How to Stay Cool Without Air Conditioning

Should the air conditioner break or an interruption in electric power occur, a summer day can be unbearable and even dangerous, especially for the very young and very old. A few small adjustments to the day’s activities can make a big difference.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Get up early. The coolest hours of the day are between 4 and 7 a.m. Consider getting up earlier and doing any tasks that require exertion during these hours.
   

2. Eat a cold breakfast. Fresh fruit, cottage cheese, yogurt and vegetable juice are all good choices. If you must cook, use the microwave to avoid adding heat to the home. Do the same for lunch and dinner.
   

3. Avoid caffeine. Instead, sip ice water throughout the day. Avoid alcohol in the evening.
   

4. Use your windows. Close your windows and draw the shades and curtains beginning at about 9 a.m., and keep them closed until 6 p.m. If you live in a two-story home, keep the second-story windows open slightly during the day to allow hot air to escape.

5. Shower late. Instead of jumping into a hot shower right after getting up in the morning, wait until the temperature starts to rise in your home. Take a cool shower and leave your skin damp, your hair wet.

6. Dress in summer colors and fabrics. Instead of jeans and tight-fitting shirts, wear loose cotton or linen in white or light colors. Leave your shoes off at home and wear a sunhat when you go outside.

7. Use the cold setting. Wash your clothes in cold water and make sure your dishwasher doesn’t use heat to dry dishes. If possible, hang up wet clothes instead of using the dryer. Run these appliances during the cooler parts of the day, or turn them on just before leaving home.

8. Turn everything off. Televisions, stereos, home computers and even incandescent lights generate heat. Leave them off when not in use and consider switching to compact florescent light bulbs. Try not to watch television on hot days.
   

9. Go downstairs. Stay on the first floor of your home and, if possible, in a northeast room. The sun shines most on the southwest part of the house, making that part of the home warmer.

10. Use fans. Ceiling fans and portable fans continually move over your skin, keeping it cool. Pull up shirts and skirts to expose more skin to the breeze. Use a water mister to dampen your skin and get the cooling effect of evaporation. You might even put on damp clothes and let the fan dry them on your body.

11. Leave home. Between 2 and 6 p.m., leave your home for a public building that has air conditioning. Visit a library, museum or mall. Go to a movie. Or simply go outside and sit in the shade.

12. Go to bed early. Strip the bedclothes off and lie uncovered with a fan between the open window and the bed so it will draw in cooler night air.
    

Tips & Warnings

• Check on elderly friends and neighbors on hot days and help them if they seem ill. Summer heat kills hundreds of people every year in the U.S. alone, and an extended heat wave can kill thousands.

[sbe1]

on 8/25/2007 If you have trees or high shrubbery next to a window, place a fan in that window -- trees and shrubs cool the air around them and, in combination with the fan, will act as a natural air conditioner.