The real heat and humidity caught some of us by surprise. In other words, I did not get my air conditioner in my bedroom prior to “suffering” through at least one hot, stifling night. My mother was born in 1922, so I asked her what was it like before AC and how did they handle it.
She grew up in northern New Jersey. We know how oppressive summers are there. Her response – “my mother told me not to think about it.” So, she didn’t. She did run cold water over her wrists and windows were left open. Not as easy for those in tenement buildings who sat outside at night to get air.
Someone else told me that in climates like Phoenix, mothers would wet sheets and children got some initial comfort.
If you don’t have air conditioning, what do you do to “survive”? Do you just “not think about it” or do you have a body that thrives in heat and humidly?? What are the tricks?
Peter Geiger is the Editor of the Farmers' Almanac. 
If you notice a hole in the upper left-hand corner of your Farmers' Almanac, don't return it to the store! That hole isn't a defect; it's a part of history. Starting with the first edition of the Farmers' Almanac in 1818, readers used to nail holes into the corners to hang it up in their homes, barns, and outhouses (to provide both reading material and toilet paper). In 1910, the Almanac's publishers began pre-drilling holes in the corners to make it even easier for readers to keep all of that invaluable information (and paper) handy.
7 comments
Wet your shirt or top and wear it, it’s like airconditioning – lasts about an hour before you have to wet it again. Of course works better if you have a breeze, eg fan or riding a bike.
I’m a farmer in North West Alabama. The humidity has been running over 90/95% for the past 2 months and we have been under a heat warning every week for the past 4 weeks. All the blossoms have dropped from the tomatoes and the squash is dropping fruit. The weeds have overgrown most of the butter beans and tomatoes. The corn did poorly this year because of excessive rain and heat.
I try to get the gardening done between 5:30am to 10:00am and then stay inside until 6pm and work until dark.
Inside I keep all the blinds/drapes closed on the west side of the house and we use 1 window ac.
There may be a time coming soon when your power goes out for an extended time and what will you do then?
I thank God we have a cool basement to go to if we ever need it.
There is an herb called chickweed that we collect in the spring and fall. I make an extract out of it and mix it with water in a spray bottle. It is a natural refrigerant and helps reduce your bodies temperature.
I just don’t know how those civil war era ladies made it in all those fluffy, long dresses. No wonder they were always fainting!
I’m a native New Yorker, currently living in south-central Michigan, and have always hated the heat. We grew up without ac also (I’m 49), and my mom, who was from England, hated the heat,too, being unaccustomed as the British are to it. We used to get the “hot” housework – like running the dryer and vacuum, etc., earlier in the day, then just chill in the afternoon. In the evenings, when it cooled down (sometimes!) we’d continue with what hadn’t gotten done. Windows were opened at night, and heavy curtains blocked the sun from the windows during the day. Now that I think of it, we pretty much lived like the wild things do, being active in the cooler hours. I have ac, yet I still live this way as much as possible. Surrender to the season! It’s a great excuse to catch up on your reading…
I grew up in southeast florida,
we didn’t have AC an older women told me , that if you keep window and doors shut and ran your fans the house would stay cool by moving the air in house.
I was young but I remember her windows where never open.
My in-laws never had air conditioning either. Her trick was to put box fans in the windows, backwards, thus drawing the heat and humidity from the room and blowing it out of the house. It really did keep the house cool.
Having baby wipes or regular wipes helps throughout some hot days. This way after your first shower of the day, one can wipe them self down and feel a little fresher and cooler.
Ceiling fans help. Most people have them installed in the living room, but they work very well in all of the other rooms in the house. A clean bucket of cool water and a washcloth sitting beside you at your desk while you’re on the computer, so you can wash your face and neck, also helps.
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