Long and short-term solutions to keep yourself and your home cool in a heatwave

Millions of people in the U.S. are trying to stay cool as the summer’s first major heat wave continues to create dangerous conditions across the Midwest and along the East Coast. That heat is expected to last through midweek, and in some areas until Friday. On Tuesday, some places from the Carolinas to the East Coast saw daily temperature records shattered as temps climbed into the triple digits.

Early season heat can be especially dangerous because people’s bodies have not had time to get used to hot temperatures. Every year, people end up in the emergency room for heat-related complications including heat stroke. But there are ways to keep your home and yourself cool.

Staying cool indoors

The majority of American homes have some kind of air conditioning. But some people are nervous about stressing their ACs in the heat.

To help cool your home, make sure window blinds and curtains are closed to help keep the sun’s heat out. If you have fans, keep them next to you. Now is not the time to be baking or turning on the oven. A wet sheet can help your body cool down at night.

The best solution during a heat wave is to avoid being outside during the hottest parts of the day and staying inside as much as possible. If you do have to be outside, drink water – and then drink more, and more. Also wear a brimmed hat.

Air conditioning 

You’ll hear a lot of advice about what exact temperature to set your thermostat at during a heatwave. The reality is every house is different, and there’s no one answer.

But an important tip is to make sure your air conditioner’s filters are clean, says Kevin Kircher, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University. “If you don’t know when your filters were last replaced, it’s probably time,” he writes in an email.

“For folks who don’t have air conditioning,” Kircher says, “or whose air conditioners can’t keep up with extreme heat, public places with air conditioning are a great resource. Public libraries often function informally as cooling centers for vulnerable members of their communities.”

Other solutions

Last year was the world’s hottest year on record which broke the record set in 2023. Scientists say the most intense heat waves would not be possible without human-caused global warming. The primary cause of global warming is burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal.

Researchers say we already have scalable solutions that can cut climate pollution, like wind and solar energy combined with large battery systems.

As for making our homes more equipped for a hotter world, Nate Adams, who helps make people’s homes more comfortable and calls himself “the House Whisperer,” says to make sure that hot air outside isn’t coming in when you don’t want it to.

“The root cause of a lot of discomfort is a house that is leaky,” Adams says. “So one of the key things to look at is where you can seal up the house.”

Adams says to look at what he calls the “bowels of the house” for leaks, such as the attic and the basement.

Another solution, says Daniel Barber, professor of architectural theory at  Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands is to put shades on the outside of the house so heat doesn’t come in with sunlight.