No AC? Here’s How to Make a Room Cooler Without Air Conditioning

Few things are more uncomfortable than a stuffy room with no AC in the dead of summer—especially when you’re trying to fall asleep at night.

Whether you’re currently in a rental with no air conditioning, haven’t been able to install central air in your home, or are dealing with a broken air conditioning unit (which we can help with!) there are a handful of ways to keep a room cool during the warmer months of the year.

Let’s chill out and figure out how to cool down that room!

Start with Your Windows

Did you know that 76% of the sunlight that falls on standard double-pane windows enters your home as heat? It’s true. So, your first task is using your blinds. This is especially helpful for south- or west-facing windows, which see the most summer sunlight.

If you want to go all-in, invest in tightly installed cellular shades, which can cut down on heat radiation by as much as 80%. And as a bonus, if you install blackout shades to go over those cellular shades you can reduce unwanted heat even more! (The downside is you will have zero natural light through those windows.)

While light and noise can be obnoxious, especially if you live in a brightly lit, bustling city, it’s recommended to keep your windows unblocked and open at night when temperatures are cooler.

The Fan-and-Ice Trick

Nothing can suck out the humidity and blow cool air through an entire house like a central air conditioning system, but there’s a little trick that does a decent job of cooling down an individual room. It requires a fan and a bowl of ice packs or ice cubes.

When the fan blows past the bowl of ice, the air is a little chillier, and if the fan is powerful enough, it can even create a rather enjoyable mist effect.

Make Sure Your Ceiling Fan Is Spinning in the Right Direction

Did you know there’s a switch on your ceiling fan that changes the direction it spins?

In the winter, you want the ceiling fan to spin clockwise. But in the warm, summer months, you want the fan to spin counterclockwise. In that direction, it creates a vortex-like wind-chill effect that’s way cooler than when it spins clockwise.

Remember, though, that fans only cool off people—not rooms. So, if you’re not in the room, turn off the fan to cut down on your energy usage.

Use Your Bathroom Exhaust Fans

Bathroom exhaust fans aren’t just for taking the steam off your mirrors. They can also draw and vent the hot air that rises in your home. The effect won’t be as intense as a dehumidifier (see tip below), but it helps.

Use a Dehumidifier

You knew this tip was coming. A dehumidifier doesn’t generate cold air, but it does take the humidity out of the warm air. And if you live somewhere with high humidity, you understand how much nicer a low-humidity home feels on a hot, muggy day.

With that muggy feeling out of the room, use the other tips in this article to make your room feel cooler.

Hydrate Yourself and Cool Off!

One of the biggest heaters in the room is, well … you!

Drinking ice-cold water throughout the day can help keep you feeling more comfortable.

You can take it a step further by putting an icy cold washcloth on your neck throughout the evening until you fall asleep. You could even opt to go to bed with one wrapped around your neck. The colder you feel, the less oppressive the heat in the room will feel.

Other Tips for How to Make a Hot Room Cool without AC

There are several other ways to stay cool in the summer when you don’t have central air conditioning:

  • Cook outside. That stove in your kitchen isn’t making your home any cooler. If you own a grill, do most of your cooking outside.
  • Sleep on a lower level. Not everyone has this option, but if you have a basement, you may want to consider sleeping down there on those extra-hot nights. Heat rises, so your upstairs bedrooms are among the warmest rooms in the house.
  • Freeze your sheets? It sounds crazy but consider misting your top sheet and then putting it in your freezer for 10 minutes. It’s going to be icy cold when you take it out and should provide enough of a chill to cool you off and allow you to fall asleep.


While these tips all work to some degree, even taken together they’re not going to replace the steady and consistent coolness of a central air conditioning system.

Ready to purchase an air conditioning unit?

When you’re ready to invest in your comfort, contact your local One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning. Our team of expert Comfort Specialists handles AC installation and replacement so you can enjoy the comforts of your home without a steady stream of sweat dripping down your forehead! Request an appointment today.