Tip #130: Beat the Heat
I’m afraid this might be a little too little too late for some of you. But for those of you still sweating it out in New York City (or elsewhere), here’s what the past few months have taught me about living through another summer without air conditioning.
The specifics of your home will mean that different tricks might be available to you. If you have a wall of southern-facing windows, by all means, make it a priority to cover them up during the day to keep out the sun. If you have windows on opposite walls, open them up and activate that cross-breeze.
But if you’re still stifling, here are my favorite fixes (and a few that I’ve tried and ruled out.) You’d think I would have enough experience in this department by now, but the truth is that each new year requires a bit of flexing the old muscle memory and learning new tricks.
HERE’S WHAT WORKS:
Not cooking. Step away from the stove. There will be cooler nights aplenty to make that plum cake. The peach cobbler can be put off by a week or two. Another tomato salad won’t kill you. And it will definitely keep you cooler than anything that requires a burner.
Sleeping with an ice pack. Weirdos unite! We have a huge black ice pack that I sleep with spread out underneath my calves. Occasionally I let James share. (This is the one we have.)
Soaking your feet in a bucket of cool water. After Faye’s asleep hogging (just kidding) one of our fans all to herself, James and I beat the heat by indulging in a couple’s foot soak. It’s hilariously kooky, but so refreshing and effective! (We use a basin like this one.)
Positioning yourself directly in front of the fan. Fans are mostly only as good as the air they blow on you, so get up close and personal. We bought two small fans at a local hardware store that we reposition in every imaginable spot in the apartment to help us cool down.
Propping open the apartment door. James has taken to propping our door in an attempt to kick start a cross-breeze. It’s kind of incredible how quickly it gets the air flowing. (And it makes us seriously long for windows on the back of the apartment.)
Making your bed with cool, crisp cotton sheets. Our mattress sleeps incredibly hot. Until we replace it (I’m currently tempted by one of these guys), we’re combatting the heat with cool cotton sheets (and frequent changes.) Maybe it’s psychological, but I sleep so much better on fresh sheets. Dropping little bits lavender oil won’t make your sheets cooler, but they will keep a stifling bedroom smelling fresh, which is practically as good. (We especially like this set of sheets.)
Drinking cool water. I’m addicted to my insulated water bottle, but cold water in any kind of vessel will do. The more I drink, the less grumpy I am.
HERE’S WHAT DOESN’T WORK:
Leaving the ceiling fan turned on in the room where you’re not. See my note about fans above. If it’s not pointed at you, it’s not making you cooler.
Putting a bowl of ice in front of the fan. I’ve tried this trick so many times and I’ve never, ever noticed a discernible difference in tolerability. Save the ice for your water, I say.
Putting your pillow case in the freezer. The benefits of this trick are so extremely short-lived that I can’t justify them. Plus, you risk freezer funk.
Bellowing about how you might soon asphyxiate. Alas, alack.
Still hot? Popsicles to the rescue.
29 Comments
I spent 8 weeks living in an un-air conditioned apartment in Paris this summer (I know I have no right to complain) and from that experience I would agree that pointing the fan directly at you is key. I also found that taking a cold shower right before bed helps, especially if you have long hair that will hold the cool water for a while.
We have a misting fan which works brilliantly, even in HOT South African summers. It's similar to putting ice in front of the fan, but will make much more of a noticeable difference. Apparently you can get a similar effect by placing a damp towel in front of your fan, but we've never tried it. Either way, the water in the air turns to gas form and in the process it takes heat energy from the surrounding air – cooler air! (And you don't get wet unless you're right in front of the fan as most of the water evaporates pretty quickly!) 🙂
I've found a cool shower (not freezing, just not steamy) does wonders. It doesn't heat up the small apartment bathroom and it really cools me down to the core before tucking in for the night.
We recently purchased a Tuft and Needle mattress and it's the best sleep we've ever had. It sleeps much cooler than any other mattress I've slept on! (Love your blog!)
could you share a bit about why you don't have an air conditioner? i also live in a small brooklyn apartment and have just a small window unit that we keep on an "energy saver" mode and it makes a world of difference. i'm just curious about why you'd choose to do without one.
I wrote a little bit below. Nothing earth shattering, just personal preference!
I agree with not using the oven in the summer. I change the types of meals I eat to cold ones or things I can make quickly in a non-stick pan.
We recently replaced our mattress cover with 2 sheepskin rugs from Costco-they sleep cool! That's not what they are made for but they work perfectly to keep us cooler.
This isn't a keeping cool tip, but I just wanted to say that my husband and I upgraded our older double size traditional mattress with a queen size tuft & needle. Tuft & needle is A+ and I'd highly recommend them. Neither of us had any trouble sleeping on the mattress, no "breaking in" period or anything. Top notch 🙂
Seconding lindsaymarie – I am also a tiny brooklyn apartment dweller – we too have a window unit – especially since it is a small space, the AC does not need to work hard to cool us off (especially for sleeping) – would love to hear your perspective on skipping the AC.
Hi! I'm just really not an A/C lover. As hard as it can be to suffer through a heatwave, I wouldn't want to give up the open windows, or access to my windowsill garden, or storage spot for the unit come winter! And while I totally appreciate that a small space can cool down quickly, I'd prefer to run a few fans than an A/C. Not suggesting that this is the right route for everyone, but it is for me.
They do have freestanding ACs that don't take up your window space–I used one when I lived in a room with weird-shaped windows. But yes, that would still be extra storage come winter.
Hi! Love your blog and inspiring and simple home decor. Was wondering if you could do a bit on how you've organized your kitchen and pantry? I've just moved into a super tiny space (no stove or oven in the kitchen! super tiny pantry!) and would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
although lavender might not be a cooling essential oil, peppermint sure is! I often carry a little vial with me on hot days to dab on the nape of my neck. it really does help cool you, and although it's a little more energizing than sleep-inducing, maybe a sleeptime dab wouldn't hurt?
Also, take a cool shower before bed, then naked, stand in front of the fan, or lie down on top of your sheets with your fan directed at you. Worked like a charm a few summers ago when I was sans AC and living on the top floor of an old brick apartment building. I'd even get chilly!
Totally should have mentioned walking around in my underwear! Definitely the only way to go!
I should consider no AC. One glance in the mirror with just underwear/bra would be enough motivation for me to lose more weight.
We live in Barcelona, and on really hot nights (and we had MANY since early May this year) we keep a spray bottle full of water by the bed, and spray ourselves whenever we need to cool down. It's a life saver! Some friends laughed at my idea… but then they tried it, and now they cannot live without the spray bottle 🙂
Sometimes we also spray some water in front of the fan, and it makes a huge difference!
I saw some ridiculous hack on Pinterest about using an old ice chest or one of those styrofoam ones, cutting out a hole for a fan and filling the ice chest with ice making it a redneck AC unit. It also involved duct tape, so not the most beautiful looking thing ever, but hey, it might work! And you could find a little bitty one that wouldn't take up too much space. That, or just try putting the bowl of ice behind your fan instead of in front of it, see if that gets the air cooler? We had the ugly window units when we lived in Pennsylvania, I hated them. Thankfully everywhere we've lived since then has had central AC. Good Luck!
I saw some ridiculous hack on Pinterest about using an old ice chest or one of those styrofoam ones, cutting out a hole for a fan and filling the ice chest with ice making it a redneck AC unit. It also involved duct tape, so not the most beautiful looking thing ever, but hey, it might work! And you could find a little bitty one that wouldn't take up too much space. That, or just try putting the bowl of ice behind your fan instead of in front of it, see if that gets the air cooler? We had the ugly window units when we lived in Pennsylvania, I hated them. Thankfully everywhere we've lived since then has had central AC. Good Luck!
I feel your pain/heat. I lived in an apartment like that. Interestingly, in our current house, having the ceiling fans on makes a big difference to the heat in our bedrooms. We're in a two-story, so perhaps the heat rising has something to do with it. Our beds absorb all that excess heat and then are horrible to sleep on, but when the ceiling fan is on during the day it is much more comfortable on the second floor in the evening and the beds are bearable. It's the difference between being able to sleep upstairs or sleeping downstairs on the couch. I bet it's also related to how fast your apartment cools off when you open the apartment door and can get some convection going.
We live in a very small house, no air conditioning. So even though we technically get a cross breeze, the air doesn't really move here in the summer. Our solution is to pretty much live in the basement during the summer. It's a life saver.
Tuft and Needle is the best!
We own two Tuft and Needle mattresses. Love them!
I remember cleaning our Brooklyn apartment in the middle of August in just a bikini because I was SO hot. Cold showers were my favorite way to beat the heat. I would take a full shower in the morning and then jump in the cool water for 60 seconds later in the day. Kinda like running through a sprinkler- urban style.
The last line made me laugh. Reading this sitting down with sweat dripping down my knees!
Love seeing these Tuft and Needle recommendations! Ours arrived in the mail today and we plan to set it up this weekend. I'm so excited!
Cool ideas for hot weather! We’re living in the house without air conditioning and this summer is very tiresome for me :/ But I have small fan (it was my best friend in July and August) and I cook only quick and easy meals. Also I drink a lot of water with ice and slices of lime – it’s very refreshing. Besides, I use the blackout blinds to cover the windows. But I’d never slept with an ice pack – I have to try it;) Thanks for good advices, greetings!
I especially agree with the tip about not cooking; when you cook in a small apartment, then the entire apartment can get almost as hot as the stove.
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