Do you live in a big, drafty house? Does your house run solely on electric heating? Here are a bunch of great tips to help keep you toasty warm in the winter when your house is freezing!
1. Go around your house and check all of your windows. Are they properly shut? Is there a draft coming from the sides? They may need to be re-sealed.
2. Seal your doors. Check around the door frame and also under the door. You may want to buy weather stripping or a door sweep. Again, at minimum, make a draft blocker (if you're the crafty sort) or stuff a towel at the bottom of the doors.
3. Close off any unused rooms. The closed door makes that room another barrier between you and the wicked winter weather. It also stops air from circulating as much, which reduces heat loss.
4. Put up sets of heavy curtains. These can block drafts on both windows AND doors. Open them when the sun is shining to help pull in the solar heat into your house and close them when it gets cloudy or dark out to better keep the heat in.
5. Dress warmly. Hats/beanies are a great idea, as it is a well known fact that 75% of your body heat escapes from your head!
6. Cook. Steam will raise the moisture level in your home, making you feel warmer. Make a large pot of soup, put the kettle on for tea, bake bread or cookies. Your oven will help to heat the kitchen. Make sure to leave the oven door open after cooking/baking to allow the heat to escape into your house.
7. Take a hot shower. Not only will this warm you up quickly, but the steam from the hot water will raise moisture levels in the house, helping the ambient temperature feel about 15 degree warmer.
8. Last, but not least, cuddle up on the couch with your loved ones. The closer you cuddle the more body heat you can build up!
