How to Cool Down a Room Without Air Conditioner: 41 Tips

Dominic Mitton
By Dominic  • Reviewed by Ben  • Updated:   October 19, 2023
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When hot days arrive, the Sun brings the heat to everyone’s home and it’s almost impossible to avoid it.

It’s easy for people who have an air conditioner, but what if you don’t own one? 🤔

If you’re fighting the heat that’s entering your home and you don’t have an air conditioner – you’ll love these simple, yet effective tips ✅

I made a list of 41 easy-to-apply tips that you can start using right now to cool your home and your body.

Let’s get to it 👇

1. Take advantage of the night’s cool air

You should sleep at night with your windows open, so the cool air can come into your room. If you’re waking up early, you can definitely take advantage while the air is coolest.

2. Metal helps

If you have dumbbells or any other metal, you probably noticed how it’s always cold. It’s because metals hold temperatures for a couple of hours – that’s why you should use it in your “stop-the-heat” inventory.

✍️ Note: Make sure to clean and disinfect any metal before putting it near you.

3. Use curtains smart

Curtains can be your best friend or your biggest enemy – it all depends on how you use them. As soon as the sun rises – curtains should block the sun from sending heat into your home. Remember to take them off at night. If you don’t have any, consider buying the best blackout curtains on Amazon.

4. Basement air (use fan)

If you have a basement, you know that the air is a bit cooler there than in the house. You should open the door of the basement, and let the fan move the cool air from the basement directly into your home.

5. Shutdown the windows

You might love the Sun, but you definitely don’t love the heat. As soon as the Sun rises, you should shut down the windows to prevent the heat from entering your home.

6. Put ice in front of your fan

This is an old-school method that actually drops the temperature down and makes it a lot more comfortable to sleep. Or buy an oscillating fan instead.

❗️ Tip: Use at least 7-10 ice cubes

7. Freeze your sheets

You will sleep on these sheets, so you might as well want them to be cold instead of warm and sweaty. Freeze them for at least an hour and you should fall asleep before they become warm.

8. Take a cold shower

Cold showers have tons of health benefits. It will improve your good night’s sleep and also be more comfortable when you lay in bed.

9. Buy cotton sheets

The material of your sheets plays a big role in your “stop-the-heat” process. Cotton is well-known as the most quality material and cotton sheets should help you stay cool. Check out “Amazon choice” cotton sheets.

10. Wet towel

It couldn’t get more simple – just use a wet towel and put it on your neck or forehead.

11. Icy Feet method

If you’re afraid of cold showers, then you should try the Icy Feet method. Put your feet in ice (very cold water works too) and try to keep them like that for two minutes.

12. Eat ice cream

This is my favorite method **unfortunately** as I really love ice cream. Just be careful with it, you don’t want to lose your summer body 🙂

13. Keep doors open

Keeping your bedroom doors open will remove the heat as the new air will come through.

14. Keep blinds closed

One of the most important things is to keep blinds closed as soon as the Sun rises. It will block the warmth that comes with the Sun and your home temperature will be slightly lower.

15. Dry your clothes 

You should dry your clothes in your room because when air passes through the damp clothes the moisture will cool off the air. Make sure to hang them in front of a window to really feel the difference.

16. Grab a cold drink

There’s no such thing that tastes good as a glass of a cold drink on a warm day. It will refresh you and it also helps with reducing stress.

17. Sleep in cotton material

If you sleep in PJ, make sure that it’s from cotton as it will help you fall asleep easier and it will also keep you cooler through the night.

18. Choose the right curtains (lighter and whiter)

The darker curtains “collect” more heat and you definitely don’t want that, right? Consider using light-colored curtains.

19. Throw away the carpets and sofa pillows 

It’s well-known that sofa pillows and carpets collect dust, meaning that they collect more heat as well. Not only that removing them will make the air cleaner, but it will also make it cooler.

20. Wet towel on the window 

Hang a wet towel in front of the window, but don’t leave it overnight because it will attract humidity and you might feel the counter-effect – warmth.

21. Use ceiling fans

A ceiling fan is a great alternative for air conditioners and it works pretty well. Installation isn’t hard and operating costs aren’t big as well.

❗️ Tip: Don’t know anything about fans? Take a look at our articles about fans.

22. Shut off the lights

Electricity produces more heat, so make sure to shut off the lights you don’t need before going to bed. You’ll also save some pocket money on electricity bills, so it’s a win-win situation 🙂

23. Place cold object over the pulse points

If you’re afraid of both “Icy Feet” and taking cold showers, this would be the easiest thing to do to drop your body temperature. I recommend putting ice on your neck, wrist, and behind the knee.

24. Drink more water

Staying hydrated is mandatory to feel fresh and to avoid sweating while asleep – try to drink at least 100oz (3L) of water every day.

25. Eat fruit

Eating seasonal fruits like watermelon will help you stay hydrated and will keep your body fresh.

26. Make a homemade air conditioner

This is a bit of an advanced method and I would recommend it only if you’re handy and have experience. If you’re interested in creating your own AC – check out this YouTube video.

27. Sleep solo

Sleeping solo will definitely keep you cooler at night as you won’t need to share the bed with anyone.

28. Remove TV and other electronics

Electronics produce heat, so removing all the electronics like TVs, laptops, and others from your room will keep you cooler at night.

29. Ice pack and an old T-shirt

Put a few ice cubes in an old t-shirt and put it on body parts like the legs, chest, or neck. This will give you an immediate refresh.

30. Read a book

While this might seem weird, reading a book will actually help you focus on reading, so you won’t feel all the heat around you. It also helps you fall asleep a lot faster (at least it does for me).

31. Sleep shirtless 

Although this won’t cool your room, it will definitely cool your body. You’ll have one less layer of clothes on you, so you will sweat less.

32. Dehumidifier

A dehumidifier will reduce the amount of humidity in the air which means it will remove the heat as well.

✍️ Note: check out one of the best dehumidifiers on Amazon.

33. Flyscreen

Flyscreen is used against mosquitoes, but it actually blocks the Sun from sending all the heat to your home/room. Also, a fly screen makes sleeping with an open window much more comfortable and secure.

34. Get low, get low

It’s well-known that hot air rises, so set up your bed to be as close to the ground as possible to beat the heat.

35. Egyptian Method 

You could use the Egyptian method which is to soak a towel in cold water and use it as a blanket. Of course, make sure to place a dry towel under your body to avoid ruining your mattress.

36. Freeze water bottle

Fill up a water bottle and freeze it for at least an hour. After that, take it with you to bed and have it by your side. This water bottle on Amazon will be perfect.

37. Meditation

Yup, it might seem awkward but with meditation, you can focus on yourself and get your body temperature down. Consider getting them for sleep stories and meditation Calm App.

38. Stop cooking at night

If you’re used to cooking at night, stop it for a few days, and you’ll see how your whole home is cooler. Not only this is good for the temperature, but it’s also good for your belly 🙂

39. Tower Fans

Tower fans are portable and they don’t require any upfront or maintenance costs. You can use a tower fan an hour before you hit the bed to cool your whole room.

❗️ Tip: Take a look at some of the best tower fans at affordable prices.

40. Rice

All you need is an old sock and rice. Just put the rice inside a sock and freeze it for at least an hour. Once it’s done, have it by your side while you’re sleeping. **It’s a great alternative if you don’t have an ice pack**

41. Avoid exercise before bed

Exercise raises your body temperature and gives you a boost of energy – and you definitely don’t want those two before you go to bed.

Buying The Air Conditioner (BEST OPTION)

While every one of these tips works, the best option is to get an air conditioner.

You might be skeptical or afraid about the costs of installation and maintenance, but I got you covered!

Here’s everything you need to know about choosing the right air conditioner.

Also, you want to make sure that the AC is not causing any noise, so I have made a special list of the quietest ACs out there. They will let you sleep like a baby.

Even if you’re on a budget, there are a couple of air conditioners that will do the job perfectly and still won’t break the bank.

A Couple Of Last Words

I hope you learned some new tricks to cool your home without AC, I personally have used most of these tips when I didn’t have an air conditioner in my home.

If you want to know more about cooling and keeping your home fresh, you should 👉 check our guides and articles – I promise you’ll love them ❤️

Also, don’t forget to share this article with your friends who don’t have AC and are struggling with heat entering their homes.

Hey there! I am Benas, the founder and content editor at Home Caprice. Thanks for reading the article. I hope you were able to find what you were looking for. I and my team are here to simplify heating and cooling for everyone. Please have a look at the About page for more details about our website and feel free to check out our editorial process.