It is rare for a student apartment, which is not usually known for its amenities, to have air conditioning. We tell you how to survive heat waves: With how difficult it is to find an apartment, many university students decide to keep it during the holidays and even stay in the same apartment throughout their studies until
eTítulo opens the doors to a decent job. During the summer, keeping our student apartment cool can be quite a challenge, especially if we do not have air conditioning. We will tell you a few practical tricks to maintain a pleasant temperature without increasing the electricity bills.
Strategic ventilation
Making the most of natural ventilation is key. Opening the windows during the early morning and late afternoon, when temperatures are lower, allows fresh air to enter and circulate. During the hottest hours, it is best to keep the windows closed and the blinds down to prevent heat from entering. In summer, cavemen are the true influencers.
Use appropriate curtains and blinds
Thick curtains and blinds can be great allies. As we have already said, they should be kept closed during the hours of greatest sun exposure to reduce the heat inside the apartment.
Opaque curtains with thermal insulation are much cheaper than an air conditioner and last much longer. One of the positive aspects of living in a student apartment is that we share expenses, so good curtains will not break the bank if we all contribute to paying for them.
Create air currents
Creating cross ventilation in our apartment can be very effective. Placing a fan in a window facing the outside helps expel hot air. In an opposite window, another fan can attract fresh air. This continuous airflow refreshes the environment.
Optimize the use of fans
Ceiling fans can be especially useful and, in addition to cooling, they keep mosquitoes at bay. Setting them to rotate counterclockwise in summer creates a refreshing breeze. Be careful with those tips of putting ice in front of the fan and similar things, because they will only waste our time and resources. Evaporative coolers do not work as well as they claim because, in addition to consuming a huge amount of ice, they do not lower the average temperature by more than two or three degrees. Even if they managed to reduce the thermometer by 5 degrees, we would have the problem of humidity. The thermal sensation with humidity, even if it is objectively less hot, is higher. In the end, we would have 37 degrees in the living room instead of 40, but it would be like being inside someone's feverish mouth: sticky and unpleasant.
Minimize the use of appliances
Appliances generate heat, so it is best to minimize their use during the hottest hours. Cooking in the microwave instead of the oven and avoiding the use of dryers or irons helps to keep the temperature low. Disconnecting electronic devices when they are not in use also helps reduce heat. Heat is what it is: better to read than to watch TV and better to play board games than video games. Anything that is hot to the touch is heating up our already hot student apartment even more.
Hello, plant lovers!
Have you been receiving criticism from your roommates all year for placing plants in every corner of the house? Are they attacking you because of the insignificant and not at all annoying resistant mosquito plague that invades every square centimeter of your house and your food? Your time to silence them has come. Plants not only decorate, they also cool. Some plants, such as the areca palm, fern, and sansevieria, help reduce the temperature by releasing moisture into the air. Placing them near windows and in areas where air circulates improves the freshness of the space.
Light cotton fabrics go well with everything
Changing bedding for lighter and cooler options, such as cotton sheets, helps to sleep better during hot nights. Also, using light colors and breathable materials contributes to maintaining a pleasant temperature. If we stick to the sofa or our bottoms sweat when we sit down to eat, covering the seats with light cotton fabrics will also help us.
Create outdoor shades (if we have outdoor spaces, of course)
If possible, creating shades outside the apartment can make a big difference. Using awnings, outdoor curtains, or even climbing plants helps block direct sunlight, significantly reducing the heat that enters through the windows.
Be water, my friend
Staying well hydrated is essential to feel fresh. Drinking water regularly and always having a bottle of cold water at hand is a good practice, but do you know what really refreshes? Having a spray bottle or aerosol that we can fill with water. Standing in front of a fan and spraying ourselves with water is the ultimate trick to cool down. Wetting the clothes we wear also helps, and if we can't take it anymore, taking a shower with water that is somewhat hot is great. Yes, we haven't made a mistake, let's say that after a hot shower, the body relativizes and does not interpret the surrounding heat as badly. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Check the insulation
Ideally, the landlord would cooperate, but if not, with minimal investment, we can improve the insulation of our student apartment ourselves. Sealing cracks in doors and windows prevents heat from entering and fresh air from escaping. Using weatherstrips and draft stoppers can be a simple and effective investment. It is clear that nothing is as effective as a good air conditioning system, but we can enjoy a cooler and more pleasant atmosphere in our student apartment without destroying the environment or our economy. Good luck and bring on the next heat wave!
