Quick Ways to Cool a Room Without Air Conditioning: 17 Efficient Methods to Test Out
Cooling down a room without air conditioning can be achieved by implementing these expert-recommended hacks to make your home comfortable during those sweltering summer months. Avoid the common mistakes that can create a warmer environment, ensuring there's a solution for every space, even when you're stuck in a room without windows or a fan.
Here are some expert tips for cooling down a room using simple methods that don't require AC:
Keep curtains and blinds drawn
During summer, close your curtains or blinds during the day to block out sunlight, which can increase the room's temperature. By doing this, you're deflecting the powerful rays of the sun from heating your house and keeping rooms cooler without AC. Blackout blinds, curtains, or solid shutters are longer-term options to consider, as they block outside light completely and keep bedrooms dark and cool in the summer while insulating against the cold during the winter months.
Use fans more effectively
While any type of fan can provide relief on excessively hot days, using fans strategically with a few handy hacks can increase their benefits. If you have a ceiling fan, set it to rotate counter-clockwise, as this pushes air down and creates a cool breeze. And don't forget to turn it off when you leave the room, because ceiling fans cool people, not rooms.
When it comes to table or floor-standing fans, make sure it's pointed in the right direction to get maximum airflow. The corner of a room is a good position as it covers more of the room evenly. Also, position it where there are no large items of furniture to block the flow of air. Tower fans are a good option as they cover a larger area and create a sheet of air rather than a narrow tunnel.
Use a dehumidifier
Although a dehumidifier doesn't actually lower the temperature, it reduces levels of humidity in the house, making the atmosphere feel less oppressive. By reducing moisture content in the air, it allows air to flow more quickly, which makes it feel cooler. This is how fans work.
Improve air flow by opening windows
Opening windows on opposite sides of a room creates a continuous stream of airflow, helping to cool the room without AC. Maintaining airflow is important to displace warm air, so when the outdoor air is cooler than indoors, opening multiple windows will help create a breeze throughout the home. Not only is this effective for downstairs rooms, but it's also useful for upper-level rooms, as heat rises, and it's a great way to move hot air out of the house and bring down the temperature of bedrooms before bedtime.
Choose a portable unit
While this method involves AC, it provides an economical solution when installation isn't possible. Portable air conditioners don't require professional installation and can be moved from room to room as needed. Choose a larger capacity for better cooling capacity, and run the appliance a few hours before bedtime, closing the bedroom door and the blinds and curtains, and using the window blocker to seal off the rest of the window for more efficient cooling.
Create exterior shade at windows
Reducing sunlight exposure further by blocking it from the outside is an effective tactic for downstairs rooms. Consider moving garden parasols or gazebos to positions directly outside windows to shield rooms from the sun bearing down on them, reducing the heat generated in the rooms.
Hang damp sheets in front of the windows
An instant cooling hack when it's really hot outside is to hang damp sheets from curtain poles in front of any open window, especially at night. The moisture from the sheets will help to cool any incoming breeze from outside. The same principle can be applied by spraying curtains with cold water and keeping the water in a bottle in the fridge so it's refreshingly cool.
Close doors to keep out the heat
Closing doors in rooms that you're not using keeps cooler air trapped in the rooms that you're occupying. Closing doors to unused rooms prevents cool air from dissipating, and every room will not end up at a similar temperature, keeping the cooler rooms cooler longer.
Switch off electrical devices
aside from obvious appliances like ovens, any electrical devices, such as laptops, TVs, and lamps, give off heat and contribute to the overall temperature of a room. Turning off these devices when not in use is a great way of reducing unnecessary heat and hastening the cooling process.
Bring in plants and greenery
Adding plants to your indoor space is not only aesthetically pleasing but also helpful in cooling the air. Certain plants, such as weeping figs, snake plants, rubber plants, and Chinese evergreen, absorb warm air through the transpiration process, releasing oxygen and cool moisture into the room. This not only helps to cool the air but improves indoor air quality as well.
Reduce heat in the kitchen by cooking outside
Keep the heat out of your home by preparing meals outdoors when possible. This reduces the use of appliances such as ovens, gas hobs, and kettles, which generate heat and increase the temperature of a room when used. Cooking outside, whether on a BBQ or a pizza oven, helps to keep the heat out of your home and makes your indoor spaces more comfortable.
Utilize small cooking appliances
When cooking indoors is necessary, use small appliances such as air fryers, countertop ovens, or slow cookers to minimize heat generation. While these appliances still emit some heat, they produce less heat than traditional ovens, microwaves, or stovetops, making the space feel cooler.
Create a cross breeze
Create a continuous stream of moving air to keep rooms cool and comfortable. Opening two windows on opposite sides of a room or opening windows in adjacent rooms with doors left open allows air to flow through your home, providing a natural way to cool rooms without AC.
Put ice in front of a fan
Create a temporary fix for cooling a room by placing a bowl or container of ice in front of a fan. The moisture from the melting ice will cool the air flowing from the fan, providing relief on hot days.
Use ceiling fans effectively
Heat rises, so it's important to utilize ceiling fans to help disperse the warmer air in a room. Set the fan to counter-clockwise rotation during summer to create a downdraft and to push warmer air up and out of the room, making it feel cooler.
Do household chores at night
Performing household tasks such as laundry, cooking, and ironing during the cooler evening hours reduces heat production and helps maintain a comfortable indoor temperature.
References
[1] Energy Sage. (2021). How to Keep Your House Cool Without Air Conditioning. Retrieved from https://news.energysage.com/how-to-keep-your-house-cool-without-air-conditioning/
[2] The Spruce. (2021). How to Stay Cool When It’s Hot Without Air Conditioning. Retrieved from https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-stay-cool-when-it-is-hot-without-air-conditioning-2532401
[3] Good Housekeeping. (2019). How to Keep Cool at Home Without Air Conditioning. Retrieved from https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning-organizing/tips/a36147602/how-to-stay-cool-without-air-conditioning/
- The art of healthy living (lifestyle) can be enhanced by incorporating wellness practices, such as reducing heat in the kitchen (health) by cooking meals outdoors or utilizing small cooking appliances to minimize heat generation.
- To maintain interior design aesthetics (interior design), consider adding plants (greenery) to your home, as they not only offer visual appeal but also absorb warm air (health), releasing oxygen and cool moisture (wellness) into the room.
- After a long day of work, unwind in a cooler home by following hair care tips that reduce heat generation, like air drying your hair instead of using heated styling tools.
- Maintaining a pleasant living environment (home) includes following scientific principles for temperature control, such as using fans effectively and strategically (science) and positioning them in corners to cover more of the room evenly.
- For those seeking a more balanced, holistic approach to health and wellness (health-and-wellness), consider lifestyle changes that promote cooler environments, such as practicing yoga or meditation during cooler parts of the day in a room with closed curtains or blinds to block out sunlight, or enjoying a quiet, relaxing soak in a cold bath at night as a cooling, rejuvenating ritual.
