When winter temperatures get really frigid, it can feel like it’s impossible to stay warm—even when you’re inside! I’ve been wearing slippers around the house for weeks now, because my toes are always ice cold! But my fuzzy slippers can only do so much, so I’ve been looking for additional ways to stay warm this winter. (Specifically, I’ve been looking for methods that don’t involve cranking up my thermostat and sending my energy bill through the roof.)
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Because I know I’m not the only one who’s trying to keep warm, I thought I’d share some of those tips with you today! Hopefully you can use one or more of these tips to cuddle up until spring comes along to thaw us all out. :-)
10 Tips For Staying Warm This Winter
1. Layer With Thermals
Invest in a couple of high-quality thermal pieces to wear underneath your clothes. A good thermal shirt and a pair of thermal leggings will keep you nice and warm all winter long!
2. Double Your Drapes
Adding another layer of curtains to your windows can make a big difference in terms of keeping the cold out. Especially if one of those layers is a blackout curtain—they’re much thicker than standard curtains and provide better insulation.
3. Bubble Wrap Your Windows
Poorly insulated windows are a major culprit for heat loss. But you don’t need to spend a fortune on new windows to stay warm! As strange as it sounds, adding a layer of bubble wrap to your window panes as an insulating layer can work wonders. Learn how to do it at the link below!
Related: How To Quickly And Easily Insulate Your Drafty Windows
4. Flip Your Fan Switch
Ceiling fans are generally set to turn clockwise, to push cold air down to help cool off the room. But during the wintertime, it’s more helpful to have your fans turning counterclockwise, to pull cold air towards the ceiling and push the warm air down into the room. Look for a switch on the side of your fan to change the direction!
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5. Do Some Detective Work
Cold drafts may be coming from your doors and windows, and even your electrical outlets and light switches! An easy way to check for draughts is to light a stick of incense and carry it as you walk around the house. Take note of when the smoke appears to be blowing in a certain direction, which can be evidence of a draft.
Another option is to get an energy audit from your utility company. (Many companies offer these for free, so it’s worth looking into!) They can tell you where you’re losing the most heat and how to prevent it.
6. Warm Up Your Bed
Use an old-school hot water bottle to warm up your bed at night. Just fill the bottle with hot water, and toss it under your covers about 15 minutes before you’re ready to go to sleep. You’ll crawl into a toasty warm bed, and you might even forget it’s winter out there! ;-)
7. Choose The Right Space For Space Heaters
A small space heater can be a great way to keep your bedroom or home office warm! However, a small space heater probably won’t make much of an impact in a larger room, especially one with tall ceilings. Don’t waste money on running a space heater that isn’t helping you stay warm!
8. Keep Toes And Fingers Warm
If you’re the type of person who always has cold fingers and toes in cold weather, try out my homemade “warming salve!” It’s made with all-natural ingredients, and it’s a quick and effective way to keep warm. If your fingers and toes are warm, chances are your whole body will feel warmer! Learn how to make my warming salve at the link below.
Related: Make Your Own “Warming Salve” For Cold Fingers And Toes!
9. Check Your Blankets
Check out the “fill power” of your duvets and comforters. Fill power refers to the insulating power of your blankets, so it’s a good indicator of how warm a blanket will keep you during the winter. A number between 550 and 800 is ideal for cold temperatures!
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10. Cozy Up With Wool And Cashmere
Wool and cashmere blankets, sweaters, and other items are great for staying warm. The fibers in wool and cashmere are crimped, which creates small air pockets that lock in heat. Even a small amount of wool in a blanket can provide more warmth than something purely synthetic. This blanket pictured here is 15% wool, and it’s one of my favorite blankets for cozying up!
I made a rice sock and during the winter, I pop it in the microwave for 45 seconds then toss it at the foot of the bed to get my feet warm when crawling into bed. Once there I can grab the rice sock and warm my hands. It’s easy to use and does work wonderfully. To make a rice sock… Take one old sock and add 1 cup or dried rice. Take and either stitch or tie the end of the sock and now you have a rice sock. After telling my sister that lives in Ohio about it,… Read more »
a faded warm stole/ shawl under the bed sheet or below the quilt…(newspaper layers also work the same)…..is magic
keep your head/ ears warm………as maximum hot loss seems to be from there………
use a nose mask
wear clothes in layers….(not too tight)……believe it or not sari ( dress in India) keeps one majestically warm…
I sometimes use an electric heating pad on a favorite chair if the room is chilly—on my lap, around my feet or on my back and shoulders,
Check fan manufacturer’s recommendations for fan direction…counter clockwise for summer, clockwise for winter.
I found the totally transparent IKEA shower curtains on internet – they are called NACKTEN, for a few dollars. ideal for extra insulation in doorways and windows (a layer of air is a good insulator), easy to cut to the right size too and hardly visible. So light they can be put on a simple wire.
Nice! Some Americans will need your advice, with the heavy winter I see on the news right now. As I live in a rather large and poorly insulated house, i use most of the tips you mentioned. Some other things. IKEA used to sell totally transparant shower curtains for just a few dollars. These are IDEAL to block off the cold and drafts (on windows and in doorway). They have already holes in them so easy to fix, and they let the light in… much more discrete than bubble plastic haha. They do not sell them in EUrope anymore but… Read more »
I love the idea of the warming salve but is there any danger that your hands could get frostbite and you wouldn’t know it?
Maybe in very extreme conditions, but I don’t think so!
I live in the mountains of northern Arizona, and my feet are always cold, even using Carhartt wool socks. Then I found some merino wool socks — very soft, not scratchy at all! — at Costco called Ladies’ Trail Socks, and they have done the trick! My feet are now toasty warm all the time. I am so happy with them that I gave them (4 pair for $12.99!) to all my friends for Christmas.
I love my electric blanket! They may seem expensive, but we can turn the heat down at night since we have them. I turn mine on before I go do my evening routine of brushing my teeth and washing my face, and the bed is nice and warmed up when I crawl in.
Another good thing: flannel sheets! Warm and soft!
Corn feed is actually what my mom used to make the bed buddies. Also when it’s cold I wear under armor type pants under my work pants. There not the name, but my mom found them at a Walmart. A co- worker had told me.
I made two bags out of jean pant legs, and filled with rice. They stay warm all night under the covers. One at my feet and one at my back. The fleece sheets that I found at a yard sale for $10 (king size!!) helps too.