10 Ways To Cool Your Room Without The A/C

 When the humidity and heat become too overwhelming, air conditioning becomes a necessity for most homes. But, A/C can also be quite expensive and inconvenient when it breaks down.

Luckily, some household items and tricks can do the same job pretty well. So, here are 10 intelligent ways to cool your room without the A/C.

1. Use a fan

Depending on its type and features, a fan is a cost-effective way to cool your room.

For example, standing fans rotate and blow air in multiple directions to cool down your room.

On the other hand, mist fans combine their blowing power with a water pump. As a result, they produce fog-like fine water droplets that don't make you feel wet but allow you to experience a refreshing coolness.

If you don't have a mist fan, you can simply place a bowl full of ice in front of a regular fan to get the same effect. Make sure to turn the fan towards a window for maximum cooling effect. 

2. Check for air leaks or drafts

Drafts are small holes or openings (usually near doors and window frames) that let cool air inside. You might think this would cool your room, but they make only the adjacent area cooler, leaving the rest of the room hot.

This is how drafts ruin the complete ventilation effect and make your HVAC system struggle to maintain a constant temperature in the room. So it’s a good idea to closely inspect doors and window frames when trying to cool down your room.

Just like drafts, there are six more small house elements that you shouldn't neglect. You can read more about them here.

3. Open the windows and let some air in (especially at night)

Opening windows can cool a room by allowing air to circulate through it, creating the "ventilation effect”.

Outdoor air typically has lower humidity than indoor air, which is why it makes people feel cooler by increasing sweat evaporation. Plus, since the temperature drops as the sun sets, outside air is cooler at night, making the ventilation effect more powerful.

4. Use a dehumidifier

Humidity is essentially water vapor contained in the air, which makes it feel warmer. Dehumidifiers remove some of this vapor, making air cooler and more capable of absorbing heat from surrounding objects.

Air that’s low in humidity also helps with sweat evaporation, making you feel cooler and dryer. 

5. Open cabinets and cupboards in the kitchen for ventilation

The kitchen is the hottest area of a house and kitchen heat can make the overall environment of your house uncomfortable. 

Cooking activities and heat-producing appliances like your fridge and coffee machine generate heart, which is often entrapped inside kitchen cabinets and cupboards.

This is why opening cabinets and allowing heat to escape through ventilation can cool down your kitchen, improving the overall atmosphere of your house. 

6. Buy cool mattress and bedding accessories

Mattresses and bedding can trap heat and make you sleep hotter. You can do two things to avoid this. One is to buy a mattress with temperature control features that dissipate heat away from the mattress surface. 

And the other is to buy specially designed sheets and comforters that are labeled as "cool."

7. Sleep close to the floor

Warm air is lighter and rises up, while cold air is heavier and stays close to the floor. This is why sleeping on the floor is a good way to stay cool.

This is especially true when the windows are open, which creates good airflow throughout your room.

Moreover, if you have a thick carpet in the room, replace it with a thinner one. You'll notice that the thinner carpet absorbs less heat, keeping the room cool.

8. Change all lights to LED

Regular light bulbs generate a lot of heat. The same goes for heat-producing appliances like TVs, lamps, and refrigerators.

LEDs are much cooler because their primary source of light is semiconductor material instead of heat. As a result, you'll get the same amount of illumination but with less heat generation.

So, replace all incandescent bulbs in your home with LEDs to keep your house cool and your energy costs down.

Here are more ways you can save on energy costs.

9. Install blackout curtains

Blocking out sunlight from entering your room will keep it cool, especially if your window faces the south.

So it’s a good idea to invest in some double-lined drapes and insulate your room against heat induction. Studies suggest that neutral-colored curtains reflect sunlight better, so it’s a good idea to get one of those. 

10. Use cooler colors on the outside

Light colors like white and pale-yellow reflect and scatter sunlight more than dark colors. This is why you'll find most refrigerators and ovens in those colors.

Similarly, painting cooler colors on the outside can keep your rooms cool, so don't be afraid to freshen up your house’s exterior every few months.

Not only will this bring the inside temperature down, but it might also increase the value of your home.