How to Stay Cool When the AC Breaks: A Southern Survival Guide

If you’ve never experienced a Southern summer without air conditioning, bless your heart—you’re one of the lucky ones. But for the rest of us who’ve faced the brutal heat with nothing but a box fan and a prayer, we know it’s not for the faint of heart. When that beloved hum of the AC unit sputters out and the sticky, heavy air starts to settle in your home, you’ve got two choices: panic… or pull yourself together with some good ol’ fashioned Southern grit and creativity.

Because let’s face it, in the South, air conditioning isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. So when it breaks, you’d better have a plan. And if you don’t, well sugar, that’s what I’m here for.

Here’s your Southern Survival Guide for staying cool, collected, and maybe even a little sassy when the AC decides it’s time for a vacation.

1. Close Everything Down Like You’re Preparing for a Hurricane

The moment you realize the AC is kaput, your first step is to shut down the house tighter than a drum. Draw the curtains, close the blinds, and block out any sunlight. Heat comes in fast through those windows, and you don’t want to make it any easier for it.

If you’ve got blackout curtains, now’s the time to use them. If not, hang up some towels or even aluminum foil in a pinch. It might look like you’re trying to keep aliens from reading your thoughts, but desperate times, y’all.

2. Embrace the Southern Uniform: Loose, Light, and Cotton

If you’re not already in something breezy, go change right now. Natural fabrics like cotton and linen breathe better than anything synthetic, and loose-fitting clothing gives your body room to cool down. Ditch the bra. Yes, I said it. You’re home, it’s hot, and we’re not here to impress anyone—comfort is queen when the air’s thick enough to swim through.

3. Fans Are Your Best Friends—Use Them Strategically

Box fans, ceiling fans, oscillating fans—drag out every last one you’ve got. Put one in the window facing out to pull hot air from the room. Another facing in on the shady side of the house to bring in what little cool air you can. Get creative with airflow. Place a shallow bowl of ice or a frozen water bottle in front of a fan to mimic a DIY air conditioner. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than sitting in a puddle of your own sweat.

4. Hydrate Like It’s Your Full-Time Job

This isn’t the time for sweet tea and lemonade (I know, blasphemy). You need cold water, and lots of it. Add lemon or cucumber if you need a little flavor. Make popsicles out of fruit juice. Eat watermelon by the wedge. Anything to keep your body temperature down and your spirits up.

And don’t forget about Ma and Uncle R—they need reminders too. Ma, bless her, thinks iced coffee counts as hydration. It doesn’t.

5. Chill Your Sheets—Yes, It Works

If the sun’s going down but your house is still radiating like a cast iron skillet, toss your pillowcases or even your top sheet in the freezer for a few minutes before bed. It’s not magic, but it gives you that moment of relief you need to fall asleep.

Some folks even swear by sleeping with a damp washcloth or wearing damp socks to bed. Desperate? Maybe. Effective? You’d be surprised.

6. Move Activities Outside—or Nowhere at All

I know it sounds backward, but sometimes the porch is cooler than the house. Especially in the early morning or after sundown. Grab a rocking chair, pour yourself something cold, and wait for the breeze (if it decides to grace you with its presence). And don’t even think about cooking indoors. This is what grills and slow cookers are made for.

Bonus: you’ll get less grief from your senior citizens if you turn dinner into an “evening picnic.” Uncle R swears everything tastes better when eaten off a paper plate outside, anyway.

7. Sponge Baths Are Back in Style

It’s not glamorous, but a cold washcloth to the back of your neck, wrists, and feet does wonders. Fill a tub with cool water and sit in it like it’s a spa. Add Epsom salts and pretend you’re doing this for your health, not because your sweat glands are staging a mutiny.

8. Know When to Throw in the Towel (Literally and Figuratively)

Sometimes it’s just too hot, y’all. If you or anyone in the house starts feeling dizzy, confused, or chilled in the middle of all that heat, don’t mess around—get to a cooling center, a neighbor’s house, or the grocery store and hang out in the freezer section. Pride doesn’t mean a thing when you’re dealing with heat exhaustion.

And those damp towels? Keep a few in the fridge or freezer and rotate them out during the day. They’re your secret weapon.

9. Call the Repairman Early (and Sweet Talk the Receptionist)

You think you’re the only one with a busted AC during a Southern heatwave? Honey, the repair guys are running around like ants at a picnic. Call as soon as the unit hiccups, and when you do, be kind. A little sugar can go a long way when you’re trying to get squeezed into an already-full schedule.

If you can, have a window unit or portable AC on standby during the hottest months. It’s not cheap, but it can save your sanity—and Ma’s temper.

10. Laugh Through the Sweat

At the end of the day, you’ve got to laugh. Whether it’s Ma sitting under the ceiling fan with a popsicle in each hand, or Uncle R deciding that this is the week he’s going to “install attic insulation himself,” there’s always something around here to smile about.

Southern summers are hot, humid, and sometimes downright cruel. But we’re tougher. We come from folks who survived before air conditioning was a thing. They did it with iced tea, church fans, and more gossip on the porch than news in the paper. We’ve got humor. We’ve got grit. And most importantly—we’ve got fans, fruit, and enough common sense to keep from frying like bacon.

Stay cool, y’all. The AC will be back. And until then, we’re in this together—with sweaty brows, stubborn pride, and maybe a frozen washcloth or two.