Beating the Heat Without A/C

When the summer heat waves hit, and the day is hot and still (not to mention humid), those of us without air conditioning have to do the best we can to keep cool. It’s not always an easy task as we pray for a cooling rainstorm or a break in the oppressive temperatures. But there are a few simple things that can be done to stay cool that don’t end with a water bill that makes the water company send you a “Thank You” card. It’s true that water is probably the most effective method for cooling down on those hot summer days, but using it for that purpose doesn’t need to break the bank.

-Get a small pool, better yet a large molded plastic sandbox and fill it with water. Just sitting next to it in a shady spot and soaking your feet can bring tremendous relief. It’s even better if you’ve got small children playing in it who occasionally splash a little cool and refreshing your way. This is also effective if you have no children, but do have dogs. I’ve seen my dog climb in and lay down next to my son who was playing in the water at the time.

-If you have no room or money for a pool, use the bathtub instead. During extreme heat waves, I’ve been known to fill my tub in the morning and leave it filled all day long. A quick dip and towel dry is a great pick me up for at least an hour.

-Go out for lunch. Any restaurant, whether it’s a sit down or fast food place, that has indoor seating should have air conditioning. It doesn’t have to be lunch, of course. Going to McDonalds for sundaes or ice cream cones is just as good. The point is to get a little break from the heat when it becomes simply unbearable.

-Lemonade. There’s a reason that it’s the quintessential summer beverage – it’s not only refreshing and thirst quenching, it helps beat the heat. Personally I find that it does a better job when I make it myself, so go ahead and buy that big bag of lemons, squeeze them and make your family a nice pitcher of lemonade. Depending on the lemons and how tart your family likes it, you’ll need 4 – 6 lemons for every half-gallon of lemonade.

There you have it. My 4 best methods for beating the heat (even extreme heat) during the summer, they’ve served me well for the last 5 years, all of them served without air conditioning.