Keep The Cold Away

How to Stay Warm This Winter

With the colder weather creeping in and the leaves beginning to change colour, it’s a sure sign winter is coming. Many greet winter with a groan - and there is often good reason for it. The bitter cold and increased expense tend to be the two main problems, with the requirement for heat often resulting in an increased cost compared to summer months.

To help negate this and to make you feel more enthusiastic about those winter months, here are a few ideas for preparing your home for Winter to help you stay warm at home this winter without breaking the bank!

Draft Excluder

Draft excluders come in all shapes and sizes and you’ll come across all shapes and sizes, from industrial quality excluders that are permanently fitted to doors down to your more stylish (and cute) soft furnishing types. Some people even use blankets and towels rolled up and laid across the bottom of their closed door to stop drafts from moving through underneath.

Recommended: Cat Draft Excluder - Cotton Traders - £14

Thermal Blinds

This sounds more technical and it is, but it can save you from some very nippy mornings and a few pounds too! A window blind or curtain will almost always have better thermal benefits for your room than if you just have a bare window. Thermal blinds block cold air from entering the room, trapping it against the glass. These blinds are a little thicker than dimout blinds and are blackout, which results in a better seal against the window which not only keeps the heat in during the winter, but keeps the heat out during the summer thanks to the shade it casts.

Recommended: Thermal Roman Blinds - DotcomBlinds - £15.60+

Bleed Your Radiators

It’s good practice to bleed every radiator in your home before you start using your central heating. Make sure the heating is off (or you may scald yourself) and take the radiator bleeder to the top part of each radiator. Let out any air in the radiator until water starts to come out. You’ll need a towel to catch any drips as the water can be a bit dirty. Do this on each radiator and repressurise the system if it needs it. Doing this ensures your radiators are working correctly and giving you the most amount of heat evenly across the radiator.

Recommended: Brass Radiator Key - Amazon UK - £1.60

Get active

Sure, winter can make many of us want to go into hibernation, but getting out and about and moving regularly is one of the easiest ways to keep warm. Spacing out your tasks throughout the day - even housework - will get the blood pumping and help you stay warmer for longer. Sitting still for too long will be a surefire way to start feeling chilly, and this will mean you have the heating on a higher temperature for longer than is necessarily needed.

Block Up Your Chimney

A fireplace is a stunning addition to your home, and a great way to warm it too, but if it’s not in use you will essentially have a hole in your roof that is going to draw your warm air up and outside. You can purchase a temporary chimney draught excluder that looks much like an upside-down umbrella that goes up inside your chimney. When you come to use your fireplace you can easily take it down - nice and easy!

Recommended: Chimella The Chimney Umbrella - Chimella - £74

With these simple tips for keeping warm this winter, you’ll not only survive, but you’ll also thrive! Let us know if you have any other tips and ideas for keeping warm in the comments below!