During one of the worst heatwaves ever in our area, our air conditioner stopped working.

We live in a late 1970’s suburban home. Back then things like good airflow through a house were not given much thought. After all, we had air conditioning.

Fast forward about 50 years to us sweating like crazy. Windows were open but we were unable to get any airflow at all. Not that there is good airflow in the middle of a Texas summer at 110 degree Fahrenheit anyway. But we tried, and failed.

Our fans could only do so much in this kind of heat. Of course the AC guy was booked solid, clearly we were not the only family with no air.

We finally accepted that we had to spend one night without AC – and it was miserable. We spent quite a bit of time at McDonald’s because they had Wifi & air conditioning. Don’t judge – it was better than being stuck at home.

While at McDonald’s I was looking for alternative home cooling options. What I found was some clever people doing clever things. I took a bunch of the recommendations and below is my “redneck air conditioner” which actually worked better than expected.

How to Make a Redneck Air Conditioner

Be prepared to be amazed at my creativity.

  1. Get a large container of ice. We used a stainless steel bowl to get the added chill.
  2. Get a fan – the stronger and larger the better.
  3. Set the bowl of ice directly in front of fan.
  4. Turn fan on high.
  5. Sit in front of fan and chill 😉

Really – it’s that easy.

You’re basically blow the cold and moisture from the the ice into your space. It may not last incredibly long – so you may need to refill that bowl a few times. But, it worked for short periods to give us some relief.

I placed one in front of our kids beds – and once they fell asleep in the coolness, they stayed asleep. So, it definitely helped with sleeping.

15 More Ways to Stay Cool in the Heat

1. Drink lots of water. Stay away from alcohol and caffeinated drinks which really just deplete your body of water, making it that much harder to cool yourself.

2. Turn on those fans. Moving air helps cool your body which makes you feel cooler.

3. Use a mister or spray bottle to mist yourself during the day. Not only are you hydrating your skin, but you are adding moisture that is then cooled off by the air around you (evaporation), helping you cool down. A handy battery operated version can be useful to conserve energy.

4. Soak a handkerchief in water and tie around your neck. Again, this adds moisture to your skin that evaporates and cools you off, as it helps cool your blood and your head. This works around your wrists and other pulse points, too. There are neck wraps that can be stored in the fridge/freezer, too!

5. Wear appropriate clothing. Wearing natural, loosely woven, light, loose-fitting clothing can actually help protect you better. Plus having something covering your skin can help protect you from absorbing as much of the sun’s heat.

6. Adjust your air conditioning up. You’d think that having it really cold in your car or house would be a good thing (except for your wallet), and it might be if you spend all of your time there. But if you get your body used to the really cold conditions, when you have to transition to outdoor conditions, it can be a bit of a shocker for your body, making you feel all the heat all the more.

7. Get out of the sun. Seems pretty obvious, but working in the shade or working during the cooler parts of the day is infinitely easier on your body.

8. Eat cool stuff! Foods full of moisture are great at helping keep you hydrated which helps cool you down. You can make healthy ice pops to keep in the freezer.

9. Turn off the lights, shut the blinds. While most of us have made the switch to CFL or LED bulbs, if you’re still using incandescent lighting, that can generate heat which may be making you feel hotter. Shutting out the heat by closing the blinds helps create an inulating effect. But remember that you can open up those windows at night to let the cool breezes in (if you have them!)

10. Create a cross-breeze. If you don’t have AC, are without AC, creating a cross-breeze in your space is helpful to feel cooler (breeze blowing across your skin helping with the evaporation of moisture, i.e. sweat). You can set up a fan bringing in cool air from a shaded side of your house, and another fan blowing out the hot air of the house to the outside. Or you can use this fan in one room that works both ways – draws in cool air and forces out hot air.

11. Take a cool shower – or jump in the pool. Even just having a kiddie pool with water that you sit in a chair and soak your feet in can cool you off tremendously. (and it serves double duty as a water storage source should you need it one day!) Going to bed right after a shower is a great way to stay cool for the night too.

12. Take off your socks. If you’re tooling around and can go sockless, do it. It helps keep your feet from getting hot and sweaty which just makes you hot and sweaty. Be safe, though, and make sure to wear appropriate foot gear for where you are going.

13. Wet your head. It helps keep your whole body cooler as the heat of your body leaves through your head.

14. Add cotton sheets to fuzzy furniture. If your furniture is the kind that holds in heat, you can use cotton sheeting to help keep a cooler surface to give you a little more comfort. I know my couch is the hottest thing to sit on in the summer because it just seems to create  hot pocket whereever you sit and radiate heat back to you.

15. Rice socks aren’t just for sore muscles, anymore! Create rice socks, buckwheat pillows or other grains encased in cool fabrics which can be stored in the freezer and used to as cooling pads on  your body or in your bed. Using buckwheat pillows instead of fiber fill can help give you a cool space to lie your head at night.

If you want to ‘redneck it’ a little more permanently, try this idea for building your own from a 5 gallon bucket!

While there are lots more tips that require house modifications to help keep you cool, what are some tricks and tips you have for keeping your cool in the summer heat?