Seven tips on how to stay cool without your A/C to cut costs – easy FREE changes to make at your home

THE summer months can be brutal when it comes to the heat and if you don’t have air conditioning, it feels a lot worse. 

But cooling costs can weigh heavy on your pockets to the point that some people opt to avoid buying an AC unit altogether.

So, what are some ways you can stay cool during those high-temperature days without AC?

Thankfully, nearly 1,000 people from all over the world who grew up without AC shared their hacks to beat the heat.

SLEEP ON A WET SHEET

It might seem unconventional but some people use a wet sheet in order to stay cool during the summer. 

To utilize this hack, drench the sheet in cold water using your towel and lay on the bed with your ceiling fan on, a explained. 

Not only will it keep you chill during the night, but your sheets and mattress will be dried by the morning. 

Your laundry can also help out as well!

Diem Tu from Vancouver, Canada originally grew up in Vietnam and said his family used to wash clothes manually to cool down with the water before hanging the laundry. 

The laundry from the clothing lines outside the house provided extra shade during the hottest parts of the day.

FROZEN WATER BOTTLES

Staying hydrated is a great and healthy way to keep cool in the summer but you can use those water bottles more creatively. 

One person from Tennessee grew up without an AC and said she used frozen bottles of water near her bed as she slept. 

“I’d wake up a few hours later and switch the bottles out for others in the freezer,” said Lauren Van Nostrand. 

BLOCK OUT THE SUN

Reflective screens aren’t just for your car, you can use the same technique in your home. 

To block out those harsh rays from the sun, you can tape aluminum foil to your windows. 

Be sure to cover the backside of the layer with something else such as insulation or cardboard.

This can also reduce glare, which can be a nuisance inside your home when it reflects on computer or TV screens. 

SPRAY YOURSELF WITH WATER

It’s a simple method, but it can still be very useful. 

Get a pump sprayer and fill it with distilled or purified water and spray your body, especially your face and head. 

John Furring from Santa Maria, California also suggests spraying your shirt and hat with water as well until it’s damp. 

“I call it ‘artificial sweat’ and I find it amazingly refreshing.”

COOLING COLOGNE 

This method keeps you cool and smells great!

Lily Adamson lives in Valencia, Spain and says the heat can get unbearable if you don’t have AC. 

“I use baby cologne to cool off,” she said. “I douse it over my neck and shoulders and because it's mostly made of alcohol, it immediately [evaporates and] refreshes.”

To keep the cologne extra cool, she keeps it in the fridge.

PULL IN COOL AIR

Box fans can do more than provide temporary relief from the summer heat, they can also be used to pull in cool air from the morning and night. 

“As soon as I get up at 6 or 7am, I open the windows in every room and prop box fans in the sill,” said Meenakshi Ponnuswami from Pennsylvania.

“Around 9 or 10am, I take the fans out, close all the windows, and let the fans run on the floor of each room.

“Right now, it's 90-plus degrees outdoors. Inside, my fan is blowing lightly on my back as I sit at my desk, and I feel chilly enough to move my location.”

SLEEP OUTDOORS

Sometimes, the inside of your home is just too hot and you might have to resort to the great outdoors. 

The coolness of a summer night might fare better than staying inside, according to some.

Malaka Gharib spent her childhood summers in Egypt and said the heat would get so bad, that she would sneak out to the balcony of her home to sleep outside. 

If you can find a comfy spot to lay out your pillow and a thin sheet, it might be the better option to snooze outside. 

Other options to keep cool are to avoid using the oven during the hotter parts of the day and instead cook in the morning. 

Cold dishes such as pasta salad can also keep your body temperature down, along with lemonade and iced tea. 

Going to the movie theater could also help!

You can catch the latest summer blockbuster while enjoying the AC from the theater.