pop washed grapes in the freezer to eat during the heat of the day. Any frozen fruit that naturally has a lot of water in it like watermelon, grapes, orange slices will help cool you down.
Keep Home Made Popsicles in the Freezer
Make your own popsicles from fruit juices. Keep a tray of popsicles in the freezer at all times to enjoy in the afternoons while it is hot out. Eating frozen or slushy food will help you stay cool in hot weather.
Use Curtains
Invest in some light-blocking curtains to use during the summer season to stay cool without air conditioning.
Use the light-blocking curtains as a way to shield your inside space from the sun.
You’ll want to close the curtains when the sun shines on that side of the home and adjust your curtains from closed to open when the sun starts to set.
On the shaded side of your home, open your drapes – just follow the sun.
DIY Air Conditioner
This is one of the best tricks to save money by staying cool during the summer season.
Grab a pan or bucket full of ice chunks; you can use ice cube trays to freeze a bunch of water.
Once the ice cubes are ready, place them in a bucket in front of a fan.
Turn your fan on and you’ll find that the fan works to spread that coolness from the ice cubes into your home, thus having a DIY air conditioner that doesn’t increase your energy bill as much as an air conditioner unit would.
Use an Evaporative Cooler to Stay Cool
I know these units as “swamp coolers“. They work great; in southern California we used one regularly as the only cooling source until mid-August. Much cheaper to operate than air conditioning!
They work on the premise of hot air passing over water. And they can seriously reduce inside temperatures by up to 30 degrees. Read more about these evaporative cooler on Amazon.
You can see the unit in the photo; the swamp cooler has the basket of pink flowers on it.
Soak your Feet in Cold Water
Having a wash tub with cold water for your feet is another big help. So along with the cooling cloths for your neck and wrists, soak your feet in cool water.
These are just some of my hacks to stay cool without air conditioning. As you start to use each of my tips and ideas, you’ll soon find new ways to reduce energy costs during the summer season by using the materials you have on hand to stay cool during the hottest of summer days.
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