6 Tips to Stay Cool Without AC in Insane Northwest Heat Wave

Looking at the forecast this week is kind of scary. Temperatures of 100 to 110 are expected all week long all over the northwest and if you do not have air conditioning it will be at least miserable or even deadly. I am lucky enough to live and work in places with central air conditioning but a lot of people living in the northwest do not. Especially on the west side of the state where the highs are still expected to reach near 100 degrees. So how do you stay alive in this heat with no air conditioning? Here are a few simple tips that I hope will get you through it.

The most important thing you need to remember is to hydrate all day long. Dehydration can be deadly especially in this outrageous heat. What ever normal amount of water you drink in a day, I would triple it to be sure.

Using cold cloths to cool down can really make a lot of difference. There are specially designed cloths that really work well, or the neck coolers with gel inside. Even just a regular old wet towel will be an improvement. They don't last very long but just wet it down again and your good.

It might be hard to find box fans now locally in stores but hopefully you thought ahead. Actually, if you overnight your order NOW it might be here before the worst of this heat wave is over. I have also draped a wet towel over the front of the fan which worked a little like a mini swamp cooler. Just make sure you don't cause a short with the moisture.

You might be surprised how much cooler your living space will stay if you close off the unused rooms. It works especially well if you open up everything early in the morning when it is cool outside, then close all your blinds and shut most off your rooms off. Also try to stay in a room more central to the house away from the outside like a basement if you have one.

If you plan on cooking, get it done early in the day. The access heat from your stove or oven could make things unbearable with the heat outside. If you have to cook, use the BBQ outside or at least use the vent over the stove to help expel the hot air from your kitchen.

There are places in every community where you can go to cool down. Most public libraries or grocery stores have AC. If you have a mall, that might be a great place to go. There are also local pools or beaches but just try to stay in the shade as much as possible.

Hopefully these tips will help you survive this week. Stay frosty my friends!