5 Tips for Staying Cool Without the AC

Summer's sweltering temperatures are upon us and that means one thing: air conditioners are working overtime. But you can stay cool without the AC. If you're still sweating with the heat and humidity, there are some simple things you can do to keep you and your family cool and reduce your energy consumption. Not convinced? Try out these five tips for staying cool without resorting to using air conditioning.

Fans Are Your Friend

Fans can do a lot to keep you cool, even when a room is warm. By circulating air, they help reduce temperatures slightly, but more importantly, they help sweat on your skin evaporate more quickly, which has a cooling effect on your body. Plus, fans are only used in rooms when they're occupied, so you're using far less energy than trying to cool an entire home. Use a window fan in the evening or at night to draw cool air into your home, and an oscillating fan during the day to avoid drawing in the hotter daytime air.

Draw the Drapes

Direct sunlight can heat up a home [http://www.naturallysavvy.com/house-home] in a flash. If you work outside the home, draw the drapes in all rooms that receive direct sunlight before you leave for work. This will prevent your home from heating up, meaning the indoor air temperature will be much more comfortable when you come home at the end of the day. If you spend the day at home, draw drapes in east-facing windows in the morning, west-facing windows in the afternoon, and south-facing windows throughout the day.

Think Ground Floor or Basement

You've probably noticed that it's always cooler on the ground floor or in the basement of a home compared to the upper floors. Even if your home is well-insulated, hot air rises, which means upper floors will always be warmer. Spend more time in the basement or main level of your home to optimize the naturally cooler environment. You can even camp out in the basement on really hot and humid nights (and as an added benefit, you're already in a safe place if there happens to be a tornado warning in your area).

Keep Your Feet Cool

Do you ever notice that when your feet are cold, your whole body is cold—or if they're warm, you feel comfortable? Well, keeping your feet feeling cool is a great way to keeping your whole body feeling cool and comfortable. If you work from home, spend time in rooms that have a hard surface flooring like wood, tile or concrete. Carpets tend to hold heat, so your feet will warm up much more quickly.

Drink Ice Water

Cold water does wonders for keeping your body feeling cooler, but it doesn't just cool directly—it's also much easier for your stomach to absorb cold water than room temperature water. Staying hydrated is key because the more your body can sweat, the better it will work at regulating your body temperature.

With these few easy tips, you can stay cool and save energy.