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Yes, you can cool down a room without AC and it isn’t as hard as you think! While air conditioning is a luxury our culture has become used to it’s also expensive to run.
But keeping your house cool in extreme heat really is possible and our grandparents and many generations before us knew how to keep a house cool in the summer naturally.
Many homes were better designed with airflow and natural shade in mind.
But even in modern homes, we can do a lot of simple things to help stay cooler.
I’ve never lived in a home with central air conditioning (HVAC) and rarely owned a window air conditioner but we get very hot and humid summers here.
The upside to this is it really helps to keep our electricity bill low in the summer but you don’t want to feel sick in the heat all the time either right?
Don’t worry there are lots of ways to keep your home cool without using air conditioning. So whether you don’t own AC or just want to reduce the usage try these easy ways to keep your room or whole home cool in the summer.
How To Cool Down A Room Without AC
Here are some great tips for cooling down your rooms if your AC is broken or you’ve decided to go without air conditioning.
1. Close The Windows During The Day
Keep your windows closed during the day if it’s hotter outside then in your home. This will help to keep the hot air out of your home and the cooler air inside.
When the temperatures are lower outside than inside your home open the windows to let the cooler air in.
2. Use Windows The Right Way
If you have windows that open from the top and bottom make sure to open both sides. This creates air circulation between the top and bottoms of your windows and does a great job of keeping the air moving in your home.
This was a tip we picked up from an insurance inspector years ago and it has helped us a lot! I had no idea there was a real purpose behind having windows opening from the tops and bottoms.
But if you think about it many older windows in homes that were built long before air conditioning also had sliding air vents along the top. These could be opened to allow for better air circulation.
3. Use Blinds Or Drapes
Make sure to use blinds and drapes to block the sun from coming through your windows.
This is especially important on any south or west-facing windows as the sun shining through can quickly turn your home into a mini greenhouse. To make it even more effective try using blackout blinds or heavy drapes.
This is an easy way to cool down a room fast that I remember my grandmother doing. Just before the sun would start to shine on the side of her home she would pull heavy blinds across the large windows.
They did a great job of blocking out the light and heat.
4. Keep Windows And Doors Shaded
Using blinds is a great way to keep heat out of your home but adding awnings to your windows is a big help too. These extend over the tops of your windows to provide shade and can really help a lot.
They are available in many colors and patterns and can be permanently attached or pullout.
5. Install Heat Blocking Film On Your Windows
Another low-cost way to cool your home is to install a heat blocking film on your windows.
These window coatings block most (up to 99%) of UV rays, block most of the solar energy and reduce the glare in your home. As a bonus, many like this one provide extra day time privacy because of their mirrored surface.
6. Plant Shade Trees
Have a good look at your windows and doors to see where the sun falls during the day. Think about planing some shade trees to block the sun naturally in these areas.
Trees and shrubs can be beautiful and effective natural ways to cool off your home.
Look for fast-growing shade trees like poplar, paper birch, red maple, box elm, or weeping willow.
7. Close Doors
Closing doors to rooms that you don’t use as often can help keep the cooler air in the main part of your home during the day.
Remember to open these doors up at night to let the cooler air circulate through your home.
8. Fans – How To Cool Down A Room With A Fan
Using fans to cool your home is a must when you don’t have AC. If you’re wondering how to cool down a room with a fan effectively it’s very easy!
Using window fans like these at night will help to pull the cooler night air into your home.
Make sure to set one up in a window to draw the air in, and another opposite window to push the air out.
This creates an amazing breeze through your home at night.
Use large box fans to create a cross breeze in rooms during the day. When you keep the air moving the room feels much cooler.
Try filling up a bowl with ice ( or ice packs) and placing it in front of a fan. Angle the fan so it blows off the ice, and creates a cool misty breeze that feels wonderful on a hot day.
This basically makes a homemade swamp cooler but if you would rather buy one they can be easier to use and you don’t have to deal with bowls of ice or water lying around!
9. Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are a wonderful way to cool your home make sure to set them to spin counter-clockwise in the summer.
This will keep the air in your home moving constantly and create a lovely breeze. Then in the fall, you can switch them back to clockwise to help push the warm air back down.
10. Use A Whole House Fan
Cool Attic CX24DDWT Direct Drive 2-Speed Whole House Attic Fan with Shutter, 24 Inch
Have you ever heard of a whole house fan? These are really amazing fans that when turned on sucks the hot air out of the main area of your home.
The fans are installed into the upper floor of your home into your attic. Then when in use pull the hot air up into the attic where it can then be expelled using gable vents.
It works much faster than central air conditioning but is most effective when the outside air temperature is cooler than it is indoors.
It’s a great way to pull in cool air at night and early mornings.
If you don’t have an attic then this model is made to fit into a window and works the same way.
11. Cooler Bedding
Beans72 Organic Buckwheat Pillow – Japanese Size (14 inches x 20 inches)
Using the right bedding at night in the summer can go a long way to making you feel cooler.
Ditch the warm flannel sheets for cooler cotton ones that breathe well. Silk and satin sheets also stay feeling cool against your skin and can be a great choice.
You can also try using pillows that stay cooler. Buckwheat pillows like this one are a cooler option because the hulls create natural air spaces that don’t hold onto your body heat as regular pillows do.
Another option is pillows like these with a gel foam that helps to pull heat away from your body and stays feeling cool.
12. Turn on Exhaust Fans
If you have exhaust fans in your bathroom and kitchen try leaving them running. Not only do they draw the steam out of your home but the hot air too.
13. Open Windows At Night
Even on the hottest days, the night temperatures will be much cooler. Take advantage of this by opening your windows in the evening when the temperatures start to drop.
Of course, remember to take safety precautions to keep your home safe too.
In the morning when the temperatures outside start to rise, remember to close the windows and pull the blinds to keep that cool air inside your home.
14. Cook Wisely
Cooking creates a lot of heat and steam inside your kitchen that makes the room hotter. To help keep it cooler start to think about how you do your cooking.
Try using your stove early in the morning before it gets hot outside. Make sure to use your exhaust vent if you have one.
But you’ll find the biggest difference is made by using alternative cooking methods. Try using a slow cooker, Instant Pot, indoor grill or make use of your BBQ to prepare meals outdoors.
Even better if you have an outdoor kitchen to use on hot summer days.
15. Turn Off Electronics
Have you ever touched a TV or computer after it’s been on for a while? They get really hot, don’t they?
So make sure to turn them off or unplug them when not in use. This will help to stop them from adding extra heat to your home.
16. Use Door Snakes
deeToolMan Door Draft Stopper 36
When you think of door snakes you probably think of winter right? They are often used to keep cold air out of your home but they are just as effective when trying to keep hot air out too.
Place door snakes along the bottom of your doors or windows to help stop drafts of hot air getting in.
17. Sleep In The Lower Level Or Basement
Heat rises, so naturally, the top floors of your home will be the warmest.
If possible try sleeping on the ground level or better yet your basement if you have a finished one. It will feel much cooler at night.
18. Use A Cold Water Bottle
Fill your hot water bottle up with ice-cold water or ice cubes and place it into your bed. This makes a great pad to rest your feet on at night.
19. Furnace Fan
Many furnaces have a setting to run it with the fan only. This is a great way to draw up the cooler air from your basement into the main area of your home.
This can often be done for a while before the basement air starts to warm up.
20. Avoid Using Your Dryer
Even though your dryer is vented outside it still puts out a lot of heat into your home. Instead of using it in the summer try using a clothesline instead.
If you are worried about your clothes feeling ruff, make sure to use these tips to keep air dried clothes soft.
If you just can’t dry your clothes another way then run your dyer in the early morning or at night when it’s cooler.
21. Move Fridge To Garage
One thing we don’t often think about is that refrigerators can put a lot of heat into your home.
The wire coils along the back can get quite hot. If you can move your fridge to the garage or mudroom during the summer it can help cool down your home a little.
While the rooms in your home will never be as cool in the summer without air conditioning there are still lots of easy ways you can cool your home.
Use these tips to keep the hot air out and draw cooler air into your home so you’ll be more comfortable during the hot summer months.
The more you can cool your home naturally the more you can save on your electricity costs and reduce or eliminate your AC usage.
Do you have a favorite way to keep your rooms cool in the heat? Leave a comment below to help others!
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Kim Mills is a homeschooling mom of 6 and lives on an urban homestead in Ontario, Canada. Blogging at Homestead Acres she enjoys sharing tips to help you save money, grow and preserve your own food.
D Carrillo
Tuesday 9th of April 2024
Thank you, even though these are not helpful at all for actual hot climates closer to the tropics where the temperature index is over 110, houses are built differently, the humidity makes it feel like your breathing hot soup and entering any room that has been left all day with closed windows feels like entering a sauna.
PG
Sunday 5th of November 2023
Seriously? You have clearly never lived through a summer in Texas! Convince me that these suggestions are realistic in 115 F. Have you ever lived a month on the Gulf Coast following a hurricane with no electricity? When the first colonists settled in the Americas, it was towards the end of the little ice age. Temps were cooler.
Amelia Richardson
Friday 19th of May 2023
These are GREAT tips! My husband and I are currently living in an old apartment with no AC and the summers are brutal. We also just had our carpets cleaned and needed a way to help them dry faster, so I took your advice and got some window and box fans and it did the trick!