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Sweat drips down your forehead. The electric fan whirs uselessly, merely blowing the stifling hot air around your living room. You peer out the window for the tenth time, but the AC repair van is nowhere in sight.
While waiting for AC repair, you can stay cool by taking a cold shower, enjoying cold snacks or drinks, moving to a cooler area, visiting public buildings like a museum or library, napping or relaxing, doing low-heat cooking, chatting with friends and family, or engaging in water activities.
Here are some more ideas to make the most of this unexpectedly AC-free time and stay cool in the process.
A cold shower or bath won't permanently fix the lack of AC, but it will provide sweet relief for a little while. The cold water will lower your body temperature and wash away the sweat and stickiness caused by the heat.
You can use a body wash that contains cooling essential oils like peppermint for an extra blast of skin-soothing frostiness. If you are really brave, dump a few glasses of ice cubes into your bath water for an arctic chill! Keep a spray bottle of ice water nearby to mist your face and neck as needed for out-of-the-shower cooling power. It's very refreshing and provides instant, hassle-free relief. No towel needed!
Is there anything better than an ice-cold treat on a hot day? Break out the popsicles, gelato, frozen yogurt, ice cream, or whatever frozen treat you have on hand. Kids and adults alike love frozen bananas dipped in chocolate on a stick. It's a great snack that's easy to prepare and freezes up in about 2 hours.
Make a smoothie with ice cubes, frozen fruit, and yogurt. Iced coffee, iced tea, lemonade, and ice water also make refreshing cold beverages for hot days. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and chilled salads loaded with crunchy veggies too. Looking to keep things super simple? Let a few ice cubes melt in your mouth.
Heat rises, so basements and lower floors tend to stay cooler than upper levels. If you have a basement, hang out down there while waiting for the AC repair crew. Lounging on the couch with an icy drink while listening to music or reading a book will help pass the time.
The basement is often 10-15 degrees cooler than the main floor. Another cooler room to consider is a tiled bathroom or laundry room. Regardless if they are on the lower level of the home or not, tile tends to keep spaces on the cool side.
Don't want to bake in the hot house? Escape to an air-conditioned public building like the local library or mall. Most libraries have relaxing reading nooks where you can dive into a good book while enjoying the chilly air. Malls are kept arctic cold, so walking around the shops or seeing a movie is a great option too. Bonus - the kids can play at the indoor playground of a fast food restaurant. Going to the YMCA is another great option, as they usually have a pool on the premises.
Tackle some indoor projects that don't require a lot of movement or generate much heat.
The time will fly by productively, and you'll feel accomplished while staying cool.
Excessive heat tends to make people tired and sluggish. Since going outside isn't appealing without AC (Nobody wants to go outside in the heat only to go back indoors without the relief of a functioning AC!), it's the perfect time for a nap or just plain vegging out. Crank up the fan, put on some comfy lightweight clothes, grab an icy drink, and sink into the couch or bed for some quality relaxation. Not sleepy? Catch up on reading or binge-watch a show.
If your house is sweltering, but it's breezy and shady outside, spend time at an outdoor park, hiking trail, or other wooded green space. The combination of shade, vegetation, and wind will make these areas significantly cooler than your home. Walking or hiking is a great low-impact activity when it's hot out. Just be sure to bring plenty of cold water.
Turn on the stove and oven sparingly when it's hot. Simple no-cook foods are your best bet. Whip up salads, sandwiches, cold soups like gazpacho, overnight oats, smoothies, and cold plates like cheese, crackers, and fruit. Grilled veggies and shrimp on the outdoor barbecue are tasty hot-weather options too. Consider cooking full meals in a slow cooker or Instant Pot to avoid heating up the house.
Spending all day alone makes the lack of AC feel worse. Invite people over to hang out or chat on the phone or online with friends and family. Conversation helps pass the time quickly and takes your mind off the heat. Group video calls are a fun way to "get together" when it's too hot to gather in person.
If it's not raining, sprinklers, slip-n-slides, water balloons, kiddie pools, and water guns are great ways to beat the heat at home. For bigger aquatic fun, head to a lake, pool, splash pad, or beach. Swimming, floating on tubes, water slides, sand castles, and other water activities make you forget how hot it is. Just don't forget the sunscreen!
Waiting for the AC repair crew can be an exercise in patience. But you have the power to turn a hot hassle into a cool opportunity. Get creative with food, fun, productivity, and beating the heat. Soon the AC will be fixed, and it will feel more amazing than ever.
For now, improvise indoor and outdoor solutions to keeping cool. Don't waste energy complaining about the heat - redirect that into making the wait more enjoyable. You've got this!
About 24/7 AC Repair Garland
Our company offers reputable HVAC services like air conditioner repairs, replacement and furnace maintenance. We're available around the clock for emergency services. Please call us at (214) 206-4356 to schedule an appointment for your residential and commercial HVAC needs. We hope you enjoy these ways to stay cool!
