Knowing how to stay cool without air con can take some planning. In this blog we lay out the most important steps to help you stay cool and reduce the temperature inside your home or office when it gets hot this summer.

1) Stay cool without air con by keeping hydrated

Drinking plenty of water is a no-brainer at any time. However, when it gets hot your body sweats more than normal which means to stay hydrated you need to drink more. The NHS recommends drinking at least 1.2 litres of water every day (six to eight glasses). But when it gets hot try to increase this to two to three litres by drinking small sips regularly throughout the day. Pay particular attention to children and older adults for any signs of dehydration.

Drinking cool liquids helps to reduce body temperature by cooling the body internally. Cold water acts as a heat sink, absorbing heat and cooling our body temperature on hot days. Be careful not to consume excessive amounts of caffeine and avoid alcohol. More than four cups of coffee will start to act as a diuretic and alcohol will inhibit your body’s natural temperature control and dehydrate you even faster.

2) Stay cool without air con by taking a warm shower or bath

A cold shower to cool off might seem like a good choice when it gets hot. We feel cooler because of the combination of the cold water and the decreased blood flow to the skin. But what actually happens is that our core body temperature gets warmer because the reduced blood flow to the skin reduces heat loss from the body. Therefore, a few minutes later, we feel hot again.

So keeping cool this summer is more effective by taking a warm shower (about 33⁰C) rather than a cold shower. The warm sensation on the skin will lead to increased blood flow and increased heat loss from the body. It may seem warm initially but after a few minutes a warm shower will provide better comfort in the long term.

3) Stay cool without air con by closing your windows

When temperatures heat up, opening all your windows during the day will actually let more hot air into your home, heating up your home or office further. Instead, experts recommend only opening your windows in the evening or very early morning to let cooler air in.

If its breezy during the day strategically opening some windows can create helpful cross-breezes.  Open a lower window on the cooler side of the house and a higher window at the warmer side of your house and make sure all doors and hallways are open from one end of the house to the other so the air can move through the house with ease.  If you have a fan use it to increase the air flow (see below).

4) Stay cool without air con by using a fan

Fans won’t actually reduce the temperature inside your home or office but they will help to move hot air outside or blow cool air to the main living spaces inside.

For those lucky enough to have a ceiling fan it should usually be running counter clockwise in the summer to push cooler air down to the floor. However, its best to check by standing underneath, and if you don’t feel cooler air blowing towards you, switch the fan direction the other way.

But for the rest of us a floor or desk fan can still be a useful device to have. Here are some additional tips:

• Try putting a bowl of iced water, or frozen water bottles, in front of your fan to help circulate the cooled air coming from the ice.
• Different areas of your house will be at different temperatures throughout the day. Try aiming a fan away from an open window at the cooler side of the house to bring in cooler air from outside. Aim another fan towards an open window at the hotter side of the house to dispel the hotter air.

But a word of warning. In very hot weather (temperatures over 35°C) the World Health Organisation recommends against using a fan. In dry heat, your sweat is already evaporating at maximum rate. All a fan might do is blow more hot air on you. In humid heat, the air has so much moisture that sweat can’t evaporate which can render a fan ineffective.

5) Stay cool without air con by closing your curtains and blinds

Many people assume that closing curtains and blinds will trap heat inside the room. However, when the temperature outside is hotter than the temperature inside, that logic does not hold true.  You will want to keep your curtains and blinds closed on hot days to keep the temperature down. Follow these tips to maximise the benefits:

• Close your curtains and blinds early in the day. This reduces the heat gain rising in your room right from the start of the day.
• The thicker your curtains and blinds the better they will keep out the heat. The average roman blind should work more effectively than the average vertical or roller blind. In rooms that get particularly hot think about investing in blackout curtains or blinds. The extra insulating layer will help.
• The lighter the colour of the fabric or blinds facing the sun the better it will be reflecting the light and keeping out the heat.
• The closer the blind or curtain is to the window the better it will be in keeping out the heat.

6) Stay cool without air con by dressing lightly

When dressing for a hot day sometimes its just not practical to wear less clothing. As your body sweats to cool you down its best to choose garments that make the evaporation process as easy as possible. Wearing lightweight, loose-fitting, and breathable clothing such as 100% cotton, linen or silk will help you to stay cool.

If you are outside then wearing clothing that covers your body will prevent your skin being exposed directly to the sun helping to reduce skin temperature as well as protect against sunburn.

Researchers are mixed about the colour of clothing. If you wear the right type of clothing, black can sometimes work better as long as the clothing is sufficient to prevent the heat absorbed reaching your skin. However, most experts suggest wearing light colours to help reflect the sun, and we would agree.

Finally, try wearing underclothes made from sweat wicking materials. As they are in contact with your body it can make a big difference for your comfort.

What else can I do to stay cool this summer?

Sometimes even the best planning won’t reduce temperatures to the desired level. For businesses, the Health & Safety Regulator (HSE) provides guidelines on the maximum working temperature in the UK, which should not exceed 30°C for sedentary work and 27°C for strenuous work. So when temperatures soar, air con rental can often be the best option.

Chilly Pepper Hire provides air con rental for your office, home or business. Operating in London and the South East we will guide you to the right AC solution and have units available for immediate, short term and long term use. We are the only hire company that provides all our pricing online with no hidden costs or maintenance fees. Contact us now to beat the heat!