Keeping a Home Cooler Without Air Conditioning: Tips to Share With Neighbors

Triple-deckers, brick rowhouses and older apartments across Boston were built to hold heat in during long winters. On a humid July afternoon, those same buildings can turn into ovens, especially on upper floors. Many households do not have air conditioning, and some have a single window unit that cannot keep up.

Knowing how to keep a home cooler is useful for everyone, and it is especially helpful information to share with older neighbors, families with infants and anyone living alone. This guide covers simple, low-cost strategies and the warning signs that mean it is time to go somewhere cooler.

Block the Sun Before It Gets In

The easiest heat to manage is the heat that never enters the room.

• Close blinds, shades and curtains on sun-facing windows during the day, especially east windows in the morning and west windows in the afternoon.
• Use light-colored or reflective window coverings where possible. Even a white sheet hung over a window helps.
• Shade from outside is even better. Awnings, outdoor shades or a patio umbrella positioned over a window can block heat before it hits the glass.
• Keep windows closed during the hottest hours if the outdoor air is hotter than the indoor air.

Ventilate Smartly at Night

New England nights often cool down even after hot days. Take advantage of that.

1. When the outside air becomes cooler than the inside air, usually in the evening, open windows on opposite sides of the home to create a cross breeze.
2. Place a box fan in a window facing out on the warm side of the home to push hot air out.
3. Place another fan facing in on the cooler, shadier side to pull fresh air in.
4. In the morning, close windows and shades again to trap the cooler air.

Upper-floor residents can open windows at the top of stairwells to let rising hot air escape, if it is safe to do so. Window screens and window guards are essential in homes with young children.

Use Fans Wisely

Fans move air and help sweat evaporate, which feels cooler. But they have limits.

• Point fans so the air moves across your body.
• Place a bowl of ice or a frozen water bottle in front of a fan for a short burst of cooler air.
• Ceiling fans should spin counterclockwise in summer to push air down.

When indoor temperatures climb very high, fans alone may not be enough to prevent heat illness. That is the signal to move to a cooler place for at least part of the day.

Reduce Heat Inside the Home

Every appliance and light adds a little heat.

• Cook early in the morning or late in the evening, or choose no-cook meals on the hottest days.
• Use a microwave, slow cooker or outdoor grill instead of the oven.
• Turn off lights and electronics that are not in use.
• Run the dishwasher and dryer at night, or air-dry dishes and clothes.
• Take cool showers or baths, and use the bathroom fan to vent humidity.

Keep Your Body Cool

Cooling the person matters as much as cooling the room.

• Drink water regularly, even before feeling thirsty.
• Wear light, loose, light-colored clothing.
• Use cool, damp cloths on the neck, wrists and forehead.
• Soak feet in a basin of cool water.
• Sleep on the lowest floor of the home if possible, since heat rises.
• Try cotton sheets, or a lightly dampened sheet, on very warm nights.

Know the Warning Signs

Heat illness can come on quickly, especially for older adults, young children and people with certain health conditions.

Heat exhaustion may include heavy sweating, cool and clammy skin, dizziness, headache, nausea, weakness or muscle cramps. Move to a cooler place, loosen clothing, sip water and rest. Seek medical help if symptoms get worse or last more than an hour.

Heat stroke is an emergency. Signs can include a very high body temperature, hot red skin that may be dry or damp, confusion, a fast pulse, or loss of consciousness. Call 911 right away and try to cool the person while waiting.

When to Go Somewhere Cooler

Air-conditioned spaces such as libraries, community centers and some public buildings can offer relief during the hottest hours. During heat emergencies, cities and towns often announce cooling center locations. Calling 311, checking your city or town website, or calling Mass 211 can help you find what is open nearby.

Helping a Neighbor Set Up

Some of the best cooling strategies take a little muscle or a ladder. A friendly hour of help can make an older neighbor’s apartment noticeably more comfortable.

• Hang light-blocking curtains or tension-rod shades on sunny windows.
• Move a bed or favorite chair to the coolest room in the home.
• Set up box fans for a nighttime cross breeze and show how to reverse them in the morning.
• Fill a few water bottles and put them in the freezer for later.
• Write down the number for 311 or Mass 211 and the closest air-conditioned public space, and tape it near the phone.

Always ask before rearranging anything, and leave the person in charge of their own home.

Share the Information

Many people who would benefit from these tips are the least likely to go looking for them. Print a short version and slip it under doors, share it in a building group chat or bring it up during a friendly porch visit. Offer to help a neighbor hang a shade, move a fan or get to a cooler spot.

Staying cool in an older home takes a little strategy. Sharing that strategy with the people around you helps a whole building get through the heat safely.