Photo by Alonso Inostrosa Psijas on Flickr.
At this point in winter, we are just halfway through and the cold can really start to get to you. Add to that a freak polar vortex or sudden storms and you can find yourself in an unexpected deep freeze.
Many lists of ways to stay warm on a budget involve preventative steps – energy audits and installing wood or corn burning stoves. But you are cold NOW! And, besides, who wants to go out in this weather?
Try as you might, a sudden drop in temperature can chill your home faster than your furnace can keep it warm. Or you might be concerned about energy bills and trying very, very hard not to bump your thermostat up too high.
Here are some tips and tricks to staying warm, some of which come from frigid Boy Scout experiences, such as snow camping and wilderness survival. Wherever the inspiration, they work!
Wear Layers
The total warmth from your clothing is greater than the sum of the layers. Each separate layer traps air, which adds insulation and keeps you warmer. So if just a sweatshirt is not enough, try adding another t-shirt or two underneath, or a robe on top.
Cover Your Head & Feet
We humans lose more heat from our heads than anywhere else. Keep it trapped with a hood, beanie, or other warm hat.
Keeping your feet warm will help you feel more warm – generally if our feet are cold we feel colder. The layers trick works here too – consider two or three pairs of socks inside your slippers.
Stay Dry
One of the most counter-intuitive and critical things about winter safety is that you must stay dry. If you fell through the ice into a lake, your wet clothes will chill you faster than if you were naked! Water whisks away your body warmth faster than raw exposure.
So if your socks get damp, or you start to sweat, change your inner layers to keep from losing body heat to the moisture. If you take a shower or bath, dry yourself and your hair thoroughly before getting dressed.
Put Blankets Over Windows And Doorways
You are probably tempted to put every blanket in the house on top of yourself if you are cold. However, hanging some extra blankets or sheets over your windows can help trap the air and better insulate those heat-sucking windows.
If you feel a draft from a door, you can also hang blankets or sheets in front of them as well. Again, multiple layers provide more insulation by trapping several layers and pockets of air.
Put Bubble Wrap on Windows
If you happen to have some bubble wrap left over from Christmas packages or just because you were saving it for a useful purpose, it makes great window insulation! Just spray some water on the window, and put the bubble-side against the glass.
Each little bubble traps air, as well as the plastic sheet, further insulating your windows.
Drink Something Hot
Keep sipping something hot like tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Tea especially is something you can sip all day without becoming too wired from the caffeine.
Eat Hot Liquids
Soup is a winter classic comfort food. But it also is a very efficient way to keep warm, since it is easier for your body to digest liquid foods, saving your body’s energy. It’s also, well, hot.
Cook!
Remember those hot summer days when you just could not stand to stand over a hot stove? No? Well, long winter days are a great time to try out some of those recipes you have been hoarding on Pintrest.
Using the oven especially can add heat to the house, and even if you just make chocolate chip cookies, you will have a warm treat to enjoy when you are done.
Exercise
You don’t need fancy equipment, but if you get moving your body will generate more heat. Walk the stairs while listening to music, or dance. The windows are covered anyway, right?
At the very least, flex your muscles by tensing and relaxing them while you huddle under your blankets. The movement generates heat which is then trapped by your layers of clothing for a quick warm-up.
Shut Up Unused Rooms
Hang blankets over doors or doorways to keep the majority of the heat in the rooms you will be using during the cold spell. You can even cover up heating ducts to force more air into the rooms you will actually use.
Make A Hot Water Bottle
Hot water bottles seem to be a technology from long ago, but they can be very useful in times like these. You can use a pop bottle and your microwave to make a quick hot water bottle with which you can cuddle.
Use a Space Heater For Extra Heat
So long as you use the space heater for a limited amount of time, in a limited amount of space (like the room you are using) and do not leave them unattended, they can be a great way to add extra heat when the chill cuts into your home.
Use a Dehumidifier
A problem with newer homes, which are better insulated and sealed, is moisture buildup in winter. As the air temperature drops, so does the dew point (the temperature at which water condensates) resulting in wet, icy windows and damp walls.
A dehumidifier not only helps with winter moisture, but also generates heat. In lieu of a space heater, you can use a dehumidifier to keep warm. Rob Steves explains it in a lot better detail than I can.
Cuddle!
Stay close to a fellow human being or pet, and share the body heat!
What are some of your favorite ways to keep warm in winter?
