Winter is beautiful, but it’s also cold. You can combat that Winter chill by turning up your thermostat, but that isn’t always the best option. There are ways to stay Warm easier than turning up the temperature. These cost-effective methods are excellent if you’re wondering how to stay warm in winter.
Warm Your Home Up
You’ll feel a lot warmer when you warm up your home. If you don’t want to turn up the thermostat, other options exist to get your house hot.
- Let the Sun In
Opening your blinds lets sunlight come in without letting the cold in. If you have windows that get a lot of sun, keep your blinds open. In addition, keep the blinds closed on the windows that don’t get sunlight to trap the Heat.
- Start Your Space Heater
A space heater is a cost-effective alternative to running your thermostat. For the best results, run your space heater in a small, enclosed room. A small space warms up faster and stays warm longer than a large, open space.
- Leave the Oven Open
You can use baking to your advantage since ovens are small spaces full of heat. After you cook something, leave the oven door open. A closed oven will cool down after a while, but an open oven will spread the heat throughout your home.
- Take Hot Baths
Hot baths are a great way to warm yourself and your home because the water creates heat. When you take a hot bath, leave the door open so the hot air and steam get out of the bathroom and into the rest of your home. After your bath, leave the hot water in the tub instead of draining it. The leftover hot water will keep warming the space up for a bit.
- Change Bedsheets
An overlooked way to warm up your home is to change your bedsheets. There are sheets made of heavy materials like cotton and wool that are designed to be warm. Change out your bedsheets for something warmer to ensure you’ll be toasty all night. You can keep the temperature down and still be warm if you have winter sheets.
Keep the Heat Inside
Your home only stays warm when you keep out the cold. Heat escapes your home through cracks and leaks, so to keep your home warm, you’ll have to stop the heat from escaping.
- Turn Down the Temperature
Turning the temperature down might seem like the opposite of what you’d want to do, but it can help you save costs and keep warm. When you sleep or go outside, turn down the temperature to save up to 10% yearly on heating and cooling. Saving money on heating when you’re out of the house means you can turn the temperature up more often when you’re home.
- Keep Doors Closed
Keeping doors closed will keep heat from leaving. Make sure any doors that lead outside or to a garage are closed. Besides that, you can also shut any other doors in your house because keeping doors shut keeps the heat in one room.
- Stuff Cracks
Heat may leak through cracks in doorways or windows. You’ll keep the heat inside if you seal any cracks. Start by looking for any gaps in your house. Heat escapes through gaps under doorways, around windows, in attics and in garages. Walk through your home and patch these cracks by using caulk or shoving fabric into them.
Warm Yourself Up
You’ll stay cozy in winter when you make yourself warmer. Even if you’ve already warmed up your home and patched all the heat leaks, there are still ways to stay extra warm in winter.
- Layer Up
Dressing in layers is one of the easiest cost-effective ways to warm yourself up. Wear multiple pairs of socks, a shirt, pants and a jacket to stay warm when it’s cold inside. Be mindful of any bare skin since one of the best ways to keep warm is to minimize the amount of exposed skin. Since you’re not leaving the house, you don’t have to worry about looking fashionable.
- Sip on Something Hot
Drinking or eating something hot is sure to warm you up easily. Tea, coffee and soup are a few hot liquids that warm you up from the inside out. If you’re feeling cold, try making a hot drink or snack to put some heat directly into your body.
- Get Moving
Moving around or exercising are great ways to get your body to warm up. Movement is the perfect answer if you’re wondering how to keep the body warm naturally. You won’t need a gym to get moving because there are at-home exercises you can do. Doing cardio or walking up and down your stairs will increase your heart rate and warm your body.
- Stay Upstairs
Heat rises, so you should stay there if you have a second floor. Since higher spots in your home will be naturally warmer, consider moving your living space around to accommodate that.
- Stick Stuff in the Dryer
The dryer works similarly to the oven because it’s another small space that creates heat. However, the dryer has the added benefit of warming up things you can wear. Work the dryer into your routine by putting your clothes and pajamas in before wearing them. The dryer will heat up your clothes, and you’ll have an easier time staying warm.
You can also put blankets in the dryer to make them nice and toasty. After you’re done, leave the dryer door open for a bit to let the remaining heat warm up your home.
- Use Blankets
Blankets are one of the best methods to keep warm in winter. Like winter bedsheets, warm blankets are super helpful for warming you up. Leave blankets around your house where you know you’ll need them. Also, you can keep your blankets in warm spots to maximize coziness.
- Make a Heating Pack
You can make your own heating pack if you don’t have one or you don’t want to use energy on an electric blanket. You only need a sock and uncooked rice to make a heating pack. Fill up a large, thick sock with about a cup of uncooked rice and microwave it. The rice gets hot quickly, and the sock traps the heat well. You can use this homemade heating pack to warm yourself up or place it under a blanket to warm up the blanket.
Keep Cozy and Warm
Stay warm by warming up your home, keeping out the cold and warming yourself up. There are better ways to keep toasty in winter than to turn up the heat.
Writer Bio
Beth is the Managing Editor and content manager at Body+Mind. She shares knowledge on a variety of topics related to nutrition, healthy living, and anything food-related. In her spare time, Beth enjoys trying out new fitness trends and recipes.
