When we first moved back to New England after a long exile in other lands (nowhere too far, just not home), I walked into my husband's childhood house on a hot humid day and gasped with relief. It was at least 20 degrees cooler in there, and I knew that of all the people in the world, his parents — Grandma and Grandpa Make-Do-Use-Up-Wear-Out — didn't have air conditioning!
Frankly, even I hated turning that thing on, even in DC, even pregnant during one of the hottest summers on record.
I know that not everyone agrees on this, but I'm with Grandma and Grandpa — I detest air conditioning. Even when in that swampy hot humid climate from hell (DC) I hated it, and I didn't know then what I know now about keeping cool without it. I just stayed hot.
My mother-in-law was really the genius at keeping things cool, and I learned a lot from her, much of which, admittedly, would not work as well in a place like DC, although with the right architecture (such as you found in the South long ago), I think it would go a long way.
Here's what she taught me:
Close up the house on the sides that face the rising heat.
Shut windows.
Lower blinds, draw curtains, turn off lights. Start loving the cool darkness in the heat of the day.
Open doors and windows on the cool sides of the house. A bush on the northwest corner will do amazing things to cool the air coming in a window on that side. You want to catch that coolness in the morning.
Later in the day, that western side is the one that gets closed. The eastern windows can be opened as the sun recedes.
Any north-facing windows can be left open all day except on the hottest days. You can feel the air. If it's cooler than what you've got, let it in! If it's hotter, keep it out.
Open the top of a warmer-side window and the bottom of a cooler side to get a flow going through your house.
A fan placed near a north-facing window will do wonders.
These stand fans are great — Grandma always had one by the window behind the piano, and another in the kitchen (which also faced north).
Best of all is a ceiling fan, and if I had the money for it, I would not get AC — I would put a ceiling fan in every room.
Turn the light off and get the fan cranked up (in winter, reverse the direction and set it on low — you will be amazed at how much warmer the room feels).
Yet, there is still peace and quiet…
If you are lucky enough to have a screened-in porch, keep it shaded with your landscaping or bamboo blinds during the hot hours. The air that goes through it will cool your whole house.
I don't have a screened-in porch but I do have a shady deck, onto which the slider (above) and this window (below) open. I can leave the window open even during a storm, because it's protected by a little alcove, and it's always cool.
I was thrilled to finally replace the less than pleasing light over our kitchen table with the fan. I know it will pay for itself this year in heat savings alone, and it makes the kitchen pleasant in the hot weather.
At night, once you are used to it, a fan is just as cooling as AC and a lot quieter. On the very hottest nights have the children sponge bathe with cold water or take a quick dip in a cold tub right before bed. An indirectly placed fan (or that wonderful ceiling fan) will have them sleeping better than the frigid, unrefreshed air of the AC.
Living frugally, we become committed to family life without too many needs. Sometimes we grew up that way and sometimes we learn…
…and then we find our whole way of life enriched, because who isn't better off with a screen door slamming, the outdoors not hermetically sealed off, the chirp of the crickets audible, the sounds of the children playing outside wafting in and out of our consciousness?
Life enclosed indoors all the time isn't a good one, I can't help thinking. I know that in some places there is a stretch where nothing can be done because of the heat. Well, there are times here that nothing can be done because of the cold and ice.
That's part of the rhythm of life.
But when a breeze comes up, you want to catch it — not be oblivious to it because the stale air circulating around you prevents you from noticing.
And you know, kids are impervious to heat that slays adults, as long as they are given a respite.
There is no reason to keep them inside when they could be out playing (rather than carting them to organized sports, season in and season out). Even if it's only a whiffle-ball game in the hours before noon or a pick-up basketball game in the evening with a kiddie pool in between, that's where memories are made.
In the hot hours everyone can be reading, and that is a good, good thing.
Keep your lemonade cold and take the hot days a bit slower, rather than trying to obliterate them.
Do share your tips for keeping cool in the hot weather. I look forward to hearing your ideas for living without AC.
Charlotte (Waltzing says
I always have to remind myself that people on the internet live in different parts of the world so that when I read a post like this I don't immediately think my friends have lost their minds!!!! : )We do most of these things and then some (like cook in our garage) but still love our AC while we ride out our 100+ degree days! Living without it can be deadly down here.Stay cool, Auntie Leila!
Leila says
Haha, Charlotte, I tried to take you into consideration, but, you know, people did without at some point! I grant that it's now a necessity in some places ;)But why oh why have it in Massachusetts?Silly.
Leila says
Also, using these methods you can save on your AC bill. How many houses have I been in with the sun pouring in the south-facing windows AND the AC cranked up?
Deirdre says
Yay to screen doors! I never, ever want to live somewhere where I'd *have* to have AC, because to me there is practically no greater pleasure than stepping through a screen door with bare feet. After a cold winter of bundling in a thundred layers and opening a heavy door only just long enough to get through before slamming it again, ALL I want is to stride through a screen door effortlessly. Open doorways during summer are one of the best joys of life. I'd so much rather have a fan and a breeze, even if it means a bit more sweat. Also, for some of us, AC absolutely kills our hair during the summer. If your hair is like mine (as in, needs to air-dry in natural conditions in order to behave at all), then coming out of the shower into an air-conditioned room is death to your tresses.
Anonymous says
I also detest AC, and find I am more comfortable with 80 deg outside air than 70 deg inside AC. Key for me is air movement. An evening breeze moving the cotton curtains is heaven!Getting up early to close up the sunny side of the house before the sun peeks in seems to be key, and then throwing open the house as the evening cools. It does help living in a house that was built before AC so there are nice cross breezes.Love your point that we all accept that winter curtails our activities, it is ok for summer to do this too! Work when it is cooler, rest when hotter. Drink cool water with lemon, sit down with a book, and enjoy the moment!
J.J. says
we don't have AC either. We live in an area wher eit is not mandatory…and only about 2 weeks out of the summer are kind of uncomfortable. But that is even workable. I open the house int he early am and fan in all the cool air…and close upt he house during he hot oat of the day and re open it around dinner time. WE also have a full finished basement where the hole family can sleep..hubby and I in the guest room…and the two kids that sleep up stairs can hav sleep overs with the other two down stairs. (we have 3 bedrooms on the main floor and 3 in the basement) It doesn't get above 70 down there. Also our house faces South and we virtually no windows on the East and West sides of the house. (Facing E and W there are two basement windows that ae beloe ground level and two bathroom windows that are covered during the summer)I live living like this because it takes effort and purpose. And our utility bills in the summer are nil.Good stuff!
Emily (Laundry and L says
Auntie Leila, is it really true that running a fan in every room takes less energy than running the AC? I've had people tell me conflicting things, and I'm wondering if you know. Last summer was pretty miserable in So. Cal, and we were running the AC most of the time. It caused an unexpected problem, though: I didn't want to open the doors, which meant that the kids couldn't run in and out like they usually do. So…bored, cranky kids. I want to do it differently this year, and maybe fans are the way to go. Our home is a condo, connected to other houses, so we have doors and windows only on the North side and South side. In such a case, does it matter which ones you have open at which times?
J.J. says
I also don't bake or turn on the oven fo any readon during the day. I do that in the morning or evenings and bake enough for several days. We grill a lot ouside to keep the heat out there, too.:)
J.J. says
Also good insulation works wonders. and we use fans to suck in that cool air!
CarlynB says
Well, I live in Mississippi, and I'm telling you there are a couple of months (July and August) that I thank God for our air conditioner. However, we live in a home that was built in 1945 and was based on a house plan that was even older and it is designed for dealing with the Miss. heat by way of a layout that takes advantage of cross breezes.Because of the way my house is built (and the wonderful shady trees on our lot) there have been many years when I haven't had to turn the AC on until June, which is something for this part of the world. I can also turn it off sometime around the middle of Sept. most of the time.My dear paternal grandmother never had air conditioning in her houses as long as she lived. Even when my aunt built a house for her in the early '70s, there was no AC. Grandmother inherited some money in her later years that would have paid for air conditioning for her house, but she said that she'd rather save it for something more important. We lived in her house during one summer when I was a child, and I never even noticed that there was no AC! In fact, I was grown before I realized there was no AC in that house. I sure don't remember being hot or uncomfortable in that house.
Milkmaid says
I'm in southern TN now, and I'd be lying if I told you I didn't appreciate our AC. We lived without it for a few years in an old farmhouse in AL. The AL house was well positioned, south-facing, with trees on the western side. But there were many summer afternoons when the hot, humid air just left us all completely drained. I can't say I miss that…But yes, so many of the tips you mentioned are practical even in air conditioned houses. My favorite: sleeping with opened windows. And another helpful tool for keeping cool: an attic fan!Even on the hottest nights in AL, with the attic fan running, we'd need to cover up with a line-dried cotton sheet. All the hot air would escape as the cooler evening air rushed in. First thing in the morning we'd turn off the attic fan in an attempt to trap the remaining cool night air in the house.
Robin says
Great post!Up here, north of you Auntie Leila, we implement a lot of what you say. I also am able to hang laundry out on my deck, with those collapsible dryer-hanging-thingys, and have jeans and such dry very quickly.Can we talk about hot weather cooking? Other than using the crockpot in the garage (which I have been known to do). Or grilling. Anything else?
Charlotte (Waltzing says
Regarding cooking, we have a table out in our garage with a crockpot, an electric roasting oven and a toaster oven. Anything that needs to get baked in the oven for longer than 15 minutes get cooked out in the garage. And I prefer to do all of my baking during early morning because the hottest time of the day hits around 3pm and it doesn't cool down that much by 5. If you can't setup your garage, maybe consider a laundry room or a bathroom with a vent that can be closed off from the rest of the house.I am noticing that most of the people who mention living in the south without AC also mentioned their house being better situated for it and those houses are older. Our house was built in 1989 and you would laugh if you saw how it was laid out! Definitely not conducive to good air circulation. We do have ceiling fans in every room and some floor fans too. We keep our windows covered too although some are just blinds and could probably do with some heavier shades like quilts or something.
Charlotte (Waltzing says
Also, we change our menu to reflect the season. For example, we cook a big batch of garlic chicken one day and use the leftovers to make lots of cool pasta salads, chicken salad, chicken tacos, etc….
Camille says
We live in Las Vegas so we have to have AC. Today it's 106, tomorrow 108 and Monday 109 and that's just starting to get hot! We keep our AC at 79 or 80 during the day and keep the shades drawn on the windows where the sun is shining. We also tint our home windows. Ceiling fans are our saving grace! I rarely, rarely use my oven from June until September. If it won't bake in the toaster oven, I do without. Even my gas stove gets my kitchen hot! So I try to cook in the mornings or at night. I bake one or twice a month and do a huge batch and freeze everything. I watch the weather and make sure to bake on a cooler day. I have come to realize summer is our "winter" – just like you keep your house all sealed up during the winter, we weatherize and keep ours sealed up during the summer. It does get stuffy, but I just remember that I'll still have my windows open in October and November and try to survive. 🙂
Camille says
Oh,and I'm thinking about trying solar cooking this summer! 🙂 It looks pretty easy.
Juliana says
We live in Philly where the summers can be pretty brutal and many places (including businesses) don't have AC. We live in a row home and didn't install it when we renovated, choosing instead to put ceiling fans in every room of the house. The first summer we lived here, there was a whole month of 100+ degree days and we thought we'd lost our minds. We moved into the first floor only (a neat trick since the bathrooms are on the 2nd and 3rd floors) and tried not to cook much if possible as the kitchen doesn't ventilate very well. As our first floor consists of the living room and kitchen, with only north and south facing windows, it was a dark and gloomy month, nursing a cranky baby.Then we learned a little trick that saved our bacon: the whole house fan. This only works if you have forced air, rather than radiator heat, but if you just turn the fan from the heater on, without the heat, it will draw the cooler air from the basement up through the vents and circulate it through the house, which evens out the temps on the upper floors, making them habitable (and sleepable).We also use the box fan in the window trick, and make sure to turn everything off and close all the windows on the upper floors during the day to keep the heat out. The problem comes when the heat doesn't break after dark, as it often doesn't here in the summer, but the ceiling fans do help us sleep at least. I've taken to cold showers twice a day, since this summer I'm again nursing a baby and am hot all the time. I do try to use the toaster oven, and my husband grills sometimes, but I don't understand our grill and I can in August (the worst time to be slaving over a water bath canner!) and just expect to sweat a lot. I'm much happier in the winter, needless to say.
Woman of the House says
We do some of the things you mention, but I don't hesitate to turn on my AC if it's too humid. That's really what gets to me. That sticky feeling is pretty awful!We can't leave windows on the first floor open all night. We live in a high foot traffic area, and that's inviting thieves. The sidewalk is about five feet from our house.OTOH, I do love it when we can shut the AC off and open up! Maybe I just need to become friends with sweat. 😉
Nicole Szpila says
This is an old post, and I’ve read it many times and have just read it again in your Summa Domestica AND gave it to my husband to read! I grew up in a home with A/C blasting to the point of needing to wear sweats indoors in the summer! As I’ve gotten older and lived in my own homes (we’re on our second, hopefully forever, home with four littles underfoot), I’ve developed a love for hearing the birds and crickets and noises of the outside coming in through an open door or window – but haven’t yet mastered the art of living without A/C – I’m hoping this is the year we get more practiced!! I took notes to place around near our windows so we know just what to do to bring the right air through or close up windows when and such. Unfortunately we only have east and west facing windows, no north facing windows at all! But we will make it work! I hope to install more fans as we go through the years as well – I agree, they are the best!
Blessings to you, Auntie Leila, and thank you for always sharing your wisdom with us!!
scmom (Barbara) says
I hear you, Leila. And I think decades ago we lived much more comfortably because we were not used to climate-control every where. But, in Ohio today we had mid-80s (not bad) with mid-80 percent humidity. The damp just weighed us down and we could hardly breath. I was out in it all morning and part of the afternoon and I was exhausted (I know, I'm weak). How do you deal with muggy AND hot? Or do you not have muggy?
Margo says
I do what you do, Auntie Leila, for the same reasons. I have noticed that people who go from air conditioned office to non air conditioned home (or vice versa) mind the heat more. Your body can learn to manage a certain level of heat and humidity – and yes, you do need to slow down. Since we have a three storey house with a flat roof (and tenants in those upper floors), we can't have an attic fan, so I make do with the exhaust fans over the stove and in the bathroom.When I was little, my parents told me to sleep on my back with my arms and legs spread out to get cool. It works!My downfalls are baking bread and canning. My husband has an idea to rig up an outdoor burner for my canner this summer. Back in the day, the women had summer kitchens which did not heat up the house. How I wish I had one!
Melanie B says
I wish we could do without our AC more often; but our house is terribly designed. The windows are these little postage-stamp sized things and we can't catch a decent breeze. However, I do think it might be worth it for me to invest in some better drapes to be able to close off the windows in the living room and dining room in the heat of the day.
Gail says
Oh thank you for the post Leila! I was just thinking yesterday or today that I needed to get information about how to keep the house cool. I was never taught this stuff. And now I realize what a mistake I've made that in my indecisiveness since moving in three years ago, I've never hung window treatments on our west facing windows! I'll have to "make do" with something for the time being.
Leila says
Again wishing I could answer each comment individually, sigh.Emily, running fans is cheaper, and the analysis doesn't take into account winter savings (I know we used less wood in the kitchen wood stove when we also operated the fan).http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070427095904AAjSmzNA bunch of you mentioned the bad design of new houses, and of course that is a result of dependency on AC. Builders don't have to design for airflow, so they don't. If you have the chance to build your own house, I think research on natural cooling and heating would pay off. For one thing, what about when the power fails??Of course humidity makes things much more intolerable. In Egypt people don't have AC (or didn't when I was there) but if you can protect yourself from the sun there you are okay. So over 100 in dry heat is easier to deal with than 90 in humidity. Having lived for 6 years in DC, I feel that pain. You are just immobilized with the humidity. You don't feel like doing anything! We have mugginess here in the northeast, but it lifts occasionally and there are breezes and storms that clear things out. Once in a while there is a week of misery, but nothing like some other places.Good tips about cooking! If I'm making bread, I bake it before bed so the kitchen can cool off while I'm in bed. I try to get things cooked in the early hours when it's bad.Charlotte, I love the idea of cooking a big batch when you know it won't be too bad, and having the cold leftovers for a while. I do that too.Keep cool, everyone! 🙂 Keep those brainstorms coming!
Gail says
Oops, I meant my East facing windows. I'm really directionally challenged since moving to the East coast. The sun is supposed to set toward the ocean! Why doesn't that work here??
Betsy says
My husband's job has him working very hard outside in the heat so air conditioning is not an option for me but a necessity to my marriage. He teases that I either run the air or he is moving our family to Alaska. 🙂 We have compromised now in recent years with the air staying off while he is gone then I turning it on to cool the house before he comes home. I grew up without air conditioning and use most of the ideas you spoke of above but will be implimenting a couple that you mentioned which I had forgoten about. We installed a second older stove in our basement for cooking during the summer months. Since the basement is naturally cool, the heat from the stove does not bother me as much and it does not trigger the air conditioning to turn on. I think the $$ of installing the electic line down there has maybe already pd for itself with all the canning that I do in the summer. I need to get more creative with crock pot meals this year as that does work wonderfully in the garage! And the comment above about baking once or twice a month is smart. I will have to try that as well. Thanks
Anonymous says
Thanks for another great post, Auntie Leila. We do the same things you mentioned in your post, but I do have a few other suggestions. While I loved the whole house fan in our last house, our current home doesn't have one, so, with the furnace and AC off, I turn the fan setting on the thermostat to "on" instead of "auto." It seems to keep air flowing through the house. Also, I've noticed if we take showers/baths, even just a sink bath at night and then powder up with baby powder, sleeping is much more comfortable. Hope this helps. Deanna Hans
Anonymous says
Well I have to say I love our air-conditioning! I love fresh air too so I switch back and forth quite often.
mel says
Oh dear…my husband keeps it meat locker cold during the summer I'm afraid, and our electric bill shows it. Our biggest downfall is the upstairs. It is a finished attic space, and it is our master bedroom. By the end of the day, it is brutally hot up there during the summer. We are in Arkansas…summers get pretty ugly. We have to freeze the downstairs to make the upstairs even bearable. I'm going to try some strategic window openings though. There is one small south window and two small north windows up there. If I can make the upstairs more bearable, it would sure help keep the bill down!
Christina A says
We put our window A/C unit in the highest room in the house, and the cold air naturally filters down to the rest of the house.
Christina A says
Also, do you have an exhaust fan in your highest bathroom? Keeping that on during the day seemed to draw a lot of hot air out of the house for us. Hope you find a way to keep your bedroom usable in the heat of summer!
MamaEscandon says
I am also in so cal. We installed a whole house fan and LOVE it! There were only a few nights (maybe 4) ladt year we had to use the ac at night due to humidity. My house is TERRIBLY placed and designed. I wish I had thought about it more when we bought it. The south and west sides get really hot in the summer. The temperature on that side of the house will increase about 10-15 degrees and get up up 90 inside the house. That side of the house is also where our kitchen, eating, and living areas are. So, we are usually miserable. The first year here I put up foil to keep the sun out and that helped a little but we couldn't open the windows at night. Along with the whole house fan we installed some sun setter shades. They help a lot. In the summer you can't even put your hands on the windows on this end of the house they get so hot. With the sun setter shades, they still get hot to the touch but you can keep your hand there. I also like that i can open up the windows at night and turn on the whole house fan to cool everything down and not have to roll up the shades. My husband is relocating us to Austin, TX… I'm not looking forward to the heat!
*Michigan Momma* says
We've lived in our home now for almost a year. I am slowly learning it's secrets! Thank you for sharing these cooling tips ~ I'm going to take some time this week and really study my home!We bought this home, out in the country, to enjoy it – to let our children enjoy it. One of my greatest blessings is to listen to them play together outside! It's worth the humidity, the changing of fans and curtains and figuring out where to open windows….ABSOLUTELY!!Thank you for these relevant posts here lately!! God bless~
Barb says
Thank you so much for the tips! I grew up without air conditioning in a hundred year old farm house with foot-thick stone walls. I hate air conditioning! My philosophy is to work on getting used to the heat and set the rhythm of the day according to the temperature. In our current house, the basement stays very cool so on the hottest afternoons I do send the kids into the basement to play. We also drink tons of water. I finally persuaded my husband the engineer to leave the curtains open at night so the cooler night air could come into the house. We have a house fan that helps with the air flow, but I need to try some of your tips to maximize the air flow.
Anonymous says
another summer cooking tip–i have a friend who lives on the eastern Texas coastline who bakes bread in her roaster, i think? in the garage, of course.here in the California desert, we do use our A/C during those months of dog-day heat when it's well over 100* for weeks on end and the nights don't get much below 90*, especially since my husband has to work out in it all day long! but we do dress our windows in layers: roll-up blinds on the outside, blinds and curtains on the inside–lined or insulated curtains are best. and sometimes we even resort to hanging heavy blankets over the windows. i believe that Rhonda Jean at Down-To-Earth hangs window quilts, i'm sure a body could do a search and find more info on that if they were interested.fans in every room here as well–ceiling fans, standing fans, the more the merrier! in the kitchen, we strategically position fans to blow the hot air out the window and back door. i often send my young ones to play in a cool bath on a hot afternoon, and i put them to bed with a wet washcloth for mopping their brow and cooling down their arms and legs. thank you so much, Auntie Leila, for all of your ridiculously PRACTICAL advice–you're a real treasure!Desert Bird
mel says
What does it cost to put in a house fan/attic fan? I realize some of you probably had it done a long time ago, and it will vary from place to place, but just wanting a ballpark…and we would have to have it installed I'm sure. My husband is not a handy guy. 🙂
Sophie Miriam says
Our problem is not heat, it's humidity. Last year we did the "suck it up and deal with it, this is what it's like in DC" method, only to discover that some of our books and a pair of shoes molded, it was so humid in our house. And a lot of us are allergic to mold as well.We have some problems upstairs with heat, too, though. One of the upstairs bedrooms has five girls in it, with curtains and bookshelves set up so every girl has her own little space. It's great for living in, but terrible for air circulation.To use our A/C to get the house unhumid means cooling it to a point where everyone is complaining because it is too cold, so we run a dehumidifier. Running the dehumidifier raises the temperature of the house by several degrees. So right now we have the dehumidifier *and* the A/C running. The dehumidifier especially is insanely expensive to run. There's got to be a better solution, but we haven't figured out what it is. Any tips?
Adventures In Babywe says
I'm so excited to find this post. I am going to follow your instructions this week! It was sweltering here yesterday (and I was burning up, cleaning the house top to bottom) but I refused to turn on the air! I need to get more fans, too, I think.Happy summer!Steph
Breanna says
I don't know anything about humidity–after where I've lived my whole life anything more than "arid" seems humid to me–but as far as heat goes, you can take a clue from those languid southern ladies in the 1960s movies. They don't. move. in. the. afternoon. If you can arrange your hot days so that you get most of your have-to's done in the morning, you can sit in the shade with a fan and a glass of tea somewhere in the heat of the afternoon.Or maybe you're like me and realize you still have the weeding to do. ;)Doesn't get anything LIKE how hot you ladies have it up here–and we absolutely can't justify having AC, so we just use fans. You can sponge yourself off with a cool washcloth under the neck and arms and that helps, too.
Mrs. Pickles says
Wow, pregnant in DC with no A/C/ — I have a whole new level of respect for you, Auntie Leila. I agree with everything you say, but I am currently living in what you so aptly describe as that swampy hot humid climate from hell, and as your children who are here can tell you, we've had several days of hell in a row, 90+ and humid. It's true, the humidity turns you into a puddle of lethargy. Plus I am also Great With Child, so I am doubly incapacitated when it's hot. A/C is a necessity for me to function, but I don't like that stale air feeling and stale house smell — so we keep the thermostat to 78 at the lowest (so it's not as much of a shock when you come inside), and open the house up whenever it gets to about 80 outside. It's hard to invite cross breezes when the air is dead still — so to encourage air movement we put a giant box fan in an upstairs window blowing out, to act as an exhaust fan. Works wonders.Even though we use our A/C you've inspired me to be more frugal — I can easily curtain up the hot sides of the house and use fans to move the air around more efficiently — should make a difference in the electric bill!
Pippajo says
Oh dear. Oh dear, dear, dear, dear. I LOVE my central air, LOVE IT! I love cold, wintry weather and hate, loathe, despise and abominate hot summer weather. Nothing makes me more miserable than having to endure the heat. We have the windows open during every other season of the year, but during summer, we hibernate.The Viking has tried to convince me that window fans, ceiling fans, attic fans, dark blinds, etc will help. We've tried them all. I was still miserable. I did survive years of no air conditioning with no lasting damage, but I've never been able to get used to it.South Jersey may not be the in the hottest part of the country, but it sure is one of the most humid! And, as you've no doubt heard before, it's not the heat, it's the humidity. In my opinion, all the fans in the world won't make a difference when it's 98 degrees with 95% humidity.So, we hibernate in the summer, crank the AC down (or is it up?) to 68 degrees from Memorial Day to Labor Day and, on the rare day when the humidity does drop and the breezes are fresh, we throw open the windows and turn on the fans!I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm used to it!
Heidi says
This post echoes what I just figured out! (We're in our first apartment-of-our-own in the States.) My one addition is that we have a little window fan in our bedroom (ours is actually a two-little-fans-in-one-unit model) that can be switched from intake to exhaust. We have it blowing air out the window during the day, and then as soon as it gets cooler outside than inside in the evening, we switch it to blowing air in. We also have the thermostat fan switch set to "on" while we're home during the day.
TwoSquareMeals says
My daddy always used to say that people thought Southerners were lazy because they had never had to deal with our heat and humidity. I think he's right. DC is bad, and it gets much worse as you drive down I-95. It's hard to cool off a house when it's 88 and humid at 3am. I am in awe of anyone who can do it!It's a shame new houses in the South aren't built like old ones, with big, shady porches, sleeping porches for the summer, and windows and doors designed for good air flow. You can live without AC in the South, but I am not that strong of a woman! When it is 98 degrees with 95 percent humidity, I love my AC. We never do crank it up, though, because it seems silly to want to be naked outside because it is so hot and then come inside to cover up with a blanket because it is so cold.But here is a trick I have seen old Southern ladies use: hang a damp sheet over screen doors and damp dishcloths or torn up sheets over open windows. This keeps out the sun while providing an extra cool breeze. Ever heard of that? I'd love to know if anyone has tried it.If I ever live somewhere where the summer air isn't so present that it may as well be a member of the family, I will definitely use these tricks.
Leila says
On the hottest days we do switch up sleeping areas, and my mom talks about sleeping porches in upstate New York — I think we need some of those ;)Becoming "nocturnal" can be a good strategy — stay up later until it cools down, then sleep a little later.Gail, Rosie is directionally challenged too, she tells me — you go East to get to the ocean…oops!But you need curtains and/or blinds on both east and west, and you switch them up as the sun moves. Ideally one would have awnings on the south side. But deciduous trees work very well!
Sara says
I read this first thing this morning before Mass, and I had to come back this evening to read all the comments. We opened up our house today thanks to you! Down here in HotLanta in a newer, poorly designed house, I'm not sure how well it will work. I may have the air back on for bedtime! Even so, we only keep it on 78 at night.We close up when it warms up in the spring because my family's allergies are so bad. They're miserable, and as much as I'd like the windows open, I can't justify sucking in the cool air along with the pollen.If we're going to do a lot of this, which I'd really like to do, I'll have to get a couple of new fans and make some kind of window covering for my bay window on the south side. We have a lot of trees, but a lot of sun still comes in that window!
Sue says
I have to admit that I am totally with Pippajo on this one. I get sick really quickly when over heated. Having said that, those of you who live on the east coast of the US only *think* you know what humid is. Being a Georgia girl myself, I didn't think it could get worse – until I moved to Japan. In summer it feels like you could swim through the air! Nothing can make me long for good old central air than a Tokyo summer. Unfortunately, the only place that can be found is at the store. In our homes we only have units, so I really know what you mean about not wanting to use one of those, Leila. The air doesn't circulate, and gets stale. You can only stay cool if you keep to the room with the unit (I can't stand getting nice and cool only to go to the bathroom and sweat!).We use all of your little tricks to avoid that stale a/c unit air for as long as I can stand it. Those tricks also help keep the running of the a/c down when you do have it on. The hand held fans and cheap bamboo window shades are showing up in all the stores around here lately, but we are having a heavenly cool early summer, the widows are wide open, and you won't hear one little complaint from me!
Anonymous says
After a long winter in Ohio, I find myself welcoming the heat. I hate to turn on the ac because I love having my windows open for fresh air. I will try some of these tips. I've always jumped up in the morning and opened ALL the windows. Now I'll be more strategic. Thank you!
Anonymous says
We live in a climate where there comes a point that at some point it is just too hot. (N CA 100+ VERY common) But we do not have central air and I think we do great. First off, insulate the house, we have an old house and replacing windows and adding insulation has made a HUGE difference. Second, suck in the cool night air, we have an attic fan and that is what always recommend people do first in their new homes. It has the added benefit of cooling off the attic, if that's not cool, then it heats up your house in the am. As soon as the sun rises, shut the house up tight, curtains and all. Doing these things makes it so that we don't even feel the heat until its above 95 degrees outside.Happy Summer!
going kiwi says
I just found you and I have to agree with you I do not like the AC. Last summer we were in 100-109 degree temp and had a swamp cooler. I loved my swamp cooler. Obviously, I had dry heat but it made about 85 inside and it was bearable. We are more coastal now and will deal with 90-95 degree heat this summer. It will be a breeze compared to last summer. Great tips and use most already.
Leila says
Going Kiwi!! What's a swamp cooler??XOXOLeila
stephanie says
I'm not sure if I saw this…wear skirts. Material makes a difference, too. You feel much cooler in appropriate clothing! The humidity kills me, though, so we do use a/c. I was born in dc then we moved to ca. Hotter, but dry. It's not the heat. It's the humidity! In co, no a/c, just a whole house fan. In ne, now in the middle of a corn field we use it when we have to but do open windows and use curtains and ceiling fans. I do need more trees on the south side.
Melanie B says
A swamp cooler cools the air by evaporating water. Sort of like perspiration. It really only works in arid climates, though. My grandmother who lived in Tuscon had one. Not so effective here on the Eastern seaboard.more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporative_cooler
going kiwi says
Leila,Yes, the swamp cooler is really only good in dry heat. Melanie B. explained it perfectly, it is like a cool humidifier. It takes considerably less energy and it is refreshing. My sister lives in New Zealand and it is so humid all year round that they have de-humidifiers. Taking the moisture out of the air and they run it nonstop. Literally taking 2 quarts of water out of the air in a day or two. One of those would help your humid summer if they are available here in the states. And when it comes to properly insulated houses, my husband used to build straw bale houses and they need very little heating or cooling. Really interesting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw-bale_construct…
Anonymous says
I always laugh hard when I hear the "at least it's DRY heat." Growing up in the desert, where the summers easily get into the 100 + teens and twenties is just as miserable as those humid days in the East. They are both uncomfortable, just in different ways. I lived in VA for awhile after marrying and I'd much rather live there than in a southwestern desert. All that humidity is the reason you have GREEN! It is so refreshing. Nothing worse than a hotter than hell day and looking out to see…various shades of brown, cactus and a few spindly trees. And dust, dust, dust everywhere. Water is the reason for all that humidity! You'd really appreciate it if you lived somewhere where you had to ration water, telling the kids not to fill up the kiddie pool again because the vegetable garden needs to be watered. Count your green blessings.
Melanie B says
Oh I so agree about "at least it's DRY heat." I grew up in central Texas with relatives in Arizona and never found that was any less miserable than the other on a hot day. And yes, yes, yes about the green. I'd much rather humidity and lots of trees than arid desert brown with cacti. I don't think I could survive for long in a place without trees. I'm so glad my parents moved out of Arizona before they started a family.
Nancy says
What I learned living in the South-ceiling fans in every room for circulation-crack your widow 1/4 of the way open…not all the way open with your shades, curtains down (you've mentioned this in your post) This tip was given to me by an elderly Southern woman in Aiken, SC.-wear cotton whites and light clothing, straw hat, sandels, etc.-do most of your housework in early morning and late evening-use middle of day (hottest) for other activities like sewing,reading, etc.-eat cold foods, watermelon, icecream, salads, etc.The janitor in our school was recently telling me he can remember going to school IN UNIFORM in 90 degree weather here in Florida-no air conditioning in home or car.
Catharina de Bononia says
I live in New Orleans, and I'm pretty sure we've turned on our a/c every. single. month. for as long as I've lived here… even in "winter" it usually goes on once or twice a month.It's balanced, I guess, by the fact that I don't buy winter coats. Or boots. Or any other "winter" "gear" (including sweaters, mittens, etc.) My children wore "crocs" through the winter… with socks, I'll admit (stylish, no? They're all under age 4, so they don't care. Yet.).The year before we started having babies, my husband & I stayed here through Katrina. We knew the power would go out. And it did. We just spent most of those day lying down to read or chat. (We did eventually evacuate when the water stopped working. No a/c is waaaay more reasonable than no-flushing-toilets.) After 4 babies, if we were faced with the same situation, I imagine we'd combat the heat by sleeping. For three weeks straight.
Kathleen says
I do love to keep the windows open as much as possible but the humidity of TN gets to me and I turn on the A/C. But either way, I noticed some talk of summer cooking and would love some summertime recipes. I have had some cold soups but don't have recipes for those. Does someone have a trusted cold soup recipe or two? Or other cold summertime food/recipe?
Julie says
I'm another AC hater: the noise, the coldness, the artificial smell all really bother me. I postpone it's usage until the humidity and heat and/or my husband's grumbling are too much. You just can't beat fresh air.
Anonymous says
I grew up without A/C (in a mid-Atlantic state) and don't have any memories of being miserable or it ruining my summer etc….. we had lots of fans, drank lots of Country Time and spent a LOT of time at the lake.I can't fathom living without it now though. Granted, I do NOT live in a temperate zone anymore. I live in an area that is one step away from desert and we had about ninety 100+ degree days. Not to mention this house is designed with A/C in mind. Think two HUGE south facing windows that are set so high up in a cathedral-ceilinged LR that you can't open,shut or even curtain them. I remmeber fondly listening to my voice change in the industrial strength window fan in my grandparents upstairs hallway. My kids will have to make due with talking into the A/C unit outside our kitchen 😀
Rachel says
First time poster, but those ideas are wonderful..Except when it is 103 with the heat index, and the humidity is what gets you, more than the heat.I live in SE Oklahoma. It is…well, if Texas is hell on earth without a/c, then Oklahoma is only slightly better, and is a hot purgation…That reminds me..better offer it up…get some "time off" 😉
Chersis and Trehugre says
I'd love to be able to leave my windows open and I can get a good breeze running through our house here in Ohio even when it's hot and humid. I however am extremely allergic to the outdoors. And when I say the outdoors I mean it; grass, trees, flowers, shrubs, bees, mold, mildew. Unfortunately the A/C is healthier for those of us with severe allergies. Mine are also pretty much year round so there is usually only a 2 week period in the spring (when the pollen just hasn't started blowing around) and in the fall (when it still isn't damp enough for mold) that I can open our windows. Otherwise we have to keep it pretty closed up around here. It sucks, but I guess you do what you have to do. 🙂
An Adventurer in the says
I never LIKED a/c either! It is noisy, and oddly refrigerated, but growing up in the South, it was always present. Never gave it much thought until transplanting to New England, where it is the rare home that has central air. Though we own 2 window units, last year we didn't even put them in. I trash-picked some clean, unusued styrofoam house insulation which, cut, perfectly fits the Western facing sink window. We pop them in right before lunch and WOW, the house stays 25 degrees cooler! Also, open the windows from the top in the upstairs and from the bottom sill downstairs. At night, position a box fan in an upper window, blowing out. It will suck all the heat out of the house, pulling in cooler night air. Once the air has transferred, ceiling fans and stand fans keep us cool even when the night temp stays above 70s.It feels fun to know how to do this now : )deb meyers
Mama Bear, JD says
This was perfect timing because our AC burned up last week. My husband keeps it COLD and at first I complained but 10 years and 4 kids later I am ashamed to say I have grown accustomed to it! We do have a playroom and guest room upstairs that has its own unit so we have been camping out up there. Not exactly a hardship, though my crew keeps asking why we have no bread. We lived for 10 years in houses built in the 20's with thick plaster walls but the old windows seeped air. We moved recently to a newer house that was thankfully "done right," situated pretty well and energy efficient. So once we get the unit repaired tomorrow, I hope, I will be diligent about running our fans and setting the temperature higher. One of our evening prayers is to be good stewards of our many blessings, and I have not been practicing that in the air conditioning department. I enjoyed the comments, I am sad my kids won't have the experience of summers at a grandparent's house with no A/C. I've been looking for Catholic moms out there for a while, guess I was looking in the wrong place. Happy to land here.
Michelle says
In our effort to live within our needs (and not wants) my family and I are living on WWII civilian rations this year – which means no A/C allowed in our central plains home. We do many of the things you mention: ceiling fans, the dance of closing/opening various windows, and cool-down baths on really hot nights. We also installed a salvaged whole house fan (also known as an attic fan) , which makes a very big difference!
MamaEscandon says
Whole house fans are different than an attoc fan. A WWF takes the air from outside and pulls it into your house and out the attic. An attic fan in installed either on the roof or an the gable and only pulls the air from the attic, not the house.
Wanderingsue says
Late to this conversation, but when I lived in the tropics, we'd spray the roof with the hose, in the dry season. No water rationing, and terrible insulation, I'm sure! Worked a treat.Also, damp things, again NOT in humid places, but a slightly damp top sheet, or hanging in the window- marvellous, especially with moving air.As for meals, I seriously avoided cooking when it was hot. Wonderful how you can enjoy a plate of cut up fruit, some left over pasta salad, perhaps bread and cheese if people are hungry. But who gets hungry when it's really hot? Another thing I should appreciate about being in London! We're knocked over by 30 degrees! (86 Fahrenheit)
Kymberly Foster Seab says
Living in a c. 1904 farmhouse in Ohio I am living without a/c. I have never, in fact, lived in a home with a/c (and no, I'm not 90).We are a young family that survives quite well. We have a hot water radiator system so no ductwork = no central air. Even so, our electric bill is $200/month just for lights, hot water, well pump, etc. I'd probably pass out if I had to pay any more.We open the windows and use box fans to pull the cool air IN at night, then shut the windows in the morning. The house stays nice and cool all day. Many people stepping inside think we have air. My honest opinion is that people get acclimated to a/c and then "need" a/c in our climate. You really CAN live without it – and be quite comfortable, but once they get used to that 'chill' – they feel stuffy without it. In fact, I find it interesting that people love a room cooled to 68 in the summer, but in the winter swear they need a sweater at that setting! My DH just "surprised" me with a window unit for our bedroom. The truth? I hate it? Already I can tell that the bedroom is chilly and when I step back into my previously comfortable to me hallway, I feel "stuffy." Is this how the reliance builds?
Kymberly Foster Seab says
Adding that it's so funny to me that one persons' con is another person's pro. The ONE thing I wish I had with a/c is that 'stale artificial smell" people speak of. No matter how clean I keep my home I fear that in humid weather it gets that "old house smell." Dust, basement, old wood … something. The one thing I love a about an a/c house is that cool, fresh, "nothing" smell.
Serene says
We've determined to leave the AC off this summer. Thanks for your post. It was highly motivating. It is nice to know we're not the only family trying to live AC free. http://www.furloughschmerlough.blogspot.com
Shawn Thompson says
I, too, just moved back to New England from DC. I grew up with out AC and loved it. Thanks for the tips on keeping cool. I'd rather hear the crickets and the trains at night. Thanks!
Mama Rachael says
This was linked in this week’s bits and pieces. Yes, we do all these things, but here in central Texas people used to die from the heat before A/C. We a/c only to 80′ (unless the relatives from Wisconsin are visiting, then to 77′), so we are generally wearing very little even inside. We have ceiling fans in all the rooms (they are standard), and we try to plant trees to help shade.
It doesn’t help that houses are often built such that they don’t get good airflow. the older houses (from the 20s) certainly do better at staying cool even in the heat of 110′.
This year, I got some patio mister line to hand on the pergola, which makes the late afternoons so much nicer. :::sigh:::
Jamie says
One tip that wasn’t discussed to much that helps at least in the Midwest – dehumidify! We just have a little plug in unit but that thing helps. When even the basement is feeling gross we plug it in and use the water collected to water plants outside. It’s nothing fancy, in fact I think it was left here by the former owners but it helps on the worst days. I appreciate the thoughts for people building. This is also something to seriously consider when adding on to a house. Our house would have been amazing (it’s an old in the 1920 age home..) at keeping cool and the downstairs is still amazing at this, BUT a former owner built a gorgeous sunroom on the 2nd floor. It is fab. in the winter but it burns up in the summers and makes the whole upstairs a lot warmer than it should be.
Maya Andrews says
This is an old post and most people are now thinking of getting warm not cool… but I enjoyed reading it! I’m in Massachusetts in an old house. This summer we had a box fan in the window and our ceiling fan going at night and I would often wake up cold and have to turn one off! Also I have been to two hot places on missions trips: Australia and Puerto Rico. There was no air conditioning in either. Not homes, schools, restaurants, stores anything! In Puerto Rico I did hear Wal-Mart had A/C but did not go in. I’m sure in big cities there is A/C. But they made good use of fans, opening and closing windows. One place in Australia had walls that were actually large sliding screens that could open up as needed. And you got used to being hot and sweaty and working as much as possible when it is cooler.
SnowFlakes AC says
That reminds me of our home when I was young. But now I live in a home using an AC and am very comfortable with it. We have differences, so I understand you and know how practical your tips are