Hot and bothered: 8 AC-less ways to beat the heat this summer

http://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/blogs/hot-and-bothered-8-ac-less-ways-to-beat-the-heat-this-summer

Wed, Jun 23 2010 at 11:31 PM EST

I don’t know what the weather’s like where you live but here in Brooklyn it’s hot as blazes … only three days into summer and the sauna-like temps have me in a total panic about spikes in my electric bills.

Naturally, this has me thinking about creative ways that I can avoid using my two window-unit air conditioners (as much) over the coming weeks. As a renter living in a fourth-floor walk-up, home improvement projects like installing ceiling fans and replacing windows are out of the question so I thought I’d share some easy, low-tech tactics I plan on trying out to stay cool, keep my fossil fuel usage to a minimum, and, perhaps most importantly, save a few bucks as I sweat it out at home.

• H 2 the O: I do this all the time anyways — I'm a thirsty kind of guy — but to keep me from having total freak outs when the ConEd bill arrives, I'll be making sure that my Britta pitcher is always full of ice-cold water and my body is naturally hydrated. Adding a sprig of mint to a glass of cold water helps, too.

• Giving the oven a rest

• Dress lightly

• Keep the blinds closed

• At night, I'll be opening windows and using a couple of small fans to get a nice cross-breeze going.
I mayself use a 20-inch box fan in my kitchen window with the air going out, and an open window on the other side of the house. This pulls the cool night air thru the house.

• Deep freeze: While we're on the topic of fans, here's a trick I've yet to try out: Put a handful of ice cubes or a couple of frozen water bottles in a chilled bowl and place it front of a fan. It's a super-effective way to cool down quick without cranking up the AC.

• Cold showers and wet sheets: The first part of this tip is self-explanatory but wet sheets? Rumor is that placing a damp sheet in front of an open window or even sleeping with cold, damp sheets or bath towels provides relief. I'm willing to give it a shot.

• Add water to a spray bottle and spray yourself.

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