Tips for keeping cool this summer

In your apartment:

1. Close the doors of rooms you don’t use during the day. Keep them closed until the temperature drops at night.

2. Close blinds and curtains to keep direct sunlight out of your apartment.

3. Consider opening windows at night to allow cool air in and closing them when it becomes warmer during the day.

4. Use hot appliances sparingly.

5. Unplug electronic devices and chargers when not in use. Did you know those electronic devices that are plugged in generate unnecessary heat? 

6. Replace incandescent light bulbs with LED light bulbs. Incandescent light bulbs release 90% of their energy as heat. You can get two free LED light bulbs as part of an EcoVisit, buy them from any store that sells lightbulbs.

From your kitchen:

1. Drink ice water to stay hydrated.

2. Keep a cup of ice water by your bed to sip if you get hot at night.

3. Eat and drink cold things - experiment with different drinks, smoothies, frozen yogurts, fruits, salads, popsicles and other dishes that are served cold.

4. Run cold water over your wrists, right at your pulse point, throughout the day.

5. Put a cold towel across your forehead for a few minutes to cool down.

Using fans:

1. Fans are a great tool to help cool yourself and your home! You may even be able to buy a used one from the The Graduate and Family Housing Item Exchange At CU Boulder or from a thrift store.

2. Create a cross-breeze by positioning a fan across from a window. Try setting up multiple fans around the room to increase the airflow.

3. Fill a large mixing bowl with ice, and tilt it at an angle in front of a fan.

Using your freezer:

1. Freeze your bed sheets. Before bed, place your bed sheets in a bag and freeze them for about an hour. Although the frozen sheets won’t stay cold for an entire night, they will hopefully stay cold enough to cool you down and help you drift off to sleep.

2. Freeze your socks. An hour or two before bed, place your socks in a large plastic bag in the freezer. Then, when you’re ready to go to bed, take them out and place them on your feet. 

3. Freeze a washcloth. Freeze a washcloth before bed and use it as a cold compress when you’re trying to fall asleep.

4. Try filling up a hot water bottle with ice and putting it in your bed. It will radiate cool air and help you cool down. You can reuse the water by placing the hot water bottle in the freezer in the morning.

Have an air conditioning unit?

1. Check the air filters on your AC system. A dirty filter slows down air flow and makes your system work harder. The general rule is to change filters every three months.

2. Experts suggest setting your AC unit temperature to no less than 78 degrees when you are home and no less than 88 when you leave. Used AC units may be available from The Graduate and Family Housing Item Exchange At CU Boulder.

Have a humidifier or diffuser? 

1. Consider filling it with cold water.