Fan with a wet towel - this is how cooling works in summer
A fan and a wet towel make the heat in the summer more bearable. So it makes sense to combine the two and put the wet or damp towel over the fan. But what sounds like perfect cooling is actually counterproductive and, under certain circumstances, even harmful.
Wet towel over the fan: sultry heat instead of cooling
It often gets very hot in summer, especially in offices and small apartments. In these cases, a fan ensures rapid cooling. It is said to be even cooler if you place a damp towel over the fan or hang it up a few centimeters away.
- In theory, this should lead to the fan lowering the temperature by evaporation of the water in the wet towel. The fan then distributes the cool air better in the room. It is clear that this method cannot keep up with air conditioning - but in fact it is even counterproductive.
- For one thing, the towel usually gets dry and warm very quickly. Then it prevents the fan from circulating the air and ensures an even greater feeling of heat.
- But even if you change the towel regularly, the heat increases, as the Building Climate Association has found. The reason: The combination of a wet towel and a rotating fan drives up the air humidity. As a result, the air feels humid and therefore hotter.
- Ultimately, however, it depends on your individual feeling whether you prefer a slightly lower temperature in high humidity or a slightly higher temperature in dry air. So it's best to test the method yourself.
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Mold risk: Beware of damp towels in the apartment
Even if you like the cooling trick, be careful not to overdo it in the apartment.
- The high humidity and the humid heat favor mold production on your own walls. It is therefore particularly important that you ventilate well at night to get the moisture out of the room.
- Should mold nevertheless appear, you must immediately remove it correctly.
On the next page, we reveal how you can really cool off in the summer.