16 intuitive tips to stay warm indoors while limiting the use of heating
The cold increases day by day and to rectify the situation we cannot immediately turn up the thermostat because it would result in higher and higher electricity bills.
The ideal would be to adopt a series of simple and mostly free solutions to be able to warm up inside the house --- without having to touch our wallets!
Here are 16 simple DIY methods to keep warm inside your house even on the coldest winter days!
Do not forget to wear socks: Vital organs take top priority when it comes to blood circulation and for this reason, the first parts of our body to get cold are our hands and feet. A woman is even up to 9 times more likely to suffer from these problems. With the advancing cold temperatures, it is necessary to wear thick hose (tights) and long, thick socks also inside the house, maybe even wearing more layers of hose or socks and with a nice pair of warm house slippers to seal in body heat!
Let the sun come in through the windows: In the morning and in the sunniest hours, open the curtains to let the sun, nature's radiator come into action! Also keeping windows clean is a good way to get maximum sunlight penetration.
Close the curtains at night: When the sun goes down it is a good idea to close the window curtains to prevent heat from escaping and to block drafts. The thicker the curtains are, the better!
Block all air currents: The curtains may not be enough and the ideal solution is to block those icy cold drafts by putting rolled towels on the intersections of the windows, or by using special door/window sausage dog draft excluders.
Sleeping in a four-poster bed: Four-poster beds are designed to keep body heat inside and under the sheets and also offer protection from drafts during the night.
Lighting a fire: You save on your electricity and heating bills by lighting a fire in your fireplace or stove! You will also experience an immediate feeling of warmth at the sight of the crackling fire.
Install a "balloon" for the flue: A chimney sucks hot air from your house and for this reason, if you are not using your fireplace, it is best to block the flue with the appropriate inflatable balloon plugs.
Dressing in "layers": There are several studies that inform us how to dress in the best way possible in winter. The important thing is to have many tight layers and the fabric of the clothes that are in contact with your skin must be breathable.
Wear fingerless gloves: Inside, the house, wearing gloves is not very practical due to the different things you normally need to do. The ideal solution would be to use fingerless gloves that can be created in just five minutes with a pair of old socks.
Cuddles: Body heat is a great way to warm up, lie down and cuddle with the person you love or together with your furry four-legged friend on the couch.
Doing physical activity: Moving and doing physical activity re-establishes proper circulation inside the body.
Place extra carpets and blankets around the house: Putting down an extra carpet will serve to keep the heat inside the room, because 10% of the heat in a house, is in fact lost by uninsulated floors.
Make abundant meals: A good hot meal can heat the body and the surrounding environment through the stove or oven used for cooking! Try eating foods based on cardamom, chili, turmeric, and ginger to improve circulation.
Light the candles: They provide light, atmosphere, and even if it is just a little, some heat! They can be useful for warming hands and raising the temperature of a small environment.
Hot drinks: A hot tea, an herbal tea or even eating soup during meals can work wonders for the body and also for the hands!
Make heat packs: These are very useful for warming up your hands and feet or warming up your bed before going to sleep. Just take old socks, fill them with raw rice or beans and sew the ends so that nothing comes out. Put them in the microwave for around two minutes and you are done!
