Staying cool without AC is not impossible, so long as you have a good plan in place. A cool head can help, as well.
- Pull down the shades on all exterior windows in your house. This can keep the sun and heat out of rooms.
- Turn on all ceiling fans or add portable fans to rooms that could use extra ventilation.
- Dampen a kitchen towel and drape it around your neck, or use cooling towels that are available from sporting goods stores.
- You’ve heard the saying “cool as a cucumber.” Treat yourself to tall glasses of ice water or seltzer water filled with thin slices of cucumber as a refresher. Another option is to add fruit to your water.
- If you have kids, be sure to keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t become overheated, as children tend to be more vulnerable to hot conditions than adults.
- Put off any household chores that require a lot of bending and lifting. Give the family a free pass to be a little lazy.
- Avoid using your oven or stove to cook meals.
- Limit use of your dishwasher and clothes washer to nighttime hours.
- If you have upstairs bedrooms, consider sleeping in downstairs areas, which tend to stay cooler.
- Strip your bed down to lightweight sheets only.
- Crack open windows at night if the temperature outside isn’t significantly warmer than the air inside.
- If you’re feeling crafty and ambitious, you can make your own temporary air conditioner out of an inexpensive ice chest.
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