It’s hot and you need a good chill? No need to buy an air conditioner though!
Not only is it very expensive (several hundred euros at least)… …but moreover, it is very energy consuming !
When you use an air conditioner, your electricity bill will take a big hit.
Fortunately, there are simple and effective tips to keep cool while saving energy.
Here are 10 tips for staying cool WITHOUT plugging in the air conditioner. Watch:
#10 Drink LOTS of water
No one likes to sweat profusely during hot weather…
And the very first thing you need to do to stay cool is super simple: regulate your body temperature.
The most effective way to do this is to cool your body from the inside by drinking cool fluids.
This is much more effective than applying cold stuff to the outside of your body (we’ll show you how to do that a little later).
Know that you should drink 1.5 liters a day, but when it is hot you can easily go up to 2 liters a day. So, don’t hesitate to drink as much water as you need to cool your body and protect it from the stifling heat.
Moreover, during periods of heat wave, the National Agency of Public Health advises to drink water regularly, without waiting to be thirsty.
It is therefore important to always keep cool bottles of water on hand.
And if you don’t particularly like the taste of water, there are plenty of delicious recipes for cool, natural drinks.
#9 Eat ice cream and smoothies
It’s not just water that can cool your body from the inside out when you start to roast from the heat.
For example, you can blend ice cubes or frozen fruit in a blender and make a delicious homemade smoothie.
Smoothies are known to boost your energy levels on hot days. This makes them perfect for continuing to work out in the summer, or if you need to go out during the hottest part of the day.
Well effective for cooling down and getting a good nutrient boost for the day.
Anyway, the idea is not to limit yourself to drink only fresh water, but also to enjoy good ice cream.
However, avoid eating too much ice cream, otherwise you will quickly gain extra pounds!
#8 Use your fan the RIGHT way
Did you know that fans don’t actually cool the air?
In fact, the main reason fans are effective at fighting heat is because they circulate air.
And when air circulates in your home, it also circulates on your skin, which helps sweat evaporate.
So, circulating air will make you feel cooler than the unbreathable air in a room without a fan.
But what few people know is that a fan facing outward, such as toward a window or hallway, is far more effective than a fan facing inward.
The idea is to use your fan to create a draft that pushes warm air out.
This way, that warm air will be naturally replaced by cooler air from outside, or by air from a cooler part of your home.
To give you an image, it’s like a computer. When the processor overheats, the internal fan pushes the hot air out.
And if you have ceiling fans, know that you can change their direction of rotation.
In the summer, set your ceiling fan to turn counterclockwise. When set this way, the fan will move air with a more cooling effect for you.
#7 Make a home air conditioner easily
Don’t have an air conditioner at home? Or maybe you want one, but it’s not possible because you live in a dorm or a rental?
Well, you should know that there is an efficient AND cheap alternative solution! The trick is to make your own home air conditioner, to stay cool during the hot weather!
#6 Use your fridge to cool down
Your next ally on the list of tips to beat the heat?
It’s your refrigerator and freezer! No, we’re not going to advise you to stick your head in the fridge, like the cats in the photo above.
That would be a very bad idea! Here, the idea is to use your refrigerator to lower your body temperature and stay cool.
To do this, put a dampened sheet, fitted sheet or washcloth in a plastic bag, then put it in the fridge or freezer.
At night, just take them out before going to bed to refresh yourself easily and quickly. Similarly, use light-colored, lightweight sheets, as they are better ventilated.
When it’s hot, put your comforter away, even if it’s cozy and comfortable!
In the same vein, you can also try the “Egyptian method”. This ancient technique was used by the Egyptians to stay cool on hot nights.
It’s simple, just soak a sheet in cold water, then wring it out well until it’s just damp, but not soggy.
Then you lie down in bed and use the sheet as a cooling blanket.
And then, the effect is just magical: as the water evaporates, you enjoy all the coolness, but without getting wet!
You can also put a cool washcloth or an ice pack on your head or wrists just before going to sleep.
Guaranteed effect! In the same vein, put on cool, slightly damp socks. This will cool your feet and help you fall asleep much easier.
#5 Install a ventilation system to evacuate hot air
A VMC is an efficient way to remove hot air from inside your home. It is true that it is not cheap, between 200 € and 1 200 € depending on the size of the house.
You will tell me that with such a budget, you can buy an air conditioner, fixed or portable.
But the advantage of a VMC is that it helps you make big savings on electricity bills. This is because a CMV uses much less energy than an air conditioner. So, if you don’t live in a high temperature area all year round, an AC unit is a good solution for the few weeks of the year when it’s very hot. Efficient and easy to use, CMVs are also easy to install.
In addition, CMVs help renew the air in your home. This means more dust in the house, an important consideration for allergy sufferers.
On the other hand, they also have some drawbacks. For example, CMVs cannot lower the indoor temperature below the outdoor temperature.
#4 Keep the heat out
It is often forgotten… One of the best ways to keep your home cool in the summer is to keep the sun and heat out!
Here, the trick is to simply close your shutters and curtains as soon as the sun rises and the mercury starts to climb.
If you don’t have shutters to block the heat and keep the sun out of your home, use thick, insulating fabric curtains like these.
You can even try these futuristic curtains pictured above, made with an insulated material that blocks the sun’s heat.
Later in the day, when the temperatures start to drop, all you have to do is open the curtains.
As soon as it gets cooler outside, the warm air inside your home will naturally escape to the outside and be replaced by fresh air.
This is the principle of thermodynamics: cool air comes in, warm air goes out. And everyone is happy!
#3 Use a cooling pillow
If you’re willing to spend a little money to stay cool at night, there are some useful cooling pillows and mattress toppers.
These products will be a great help when it’s too hot in your bedroom.
I recommend these 2 models that I use at home:
- Chillow cooling pillow at less than 33
- Pillow with cooling gel at 37 €.
You can also try this cooling mattress topper, which guarantees to keep you cool while you sleep.
Indeed, it lowers the temperature of the mattress from 3°C to 4°C, for 5 to 6 hours.
No matter which one you choose, all of these products will help you stay cool in bed, especially when it’s as hot inside as it is outside.
#2 Refresh your pulse points first
Now that you know the trick of the washcloth in the fridge, you can go even further to refresh yourself.
In fact, to make this technique even more effective, it’s important to know where the pulse points are on your body.
So the next time you feel too hot, try putting a cool washcloth on the back of your neck or wrists.
Why?
Because putting a cold source on these strategic locations lowers your body temperature much faster than if you put it on your forehead, for example.
Use the image above to find out where to put your cool compresses, wet towels or ice packs… and they will be even more effective in keeping you cool.
#1 Sleep completely naked!
If you want to cool down, there’s more to it than cold packs or ice packs…
In fact, don’t underestimate the effectiveness of sleeping completely naked and slightly moistening your skin.
There’s nothing like being naked with a little water on your skin and sitting in front of a fan or homemade air conditioner when it’s hot.
This is THE magic formula to enjoy a moment of pure coolness, trust me!
And the secret here is to slightly moisten your body.
Because if there’s too much water on your skin, you won’t get that nice cooling mist effect when you’re drying in front of the fan, or when you have a wet towel wrapped around your head.
So there you have it, the best tips for staying cool WITHOUT having to buy an air conditioner. A nice cold shower, an afternoon indoors with the curtains drawn and the fans running, a few cool glasses of water and a refreshing smoothie…
Follow these tips and you’ll be sure to stay cool.
Now it’s your turn…
Have you tried these tips for staying cool in the heat? Let us know in the comments if they worked for you. We can’t wait to hear from you!