Easy & Cheap Ways to Cool Down Your Room

Summer’s coming, and while that means sunny skies and (hopefully) fewer rainy days, it also means your student room is slowly turning into a sauna. UK student accommodations are famously designed to retain heat—great in winter, terrible when it’s 25°C outside and your bedroom feels like the inside of a toaster.

Since most of us don’t have the luxury of air conditioning, here are some cheap and easy ways to stay cool without melting into a puddle of regret.

1. The Classic Fan Hack

If you’ve got a desk fan, level it up by placing a bowl of ice (or a frozen water bottle) in front of it. The fan will blow cooler air around the room—instant budget A/C! No ice? A wet towel draped over the fan works too (just don’t let it drip into the electronics).

2. Block Out the Sun

Your room heats up because sunlight turns it into a greenhouse. Keep curtains or blinds closed during the day—especially if your window gets direct sun. If you don’t have blackout curtains, pin up a bedsheet or use aluminium foil (it looks weird but works).

3. Freeze Your Sheets (Literally)

Struggling to sleep? Pop your pillowcase or a thin bedsheet in a plastic bag and stick it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before bed. It’ll stay cool long enough to help you drift off.

4. Cold Water = Instant Relief

• Feet in a bowl of cold water – Your feet are full of pulse points, so cooling them down lowers your whole body temp.
• Damp socks or wrist rinse – Run cold water over your wrists or wear slightly damp socks to bed (sounds odd, but trust me).
• Mist spray bottle – Fill a spray bottle with water (add a few drops of peppermint oil for extra cooling) and spritz yourself when needed.

5. Create a DIY Cross-Breeze

If you have two windows, open both to create airflow. No second window? Open your door and place a fan facing outward to pull hot air out.

6. Ditch the Heat Sources

• Laptops & chargers generate heat—unplug what you’re not using.
• Switch to LED bulbs – They produce way less heat than halogens.
• Avoid cooking in your room – If you have a kitchen, use it. Microwaving noodles in your room = instant regret.

7. Sleep Like an Egyptian

The "Egyptian method" involves wrapping a damp (not soaking) towel around yourself like a light blanket. The evaporating water cools you down. Alternatively, sleep with a slightly damp T-shirt.

8. Hydrate Smartly

Drink plenty of water (obviously), but try sipping on mint tea—it tricks your body into feeling cooler. Avoid too much alcohol or caffeine—they dehydrate you and make overheating worse.

9. The Ice Fan Tower (For the Desperate)

Got a tower fan? Tape frozen water bottles or ice packs to the back. The fan will blow air over them, creating a chilly breeze. Just be prepared for your flatmates to call you a genius (or mad scientist).

10. Embrace the Floor Life

Heat rises, so if your bed is lofted or high up, consider moving your mattress to the floor for cooler sleep.

Final Tip: Accept Your Fate (But Strategically)

If all else fails, relocate to the library (free A/C), a shady park, or the local pub (hydration + cooling, right?).

Stay cool, students—summer doesn’t have to be a sweaty nightmare!