Have you ever wondered how to stay cool in the summer without constantly running the A/C? Well, I have a few tips for you!
If you’ve ever been in an old house, it’s possible you noticed the tall windows and 12′ high ceilings along with doors in the front and rear of the house. There is a reason for this.
The doors would be opened in the front and back allowing ample air to enter and exit the house, the high ceilings would catch the hot air leaving cooler air below. Homeowners also did their best to plant many trees for shade which also kept the house cool.
Many of the homes had a “summer kitchen” slightly detached from the house as well. Our ancestors made out fine without air conditioning, but I’m very thankful for it.
However… I’m not thankful for the spike our electric bill sees during the hot summer months so we’ve learned ways to reduce our use of the A/C
How to Stay Cool w/o Running Up the Electric Bill
Open the House at Night. If the temperature drops below 70 in the evenings we often open the windows to really cool the house down. )Only exceptions are when the humidity levels are high, and the next days is supposed to be extra hot.)
In the early mornings we then shut the windows. Many times we don’t need to turn the air back on until 10am or even later. When I worked full time and no one was home, I would leave the air set at 80 until we returned home. Rarely was the house uncomfortable when we got home, but I typically turned the air on pretty quickly afterwards.
Shut the Blinds. Our house sits on an angle, but it’s the perfect angle for letting the sun come in the front in the mornings and in the back in the afternoon. Simply shutting the blinds makes a huge temp difference in the house. Especially shutting the blinds where the afternoon sun hits.
Line Dry. Running the dryer will heat up your house fast! Line drying clothes will help your home stay cooler and it will save you money as well since it cost nearly $1 per load to dry clothes. Bonus points: after standing in the sun to hang your laundry, your house will definitely feel cool!
Ceiling Fans. Running ceiling fans keeps the air circulating throughout the house so when your A/C is running, it is more effective.
Grilling, and Crock Pot Meals. I know from experience that cooking and baking are the fastest ways to heat up a house. Many nights it just cannot be helped, but anytime you can cook outside, do it! If you have a place, try sitting the crockpot outside too. Check out these amazing hamburgers for a start!
Lights and Electronics off. Who needs lights in the daytime anyway? Electronics also heat up the place so only leave on the ones that have to be on. I know when I’m working online, I almost always have to turn the A/C on at some point as I get hot very quickly.
Cool Showers. This is a bedtime favorite for me, nothing like a cool shower to drop my overall body temp and wash away the salty sweat of the day.
Cool Treats. Cooling off on the inside is one of the best ways to bring down your body temp. Try these cool treats, or these amazing ice cream squares!
Swimming. Really. When it’s hot out, nothing helps beat the heat like water. Of course, you don’t actually have to swim or even go anywhere, just set the sprinkler up in the yard and have fun with the kids! (or wash your car with the sprinkler going for double duty!)
And Finally, turn on that A/C. Don’t be miserable. If you have an a/c and nothing else is working, turn it on. There’s nothing wrong with being comfortable, and many times, if it’s too hot, my productivity is massively slashed.
Partially because it’s miserable to work very hard, and partially because my babies are also miserable and whiny and not understanding yet how things work, they are also clingy making everyone involved even hotter!
Those are all great tips! We use a lot of them. We keep our blinds closed until there’s shade on that side of the house. We keep our windows open at night, with window blocks on, and close them in the morning. I need to get my husband to grill more often though, so the oven doesn’t warm up the house while I cook.
It’s amazing how well old houses were built to deal with heat. We’ve been living in our old farmhouse for two years, and we’ve never once turned on the AC. It’s usually 90-100 all summer where we live, but it stays cool inside due to tall ceilings, huge windows, great airflow, the position of the house on a hill, and our huge trees outside. It’s kind of crazy they still don’t attempt to build houses like this!
We also use many of the tips here to help keep the house cool. Blinds are down during the day, but we open the windows and blinds in the evening when it starts to cool down outside. And although ceiling fans aren’t very glamorous, they’re a must in our upstairs bedrooms!
That’s awesome! My mom’s house stays pretty cool as well, but it gets humid enough that she finally caves and turns the a/c on after all 🙂
Love your list and we’ve tried ’em all – they really work! My favorite is taking a cool shower after a hot sticky day in the pastures – instant cooling to your body that lasts a long time. I especially love when you summarized by saying sometimes it’s best to turn on the AC when all else fails – YES! There’s no point in being absolutely miserable when you’ve tried other options but it’s just not enough. Thanks for sharing this awesome post! (Stopping by from Idea Box Link Party)
~Taylor-Made Homestead~
Texas
I try not to cook too often during the summer months, but I often find myself doing it anyway! I’ve also started trying to line dry whenever possible-some things just need the dryer. These truly are some great tips though, and ones I definitely want to start using. Thanks for sharing <3
Our first summer in the house, our living room would be unbearably hot. It wasn’t until winter hit that we found out it was because the chimney flue was stuck open, letting all the hot air in. We bought a glass cover for the fireplace opening and it made an 8 degree difference the next summer!