8 Brilliant Dorm Hacks To Keep Your Room Cool In The Summer

Let’s face it, the summers are getting hotter and our buildings aren’t meant to keep us cool. Quite the opposite. Buildings in the UK are now more insulated than ever to keep the heat in our homes during the winter. So with the summers inching higher on the thermometer each year, a lot of us have had to get creative to stay cool. If you have AC then you’re all set! If you don’t have AC there are a number of ways you can keep your room cool that won’t cost the earth. Here are 8 Dorm hacks to help you keep your room cool in the summer.

1. Get an Effective Fan.

This doesn’t need to cost hundreds, or even more than £50. It could be a table fan, an independent standing fan or a box fan. The first of our dorm hacks: put a bowl of ice or cooled water in-front of the fan and watch as it blows cool air all over the room. Do this only your struggling to handle the heat inside.

2. Invest in a pair of Blackout Curtains.

If you don’t have a pair, black-out curtains aren’t just great for keeping light out. During the day, a dark room is a cool room. If you happen to get a lot of intense sun during the summer, this is a sorely needed buy that won’t cost you a lot. IKEA do blackout curtains in a large variety of colours.

3. Stay Out of Rooms in Direct Sunlight

Similarly to the above dorm hack, it’s helpful for those living in apartments or homes with more than one available room to use the room that experiences the least sun exposure. It will also save on the electricity bill if you keep all fans confined to this space also.

4. Open Your Windows at Night

This dorm hack is pretty obvious but a lot of people forget that night time is your only chance to empty a room of its heat and keep it cool until morning. This one comes with a few issues. If you keep your lights on, you are bound to attract moths and other light/heat seeking creepy-crawlies. Don’t open your window too wide, just enough to create a steady draft.

5. Switch Up Your Bed Sheets in the Summer

In most climates, it’s practical to only keep one type of bed sheet. But on those hot nights, being bundled into a heat insulating duvet sounds relatively attractive. Dorm hack: Buy a cheap or breathable set of summer sheets. If you have been to a warm country on holiday, you will have experienced peeling back a quilt to find another thin sheet folded neatly underneath. While they don’t hold the same comfort as a duvet, avoid a restless night with one of these. You can even pick up a summer duvet from IKEA if you can’t do without one.

6. Drink Plenty of Cool Liquids!

This one is a given. It should be enshrined in law that everyone should be hydrated on a hot day. One of the most affordable dorm hacks in the kit is to drink enough to stay hydrated and keep a couple of bottles of water in the fridge. Cool your drinks with ice, take cooler showers and you’ll find yourself feeling a lot better.

7. Keep the Electronics to a Minimum.

Most electronics will produce heat. Your computer, TV, games console and phone will produce enough to heat up a room and it can get very uncomfortable. On hot days, keep the electronic devices down to a minimum and you’ll notice your room will stay cooler for longer. Read a book instead.

8. Eat Cooler Foods.

You don’t want to be anywhere near your oven when it’s over 25C outside. Eat cooler foods such as salads and things that don’t take too long to cook on the hob. Having them on for too long will make the room feel like a furnace. Dorm hack: Eat dinner later in the evening when it’s cooler or stick to salads and fruit.