Summer heatwaves can feel unbearable, and it’s tempting to crank up the air conditioner. Unfortunately, running the AC all day increases energy costs and impacts the environment. Fortunately, there are simple ways to stay cool without relying entirely on air conditioning. Start by keeping blinds or curtains closed during the hottest parts of the day to block out the sun. Use fans to circulate air, placing them strategically to push warm air out and cooler air in. Try low-tech tricks like placing a bowl of ice in front of a fan for a cooling breeze. At night, open windows to let cooler air in and switch to lightweight bedding. These small changes can help you stay comfortable and save energy..

Block Out the Sun’s Heat

A big part of keeping your place cooler is stopping sunlight from raising the indoor temperature. Solar rays streaming through glass can turn a room into an oven before you know it. There are a few simple changes that can make a big difference.

Try Smart Window Coverings

South- and west-facing windows deliver the most sunshine. Keeping curtains or blinds closed in these areas during the hottest hours can help. Medium-colored curtains with a white backing can block a surprising amount of warmth, reducing up to a third of the sun’s heat..

Thicker options like blackout curtains go even further. Their heavy fabric helps keep sunlight and the heat out. Another idea: apply a reflective film to the interior of your windows. Reflective film bounces sunlight away before it can get inside and warm things up. Many of these films are easy for DIYers to install and aren’t expensive.

Solar shades or honeycomb (cellular) shades are also worth thinking about. Their layered structure traps a pocket of air and helps insulate the room, so you might feel the difference right away.

Use Outdoor Shade

Stopping the sun outside is often even more effective than blocking it indoors. Adding awnings over your windows, especially on the hottest sides of your home, can reduce heat inside by over half. These external shades intercept the sunlight before it ever gets to your glass.

A longer-term fix is to plant leafy trees near sunlit windows. In summer, the leaves provide cool shade. In winter, when the trees are bare, more sunlight can get through and help warm your house naturally. This approach adds beauty to your yard, too.

Move the Air Around

Stale, hot air has a way of lingering and making rooms stuffy. Getting a steady flow going through your house is another key to staying cool.

Set Up Cross-Ventilation

Windows aren’t just for looking out. Opening them at both ends of the house during the coolest times, often early morning or after sunset, can create a path for air to move straight through. This cross-breeze pushes the old, warm air out and lets the fresh, cooler air in.

You can boost this effect by having a smaller opening on the side where air comes in and a bigger opening where it goes out. That difference in size can speed up the breeze, giving the cooling effect a real nudge.

Fan Placement Tricks

Fans don’t actually lower the air temperature, but they make you feel cooler by moving air over your skin. Ceiling fans are great, but make sure they’re spinning counter-clockwise in summer so they push the air down. Crank up the speed on the hottest days for best comfort.

Box or standing fans can help too. At night, try facing a fan out an open window to help pull warm air outside, then use another fan to guide fresh air in from a cooler space. Want an extra-chilled breeze? Place a bowl of ice or a frozen bottle in front of the fan for a DIY cool mist.

Reduce Extra Warmth Indoors

Heat doesn’t just sneak in from the outside. Appliances, lights, and even your daily routines can add to the warmth inside.

Adjust Kitchen Habits

Cooking on the stove or in the oven can turn your kitchen into a hotspot. On the hottest days, switch to no-cook meals such as salads, wraps, and smoothies. Microwaves, slow cookers, or toaster ovens give off much less heat than a classic oven.

Grilling outdoors keeps the warmth outside where it belongs and is a tasty solution! Small, insulated appliances, like an Instant Pot, create just a fraction of the kitchen heat.

Appliance and Lighting Choices

You may not realize it, but electronics and old-fashioned light bulbs give off a lot of warmth. Swapping out incandescent bulbs for CFLs or LEDs not only saves on electricity but also reduces the heat load in your rooms.

Unplug gadgets and chargers when you’re not using them. A power strip makes this easy. Running big appliances like the dishwasher or dryer at night lets you avoid pumping extra warmth into the house during peak heat.

Simple Cooling Hacks

Some low-tech tricks can help you feel more comfortable during a heatwave, even without adjusting the room temperature much.

Cool Your Body Directly

Chilling yourself is sometimes better than cooling an entire house. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated. Press a damp, cold washcloth to your wrists, neck, or forehead for a quick burst of relief.

Wear light, loose clothes made from natural fabrics like cotton or linen. Choose bedding that breathes, such as cotton sheets, and look for “cooling” pillows or mattress toppers designed to wick away heat. At bedtime, shower off with cool water or use a cooling gel pack under your pillow.

Let in the Night Breeze

Even on the hottest days, nighttime temperatures often drop. Open multiple windows after dark to let in the fresh air, especially in upper and lower parts of your home. Cool outside air will find its way in low, and hot indoor air will rise and escape through higher windows. This is sometimes called the “stack effect.” Be sure to close everything up early in the morning to keep the cooler air inside.

Extra Moves

Use exhaust fans in kitchens or bathrooms to vent hot steamy air outside. Skip heavy, humidity-adding chores (like boiling water or long steamy showers) during the day. Even changing your routine a bit, hanging laundry instead of using the dryer or eating cold foods, can help keep conditions more pleasant indoors.

Combining some or all of these methods can make a big difference. Even without AC, your summer at home and your wallet can be far more comfortable.