Medical Oncologist
Infection prevention
Air coolers, air conditioners and damp
Only if it is cleaned and dried properly and often. An evaporative cooler works by blowing air over standing water, and standing water in a warm room grows mould and bacteria, which the cooler then blows into the room. Giving up cooling is not the answer and would not be reasonable in a Hyderabad summer — the answer is maintenance, done by somebody other than the patient.
NG
Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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The short answer
Is an air cooler safe during chemotherapy?
Only if it is cleaned and dried properly and often. An evaporative cooler works by blowing air over standing water, and standing water in a warm room grows mould and bacteria. The cooler then blows that into the room the patient is sitting in.
Air conditioners are lower risk because there is no open water tank, but they still need their filters cleaned. Both are fine in a well maintained state and both become a genuine problem when neglected, which most are.
Nobody wants to hear this in a Hyderabad summer
Giving up cooling is not the answer and would not be reasonable. The answer is maintenance — emptying and drying the tank, cleaning the pads, and having someone other than the patient do it.
Ask your team whether they want a cooler avoided during your low-count days specifically. Some do.
!
Go to hospital the same day
A fever, or shivering uncontrollably · a new or worsening cough · breathlessness · chest pain, especially on breathing in · coughing up blood · wheezing that is new. Go to the nearest emergency department and say clearly that the person is on chemotherapy. Mention if the room has a cooler that has not been cleaned, or if there is visible damp or mould at home — a fungal chest infection looks like an ordinary one, and that detail changes what your team considers.
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Cooler, air conditioner and fan
What the risk actually is
What to do about it
Evaporative cooler — standing water, wet pads
Empty and dry daily, clean pads often, someone else does it
Air conditioner — dusty filters, condensate trays
Clean filters regularly, service before the season
Ceiling or table fan — dust on blades only
Wipe blades with a damp cloth, patient out of the room
Damp walls and leaking ceilings
Repair them, ideally before treatment starts
Water tanks and drums left standing
Clean and cover, and keep the patient away while it is done
Dry heat with no cooling at all
Not the answer — heat worsens dehydration and dry mouth
If you use a cooler
Keeping it safe to run
All of this is someone else's job, done with the patient out of the room.
Empty the tank daily
Do not top up stale water. Drain it, wipe the tank out, and let it dry rather than leaving a film of old water sitting warm overnight.
Dry it out when not in use
If the cooler is off for a few days, empty it and leave it dry. A tank left full and unused is the worst case, and it is extremely common.
Clean or replace the pads
The wet pads are where growth actually happens. Clean them regularly through the season and replace them when they look discoloured or smell.
Run it with a window open
Evaporative coolers need ventilation to work properly, and moving air through the room is better than recirculating it. It also stops the room becoming humid.
Do not point it straight at the patient
A constant stream of air dries the mouth, eyes and skin, all of which are already dry during treatment. Angle it across the room instead.
Keep the patient out while cleaning
Cleaning a cooler stirs up exactly what you are trying to avoid. Do it with them in another room, ventilate afterwards, and wash hands properly.
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The wider problem
Damp and mould in the house
A cooler is only one source. Water-damaged walls, leaking ceilings, bathroom corners, the space behind an almirah and any long-standing damp patch all grow mould, and disturbing them releases far more than a cooler ever would.
Fix leaks before treatment if you can
If you know about a leak and treatment has not started, deal with it now. Repairs mid-course mean dust and disruption at exactly the wrong time, and often mean relocating the patient while the work is done.
Do not let the patient clean mould
Scrubbing a mouldy wall puts spores straight into the air of the room the person is standing in. This is one of the clearest jobs to hand over, done with them out of the house if it is a large patch.
Ventilate rather than seal
Open windows, move air through, and dry wet areas. Humidity is what lets mould establish, and a closed damp room is worse than an open one even in the heat.
Check the places nobody looks
Under the sink, behind the washing machine, the bathroom ceiling, the back of cupboards on outside walls, and the cooler's own corner. These are where it starts unnoticed.
Tell your team if there is significant damp or mould at home and it cannot be fixed quickly. It may change their advice.Practical
Staying cool without creating a problem
Heat is not a neutral alternative. Someone on chemotherapy who is too hot drinks less, sleeps worse, and dehydrates faster — and dehydration is one of the commonest reasons people end up admitted. Cooling matters.
The low-risk options
Ceiling and table fans, with the blades wiped down. An air conditioner with clean filters. Damp curtains at a window, cool showers, light cotton clothing, and keeping the hottest rooms shut during the day.
Keep drinking, whatever the cooling
Cool air makes people feel less thirsty rather than less dehydrated. Keep sipping through the day and judge it by urine, particularly in summer and particularly if there is vomiting or loose motions.
Mind the dry mouth
Any moving air dries the mouth and lips overnight, and a dry mouth leads to sores and infection. Point the fan or cooler away from the face, keep water at the bedside, and use a lip balm.
Sort the cooling before summer, not during
Get the cooler cleaned, the air conditioner serviced and the filters changed before the season starts, while the patient is well enough to be out of the house for a day. Doing it in the middle of a low-count week is the situation to avoid.
If a cooler cannot be maintained properly, a fan with clean blades is the safer choice.Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you how cautious to be. How low your counts go, which treatment you are on and whether you have had a chest infection already all change the answer, and some people are advised to avoid evaporative coolers entirely during treatment.
It also cannot tell you the size of the risk. Serious fungal chest infections are uncommon, and this is a precaution against something unlikely with a serious consequence. The measures are cheap, which is why they are worth taking.
What to do next
Have the cooler emptied and dried today, and the pads cleaned. Get the air conditioner filters done. Hand both jobs to someone else. Deal with any damp or leak, ideally before treatment starts. And ask your team whether a cooler should be avoided during your low-count days.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about cooling and damp
Do we have to stop using the cooler?
Not necessarily, and giving up cooling in a Hyderabad summer is its own risk — heat leads to drinking less and dehydration. A well maintained cooler, emptied and dried daily with clean pads, is reasonable for most people. Ask your team about the low-count days specifically.
Is an air conditioner safer than a cooler?
Generally yes, because there is no open tank of standing water. It is not risk-free — filters collect dust and condensate trays can grow things. Clean the filters regularly and have it serviced before the season rather than assuming it is fine.
Who should clean the cooler?
Anyone except the patient. Cleaning it stirs up exactly what you are trying to avoid, so do it with them in another room or out of the house, ventilate afterwards, and wash hands properly. The same applies to servicing an air conditioner.
Is a fan pointed at the patient a problem?
Not for infection, provided the blades are wiped down, but constant air on the face dries the mouth, eyes and skin, all already dry during treatment. Angle it across the room, keep water at the bedside, and use a lip balm.
There is mould on our bathroom ceiling. Does it matter?
It is worth dealing with, and the patient should not be the one cleaning it — scrubbing mould puts spores into the air of that room. Have someone else do it with the patient elsewhere, ventilate well, and fix whatever is causing the damp.
Should we avoid cooling during the low-count days?
Ask your own team, as some advise avoiding evaporative coolers in that window. If in doubt, a fan with clean blades or an air conditioner with clean filters is the lower-risk way to stay cool through those days.
What if we cannot maintain the cooler properly?
Then a fan is the safer choice. A cooler that is topped up with stale water and never emptied is worse than no cooler at all from an infection point of view — but do not simply go without cooling, because heat brings its own problems.
Does humidity itself matter?
A humid closed room encourages mould to establish on walls, curtains and bedding. Coolers add humidity, which is why they should be run with a window open. Ventilating and drying wet areas does more than any cleaning product.
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Sources
- Cancer Research UK — Infections and cancer treatment
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Infection and cancer treatment
- World Health Organization — Infection prevention and control
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
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