This summer in Germany has been so hot that Cologne has initiated ‘Cooling Cologne’. It disperses chilled groundwater through mist sprays connected to fire hoses.

During a season of extreme heat, NPR readers shared how they stay cool without relying on air conditioning. Their responses were practical and inventive, influenced by childhoods without AC, long outdoor workdays, and family traditions. Here’s a collection of their methods from diverse locales, from rural Minnesota to Syrian balconies.

Cooling with Water

Bridgit Jordan in Minneapolis swims in the afternoon and stays in her wet swimsuit, assisted by a fan to keep cool. Olivier El Mekki from Dijon, France, uses his bathtub as a plunge pool, filling it with fresh water. He finds inspiration in cows, which lounge under trees near water in summer. Amber Thompson from Syria recalls cooling showers in the middle of hot nights. Elizabeth Tillinghast, who grew up in Vermont, remembers her mother advising to hold wrists under cold water, rapidly cooling blood circulating through the body.

Playing With Water

Ezra Musselman, from southeast Minnesota, remembers using cold well water in squirt bottles and water pistols. Dayton Bradford from Tennessee mentions the abundance of swimming holes in his area. Barbara Wunder McAslan of Florida cooled off by sitting in an inflatable kiddie pool while mowing her grandmother’s lawn.

Fans and Air Flow

Diane Hinkle from Tennessee recounts using a box fan in a window to bring in cool night air. Chaudhry Awais Ahmed in Pakistan transforms a pedestal fan into an evaporative cooler with a damp towel to cool the air.

Cool Fashion Tricks

Mary Richardson from Los Angeles advises using a headband filled with ice cubes to cool the head and alleviate migraines. Amy Barlow Liberatore from Wisconsin recommends gel scarves filled with expandable beads to keep cool. May Bolden from Florida describes how her husband stays cool with ice vests during landscaping work. Kimberly Wasylina in Texas uses a wet washcloth with ice cubes to cool her face and neck.

Pat Manly, having worked in Arizona’s heat, stayed cool by soaking his shirt in water. In humid New Hampshire, he used frozen water bottles under his arms instead.

Don’t Forget Your Furry Friends

Joan Sheehan from Sacramento cools her pets with cold packs, observing her cat’s interest in this cooling method.

Shade, Structures, and the Outdoors

Jim Gillen of Portland suggests reducing hard surfaces by replacing concrete with natural elements. Sleeping outdoors is another option, reminiscent of families once escaping heat in city parks. Gina L. Freeman used awnings and blackout curtains to keep her home cool. Amber Thompson in Syria experienced structural cooling by removing carpets and sleeping on balconies and tile floors, noting her brother sleeping on cool marble.

Musselman from Minnesota fondly recalls sleeping outside, moving from a porch to a tent amid nature’s sounds. These memories of moonlit and starry nights remain vivid.