woman standing in window holding curtains open admiring outside

There’s no denying it.

The hot summer months come with unbearable heat.

And for many of us, that also means high energy bills.

It’s always tempting to want to crank up the air conditioning or cement yourself in front of a fan to cool down, but there are simple ways to cool down your home without using the air conditioner.

This post will give you the top tips and tricks on how to cool a house without AC.

In the end, you can save money on your electric bill and stay cool and comfortable all summer long.

How to Cool Down Your Home Without Using the Air Conditioner

1. Block Out the Heat of the Sun with Your Blinds

One of the easiest things you can do to keep your house cool without AC is to block out the hot rays of the summer sun from entering into your home in the first place.

While this may seem to be almost too simple and too straightforward of a method to keep your home nice and cool, it really does work.

Industry experts say that nearly 30% of all unwanted heat comes through your windows.

Therefore, blocking your windows with heavy shades or blinds will not only help you cut your indoor temperature down by 20° or more but it will also help you save upwards of 7% on your energy bills as well.

2. Exercise Better Control with Your Doors

By shutting your doors and making sure that they’re as airtight as possible, you can prevent cool air from escaping and hot air from penetrating into your home at the same time.

Also, make sure to keep the doors that face directions to the south and west closed during the day so you can prevent the hottest temperatures from the sun seeping through to the rest of your house.

At night, you can open up the doors to allow for better airflow when things have cooled down.

Having a screen door at each entry point is a good solution here for keeping your home cool without using an air conditioner.

3. Open Up Your Windows at Night But Keep Them Closed During the Day

During the summer, the temperature drops lower at night and you can take advantage of these lower degrees to cool down your house.

Similar to our last tip, you can block out the hot air during the day by keeping your windows closed. Then, open them up to allow colder air to come in at night.

Having a nice cool breeze enter your home throughout the evening can keep things nice and chilly without having to use your air conditioner as much.

4. Make Sure Your Ceiling Fans are Rotating the Right Direction

Did you know that ceiling fans are capable of rotating clockwise and counterclockwise?

If not, you’re not alone. Many people are unaware that ceiling fans have a small switch on the side that allows you to control the direction that the blades spin.

To get the most benefit out of your ceiling fans to keep your home cool, you’ll want to make sure that every ceiling fan is rotating in the right direction based on the season.

In the summer months, you’ll want to set your fans to rotate counterclockwise. This will create downward wind and chill like breeze effect that will push the rising hot air back down to the floor.

In the winter months, you’ll want to flip the switch on the ceiling fan to make the fans spin in a clockwise direction. This will pull hot air upward and help spread it throughout the room to keep your rooms warmer.

5. Get More Out of Your Fans Rather Than Using the Air Conditioner

Nothing beats sitting by the ocean on a hot summer day and taking in that pleasant feeling that cool oceanside breezes have to offer.

And you can achieve a similar effect by using this simple and straightforward fan hack.

Simply fill a mixing bowl with ice and position it at an angle in front of an oversized fan.

Then as the air blows over the ice, it will pick up moisture while also blowing icy cold air throughout your room to cool you down.

If you want, you can try this trick throughout several rooms in your home that you frequent the most during the day.

And if you like this idea, then you may want to consider one of the best small room coolers here. These units combine every part of this fan hack into a single device that contains a water tank that accepts ice and a fan.

These room coolers can last up to 8 hours on one fill, so it may be worth the small price to pay for a permanent solution if you want it.

6. Keep Your Body Cool

Cooling your body down from the inside can dramatically affect the way you feel on the outside too.

Drink ice cold water, keep cold packs pressed to your neck or your wrists, and do anything else you can do to keep your core body temperature down.

That way, you won’t feel as worn out by the extreme heat during the summer months.

7. Make Sure Your Exhaust Fans are Running Free and Clear

Here’s a simple trick that often goes unnoticed but can draw a lot of hot air out of your home.

The exhaust fans in your bathrooms and kitchen are vented to the outside.

And when these fans are running, they can pull hot air out of your house and dump it outdoors.

Additionally, colder air from the basement or lower levels of your home will also be drawn upward and that can help cool your home down better without using the AC.

8. Change Your Sheets

It’s always a good idea to match your sheets to the season. However, we’re not just talking about style here.

The actual textiles and fabrics that the sheets are made out can make a serious impact on how hot or cool you feel while sleeping.

Flannel sheets and fleece blankets are always going to help you stay warmer in the winter but when you’re dealing with the hot summer months, you’ll want to go to lightweight cotton fabrics to eliminate as much insulation as possible.

Get your hands on a buckwheat pillow or two and you’ll be able to get rid of a lot of extra heat trapped in your pillows during the summer as well.

9. Chillows Really Work to Cool You Down

If you want to be sure that you’re not sweating every single night, then it’s a good idea to get your hands on a Chillow or two. T

Chillows are amazing little pillows that are capable of keeping you completely cool during hot summer nights and can practically guarantee that you don’t wake up soaking wet when you’re not running the air conditioner.

So give one a try!

10. Consider a Different Type of Air Conditioner

When all else fails and you still can’t cool your home down enough, a top rated window air conditioner unit can be the perfect budget solution.

These inexpensive air conditioners work amazingly well to cool down one room of your home at a time and don’t cost much energy to operate.

With a good window air conditioner running on full blast for 8 hours per day, you can expect to pay about $20 per month to use it.

Another option is to get a portable air conditioner or ventless air conditioner.

You can find the best standing air conditioners here and the best ventless air conditioners here for every size room.

Both of these types of air conditioners can be moved from room to room with ease because they have wheels.

See all of Amazon's Best Selling Portable AC Units

Portable AC units do have a hose that connects to a window, but it’s easy to install and only requires the window to be opened slightly (about 6 inches). This hose vents the hot air to the outside.

As for ventless AC units, they don’t require a window at all for ventilation. These air conditioners are basically high-powered standing fans that contain a water tank, which can also carry ice, to blow cool air into rooms of your home.

To see what the most affordable options are for these units, check out our best cheapest portable air conditioner guide for more details.

See all of Amazon's Best Selling Ventless AC Units

Summary for Cooling Down Your Home Without Using the Air Conditioner

We hope you enjoyed this post on how to cool down our home without using the air conditioner.

As you discovered, there are many ways to keep your house cool without running the AC and many of them are simple to do.

Give each method a try and combine tips until you find the perfect solution for your cooling needs.

And if all else fails, don’t hesitate to invest in a cheap indoor air conditioning unit.

Avatar for Katherine Dyson

About Katherine Dyson

Katherine is the lead Staff Writer. She conducts in-depth research and interviews with industry experts in order to produce a wide range of content for the site. Her main role is to write helpful articles that aid people who are seeking to improve their indoor air quality and comfort. (See Full Bio)