While many enjoy the warm sunny days of summertime, most people will tell you they also enjoy escaping the heat of the season from time to time inside homes cooled with air conditioning. That being said, there are a lot of people who do not have air conditioning inside their homes for various reasons. Often those reasons include affordability of the resulting electric bill or affordability of the units themselves. If air conditioning in the home is not a current option, there are several ways to stay cool during the heat of the summer months.

While opening windows is a good idea, there are a couple of things to consider in order to maximize the cool air that comes at night and early in the mornings. Ideally, the windows should be opened in a home without air conditioning anytime there is a breeze to help move the air inside the house. Breeze or not, the windows should be opened in the evenings when the sun goes down and the air begins to cool off. Leaving the windows open all night to the cooler air will help bring the temperature down inside the house. Without air conditioning, it is a good idea to trap the cooler night and early morning air in the house before the sun heats up the day.

Other methods of keeping a home cool without the benefit of air conditioning include proper window coverings that will block the hot sun and therefore keep out the heat. Heavy curtains closed in the mornings against the sun’s hot rays and left closed throughout the heat of the day will help keep the indoor temperature down somewhat. If there are no heavy curtains available, putting up blankets or quilts will also do the trick to block the heat.

Lastly, a good tip for staying cool inside a home without air conditioning is to keep the body itself cool. Wear as little clothing as possible, no shoes or socks and keep activity to a minimum. Fans aimed at the body will keep the air flowing and help keep the temperature down. Drink lots of cool water and even dampen the body while the fan air is blowing.