4 Easy Ways to Cool Off Your Home During a Heat Wave

If you happen to live in a home with one tiny window AC or a portable unit — or no AC at all — battling against 90+ degree heat can make spending time at home during the summer far less enjoyable. Add a heat wave, a prolonged period of unusually warm weather, to the equation and you’ll probably find yourself counting down the days until fall.

Minus the luxurious arctic blast of central AC, there are creative ways to stay cool and keep from sweltering. For many of us, solace from oppressive heat may not be as as easy as flipping a switch, but luckily these easy tips for staying cool can bring you relief.

Although it sounds a little odd, this tip works (courtesy of the writer’s dad who works outdoors in Florida) and will provide some relief especially when it’s too hot to sleep at night. Take a washcloth and soak it in water, wring and shape into a “U” and stick in the freezer. Once the washcloth is frozen, take it out and wrap it around your neck. The cooling will distribute to the rest of the body quickly and the cool lasts long enough for one to fall asleep.

Hang a damp beach or bath towel over an open window (as long as you are getting a breeze) to provide a cooler breeze. This will give a little relief but we have not found it as effective as the frozen washcloth trick.

Stick a bowl of ice water in front of your fan to help circulate the cooler air. This DIY hack works surprisingly well and takes less than 10 minutes to make.

Unless there is a cool breeze coming in those windows, it is best for them to be closed and covered. Block sunny heat rays by using heavier than usual curtains.