It can get very hot in Boston in the summer. The large number of closely packed buildings making things even worse. At the same time, many homes don’t have central air conditioning. This is particularly true for the older apartments in neighborhoods like South Boston, the South End, North End and Back Bay. Is there a way to keep your place cool when the next heatwave strikes? Use a set of techniques which have been proven to work.

Ditching Major Heat Sources

Keep the blinds/shades closed during the day to lower the amount of heat getting in from the outside. If you have curtains too, the results will be even better. Don’t keep windows open during the day unless someone’s at home. If birds get in or a storm starts, your apartment could suffer considerable damage.

Try not to use the oven during the hottest days of the summer. You can prepare food using the microwave or or by utilizing just one or two of the burners. If you have the opportunity to use an outdoor grill in your building or close to it, take full advantage of this opportunity.

Creating a Flow of Cool Air

Open as many windows and doors as possible during the night to create a cool flow in your apartment. Secure them into open position to ensure that you won’t be woken up by a loud bang.

One way to make the flow of air even cooler is to hang long pieces of absorbent cloth over the curtain rods and dip their lower ends in buckets of cold water. You can do this using cheap curtains too. The water will get absorbed into the fabric and when the air passes through it, it will be become a lot cooler.

You can use another classic trick to make the air in their home cooler. Just place a bucket of ice in front of a fan and make sure that the air is blown over the ice. It works wonders.

Staying Cool at Night

You will benefit from bedding made of light breathable fabrics like cotton and linen. Consider a sleeping pillow filled with hulls as it has great breathability. Another simple trick is to place plastic bottles with frozen water around your bed and under it, if possible. Fill the bottles up to three quarters in the morning, put them in the freezer and they will be ready for the evening.

Finally, spend more time outside in the summer.