9 Inexpensive Ways to Stay Cool in a Hot Apartment

It would be wonderful if every apartment came complete with an installed air-conditioning unit; unfortunately, they are not. Many of us swelter away the bright summer days with whirring fans and open windows. There are ways for apartment dwellers who want to beat the heat.

1. Keep bedroom curtains closed

It is a fallacy to think that opening up windows in hot weather will cool a room. For better sleeping at night, keep your bedroom curtains closed through the day. You want to keep the room as dark as possible. In the evening, when the weather cools, you can open a window.

2. Turn your fan into an air cooler

Buy a box of ice pops. They are the long plastic colorful tubes of sugar water that you freeze. Using a twist tie, fasten a clip or two or three to your fan and clip on one of the tubes. You’ll have an instant cold air stream blowing over you. These are very inexpensive and can be used again and again. Plus, they are a cool treat for hot weather.

3. Cool down the air

Keep a spray bottle of water in your refrigerator. Spray the ice-cold water toward the ceiling. The mist will cool the air. This is a good thing to do when you first come home from work to cool the room.

4. Exchange the hot air in the apartment

If walking into your apartment is like walking into a brick oven, you need to get the hot air out. If you don’t have a twin window fan, it is a good investment. One fan pulls in cool air and the other fan exhausts hot air. If finances are a consideration, you can always turn a fan around to blow out.

5. Air cooling system

This is the cheapest air-cooling system available. Simply freeze several bottles of water, and then put them out around the room you are in. The air around the bottles will cool as the ice melts.

6. Keep windows closed

You only want to open windows if it’s cooler outside than indoors and at night for ventilation. Keep an inexpensive thermometer both outside and inside to help gauge the heat.

7. Cross ventilation

When you do open your windows, try to open windows at opposite ends of your apartment, since this is not always possible, you can use fans to achieve this. Placing fans so there is a cross flow of air will best serve this purpose. That will keep the air circulated, which will serve to lower temperatures.

8. Using sheer panels

Most apartments with patios and balconies come complete with vertical blinds. These are white in most cases, and thus reflect heat; however, an added way to insulate your living room and defuse heat is by added inexpensive sheer panels. Not only are these available for just a few dollars and come in a myriad of colors, but they also can add a delightful decorative touch to your apartment. The curtain rods can be expensive, so if you defray that cost, just use garden poles that can be taped together for length. Buy three stick-on hooks that are removable for each end, and one for the middle. Place on top of the vertical blind rod. Place the poles with the sheers behind the hooks.

9. Keep your body temperature down

Take a quick cool shower to lower your body temperature. This is especially important at night before you sleep. It takes less than a minute to cool a hand towel to use for a neck wrap. Thoroughly wet a towel and ring it out. Place in the freezer for approximately one minute. You’ll have an instant cold wrap. If you keep your feet and neck cool, then the rest of the body will usually cool as well. Also, you can use the spray bottle of cold water to cool down your feet, or you could get a pair of plastic thongs and keep them in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. They’ll be nice and cool for your feet.

Staying cool in the summertime heat can be accomplished without the high cost of air-conditioning. Following these tips can beat the summertime blues! So, chill out and beat the heat!


Author: Mary V. Kolar
Original Article: http://voices.yahoo.com/inexpensive-ways-stay-cool-hot-apartment-3914612.html