Looking to stay cool this summer without an AC? We’ve got you covered. An air conditioning unit can be expensive and take up quite a bit of space. So how can you cool off fast this summer?
With rising summer temperatures and higher energy bills keeping cool during the summer can be difficult and expensive. If you are living in a small apartment as well it may be difficult to get an AC unit into your building.
This article is in relation with Cooling your home without AC. Please also check out cooling food and cooling recipes to try out.
Opening your windows allows for the hot air to rise. Opening the top of your window allows this heat to escape. This can be done in the evening.
Your apartment's orientation with the sun determines when it heats up. Since the sun rises in the west and sets in the west you can better plan your cooling plan. South and west facing windows heat up during the afternoon. East facing windows get hot earlier in the day.
Using this information you can close blinds and curtains during the peak hours.
Learn more about specific Prewar apartment heating: Reddit - Prewar Living Tips
Block out the sunlight quickly. Use blinds and curtains closed during peak hours like the late morning and early evenings.
Use ceiling fans as much as possible. Allow your fan to spin counter-clockwise during the summer. This allows for air to move downward. Using other standing fans can also great a breeze.
If you have windows on the opposite side of your apartment, open both of them. This can create cross ventilation and a great breeze.
I personally love a good fan. Either a desk fan, large fan, top fan. I can get a lot done in my own work. Its background noise too.
At some points in the day cool down by leaving the house. Leaving during peak hours and get things done. Often times the house can get warmer than it is outside. If you are able to you can relax away from the apartment.
Closing the blinds before I leave!! Keeps the room from heating up.
Plants can be helpful for naturally cooling a space and releasing moisture into the air. Consider some of these plants listed below:
Snake Plant - Dracaena Trifasciata is a tropical West African plant from Nigeria to the Congo. This plant is toxic to humans and animals. But it is known to remove toxins from the air and cool rooms.
Spider Plant - Chlorophytum Comosum is a tropical Southern African plant. It is a great house plant.
Monstera - Native to tropical regions of Central and South America. They strive in the sun. Read care guide
Take a look at the lightbulbs that you use. Old incandescent light bulbs can emit heat. Moving to LED bulbs can reduce your room temperature and save on energy costs.
According to the Energy.Gov website, incandescent bulbs release 90% of their energy as heat while LEDs emit very little. As well as heat emissions are 3.4 BTU/hour and 85 BTU/hour for LEDs to incandescents respectively. Lighting Comparison Chart
Know when your apartment gets hot and how hot. Use simple thermometers or smart devices to monitor patterns. This can help determine what works the best on certain days. You can often link logs to Google Nest or Alexa.
One device is the Elitech Temperature Logger: Buy on Amazon
Another is the Govee Hygrometer: Buy on Amazon
Ideal times to check out – Early morning, late morning, midday, late afternoon, evening.
This seems like a hack but, consider putting blankets, pillow or anything you plan to sleep with into the freezer 30 minutes before bed. This can create a cooling feeling when you go to sleep. However it is worth noting that they may not stay cool for too long. Other people have said that it causes condensation after coming out of the freezer.
Other ideas include wrapping an icepack in a towel and putting it in your pillow.
I will be trying it tonight, I’ll let you know how it goes.
Instead of thick comforters and duvets try lightweight bedding for the summer. Think of bedding like cotton or linen.
These were just some creative ways to keep your apartment cool without AC this summer.