While most Americans love their AC, not every single household has one. That's why TikToker Grumpiergimli (@grumpiergimli) has some cheap advice on how you can chill out using something often reserved for drinks.

The scoop

"A lot of houses in the south don't have central AC," he says to the camera. Even with a window unit, cooling off may also be limited to one room, or the unit could blow only hot air or leak. 

@grumpiergimli please be careful, stay hydrated, don't underestimate how fast you will overheat! #heatwave #hot #staysafe ♬ original sound - grumpiergimli

Luckily, hope for a cool home in summer isn't lost with a quick trip to your local gas station or corner store. 

Grumpiergimli advises viewers to buy a couple of bags of ice and dump them in your bathtub — ideally, buy enough to fill it up. Next, put a fan in there and let it blow into the rest of the house.

Now you have a makeshift heat sink — or structure that dissipates excess heat.

How it's helping

When Grumpiergimli says, "These temperatures are no joke," he isn't kidding. Thanks to a changing climate, the planet is getting hotter, putting everyone's safety and health at risk. Last year was the hottest year since 1850 when they began recording temperatures, per the World Meteorological Organization.

Even with a functional AC, the downside can be the higher bills from running it during a hot summer, and if the grid relies on dirty fuels, more heat-trapping pollution drives the rise of global temperatures. Therefore, alternative ways to stay cool can reduce your home budget and carbon impact.

Another simple trick involves reversing the direction of your ceiling fan — counterclockwise in the summer, which pushes cool air down. Those with an AC can cheaply ensure optimal performance by spraying a garden hose outward to clean the coils. 

However, you can create the ultimate energy hack year-round with solar panel installation. The right size system can power your AC unit and possibly bring that energy bill to $0 over time. EnergySage — a free service to help you compare quotes — has already vetted local installers who can save you up to $10,000 on installation.

What everyone's saying

From blackout curtains to frozen washcloths to fast food drive-through ice bags, commenters shared more advice on battling heat on a budget.

How much do you run your AC during the summer? Constantly 🫠 Most of the day 😓 Only during peak heat 😤 Hardly at all 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Someone let others in on a secret menu item that can help with the cheap hack, writing: "Little known fact, most Burger Kings sell 8lb bags of ice for 1 dollar."

Another said they, "Fill up old 2-liter bottles with water, freeze them solid & then put them in a cooler and put a fan behind or in front of it."

Not a fan of blackout curtains? A commenter suggested another weatherization method: "Privacy film on windows really helps insulate them better to reduce heat coming in. You can usually get a good-sized roll for under $10 online." According to Home Depot, such film blocks almost 80% of solar heat and 99% of UV rays.

Sadly, even some jobs are feeling the heat, as someone said, "Just had to do this at work."

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