Keeping a baby cool in a hot apartment
I have a 2-month old baby, and am worried about keeping him cool in the upcoming summer months. My apartment is, in warm weather, always at least 5-10 degrees warmer than it is outside. We have light-reflecting curtains and an elaborate configuration of
three high-powered fans, which help but even with all of this set up still end up with an 80+ or 90+ degree apartment well after sunset on hot days. There's no a/c in the building, and so far the landlord has ignored our requests for permission to install a window unit. Unfortunately we're on an upper floor so I don't think we can really install a unit without assistance from the maintenance person.
This is obviously uncomfortable for me, but I worry it may be actually dangerous for a baby. We can't be outside the apartment all the time. Any tips on other ways to keep cool indoors? Have you had any luck with portable ac units? Should we put up blackout curtains in addition to the reflective curtains? Spray the baby down with cool water? Keep pestering the landlord? Or am I worrying needlessly?
Would like to figure out some options before it gets truly hot. It was already 80 inside yesterday. ;_;
Parent Replies
We have had similar concerns/issues, and can not have a window unit - after toughing it out the last couple of summers with fans all over the house, we finally got a portable AC - it has been a great investment in our family's comfort! Total game changer!
This is the unit we have: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06X9W64T9/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpa…
It cools our double living room/dining room well, and we have moved it to the bedroom at night on super hot days. Very easy to install/move around - and it didn't drive our utility bill up too much. ;)
Hope this helps!
We had a pretty setup with a swamp cooler and blackout curtains. You can make your own swamp cooler but make sure to clean it every month or two because otherwise mold can build up. It sounds to me like you may need a window ac unit though depending on how much sun the room gets and how tolerant of heat your child is. Our house only really got bad when outside was in the high 80s or above, as it was last summer for a freaky few weeks!
Hi there,
During the last heatwave, we bought a portable Frigidaire a/c via Amazon Prime (Home Depot had already shipped back their inventory to prepare for Halloween!) It cooled our house well, kept it ~10-15 degrees cooler. You would need to attach its vent to a window with a screwdriver though. Good luck!
I may be naive, but I did not realize that a window AC unit required the landlord's permission. We had a similar concern for our baby last summer during the heat waves when our SSW-facing apartment would also get 90F+ degrees inside long before the hottest hours of the afternoon. I purchased a small window AC unit for less than $100 to install in our nursery window. The small AC units are light enough that they do not require bracing hardwear to be installed into the facade of the building. Our baby slept great each day and night despite the rest of the house being sweltering.
Perhaps you could remove the window unit when it is not needed if the landlord is concerned about curb appeal. Other ideas I can think of are to purchase static cling reflective window film that will deflect a percentage of the energy coming in. This uses no adhesive, so is completely safe for use in rentals. The reflective curtains are good, but if you can deflect the energy before it enters the room, all the better.
Good luck!
we have had good luck and results with a roll around portable air conditioner in a very hot space in our house. You just plug it in, stick the venting hose out the window and go! I paid around 230 for this unit at home depot. it will cool a room around 10x10 and doesn't break the bank electricity wise, however it will raise your bill a bit.
Hi - don't worry - millions of babies all over the world are subjected to conditions like this, with no fans and no respite and they are just fine. Your fans will be great. My own child had this exact situ and slept like a rock - I think their ability to regulate temps and handle all kinds of fluctuations is better than anyone over the age of 5. Remember that your baby can (and likely will) have temperatures of 103-104 at times, and your pediatrician will tell you not to fret. Not an emergency. To keep him cool, if you're concerned, you can sponge him for a minute with water and let the fan blow on his wet skin. No need for it to be cold water. You can also set a bowl of ice in front of a fan and have it blow that air onto him. But mainly, just don't worry.
Hi,
Our house also got very warm this summer particularly during the heat wave where our baby monitor registered 110 in our bedroom at 9 pm one day. We just kept the baby naked and diaperless a lot of the time. That's a lot harder to do with an older baby (ours wasn't mobile yet). While my partner and I were melting, she was totally unfazed by the heat. As usual, the best source of info is your pediatrician. Also studies have shown that the more a baby sweats in the first year of life, the more sweat glands they develop and more tolerant to heat they are. So if you do get an AC unit, don't keep it on all the time. Baby sweating has some benefits.
In regards to air conditioning: if you can return the apartment to its original condition when moving out, you can put it in. As far as keeping the apartment cooler, it helps if you can put some kind of system outside, so the sun never gets in the apartment. You may want to try a window film, but I don't know if that will come off. Spraying the baby could work. Evaporative cooling can be very effective. Make a point of opening the windows at night when it is cooler, and closing them in the morning before it heats up. If you can use a fan to get the cold air in and hot air out, even better.
the portable ac units work great! I think the one we have is DeLonghi. You'll have to keep the door closed to the room you want to cool.
Also swamp coolers are pretty good. My neighbors have one and I am always cool when I go over.
Around here, where it's dry when it's hot (as opposed to humid, like NYC), swamp coolers are quite effective. And bc they don't need to vent out, you won't need your landlord's permission to use one. The Department of Energy has more info about them here https://energy.gov/energysaver/home-cooling-systems/evaporative-coolers
Get a portable ac if you can, but do't worry too much about it! Your baby is young and will easily adapt to the heat, whereas adults who have been to cooler places clearly know the difference. If your baby does show signs of discomfort you should find an ac solution, use damp towels on their forehead and find a water mist spray.