I Tried This TikTok-Approved Room Cooling Hack, and It Totally Blocked Out the Blazing Sun by Sharon Greenthal

As a desert-dweller, I’ll try anything to keep my AC costs down—and this did the trick.

Julie Soefer

Living in the desert has its advantages for much of the year. Beautiful sunny days when most of the country is cold and wet give those of us who dwell amongst the cacti and palm trees a little bit of an attitude. “Aren’t we lucky?” we think as we ride our golf carts around in the middle of February. And while we rarely have to turn on our AC during the cooler months, once May rolls around, the sound of purring compressors fills the air, along with dust storms and, later on, the occasional monsoon. 

As much as I love my air-conditioned indoors, the up-to-115 degrees (and hotter!) summer weather comes with the reality that the power may go out at any time. These occurrences are known as rolling blackouts or brownouts (technically, a rotating outage) when power consumption is so high that customers are forced to shut down their electrical power. 

Related: How to Cool Down a Room Without Air Conditioning

So while we’re in the thick of the sweltering season, I decided to test out a TikTok trick that looked too good to be true. Creator @mekslife shared that she lines her unairconditioned home’s windows with double-reflective insulation to keep out the harsh sunlight and heat of summer.

“It’s amazing,” she says in her video. “Not only does it save money, but it keeps your house really cool.”

@mekslife

This is the cheapest most efficient way to keep your home cool! #insulating #staycool #germanengineering #smartwoman #noairconditioning #helpyourself #insulationprotips

♬ original sound – MEK

Since electric bills can amount to 10 times higher (sometimes more) in the desert than usual during the scorching months, it was worth a try.

I lined the large sliding glass door of my bedroom with the insulation she recommends since it doesn’t face any public areas (and our HOA might frown upon something so makeshift in our window). Also, this window faces west—so at the hottest point of the afternoon, you can feel the 100 degree-plus heat radiating onto your skin just standing next to it. 

Related: 3 Energy-Conservation Upgrades That Can Increase Home Value

To my pleasant surprise, the insulation was quite effective. Though it doesn’t look the most chic, it keeps the room cool compared to what it feels like with the air off when it can get up to as high as 90 degrees indoors.

Viewers of @mekslife’s video agreed this is a great trick.

“I did this when I lived in the Mojave Desert. It really does work,” one user commented. Someone else wondered, “Is no one going to acknowledge we’ve been doing this in the South forever?” Others were more practical, mentioning that a windshield shade would do the same thing. So, whether you pick up supplies at a home supply store or auto parts shop, this is a helpful tip to remember if your AC is on the fritz.

Related: We Tested 50 Oscillating Fans—These 6 Kept Us Cool and Breezy

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