Since I opted to turn off the electric heat this winter and use wood I have learned so much! First it can be done. I not only have lowered my electric bill but I am getting exercise collecting, cutting, splitting and hauling in wood.
It is true that there are other things that can be done to keep warm besides changing the source of your heat.
1. Wear layers of clothing. Your body creates heat and wearing layers contains this free source of heat. Did you know polyester underwear and long underwear is considered by survivalists to be the superior fabric of choice for undies? The reason is it wicks away moisture. Both cotton and wool hold moisture which can lead to hypothermia. I choose to have many polar fleece articles of clothing. I have hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, vests, jackets, pants, pullovers, socks and a bathrobe all made from polar fleece. My mother (who is 80 years young) now loves her polar fleece pants and loved the fact that she could hem them by simply cutting them off at the bottom. Polar fleece does not unravel or fray! If you are really cold, wear a warm hat as most heat escapes from your head and the brain gets the cold message immediately.
2. Throws and lap blankets. I have one on each of my easy chairs. If I feel chilled I pull one on and snuggle with Mister T. I have wool, down, cotton and polar fleece throws and again polar fleece wins the contest for being the warmest. Last Christmas I received a Snuggle which was one of the most popular gifts of the season. It is a great idea and design but the quality of fleece used is not warm enough for my taste so I use it in the warmer months.
3. Cover furniture with polar fleece. (Sounds like I am doing a commercial for polar fleece but I am not. If there is a polar fleece company that would like to hire me to do endorsements of course I am available.) I covered my sofa with polar fleece at first to keep it clean when I had two dachshunds. What I discovered was it very warm to sit on the couch and I have noticed that company seems to head straight for the couch and always comments on how comfy it is. I highly recommend a large piece of a good quality polar fleece for your favorite perch to keep you warm.
4. Socks and Slippers. I am not a fan of socks and would prefer to be barefoot. There is a huge difference in the warmth of my body when I wear socks so I have come to accept their importance to my well being in the winter months. Coupled with a great pair of warm slippers you will not feel drafts that creep around the floor. Since hot air rises, feet are subject to this cold air.
5. Down Comforters. For years I would not even consider a down comforter for my bed. Since most birds fly south for the winter why would down be warm? Silly me. Years ago when I still lived in New England I had opportunity to go to a sleeping bag factory. At their outlet store I purchased a down sleeping bag before the zipper had been installed. This “blanket” was very toasty and held in my own body heat. It was a simple army green and I made a duvet cover for it. I had that blanket for many years and it finally met its demise to mold while being stored. Two summers ago I chanced upon a very good quality down comforter that was being sold by a woman who thought it was too warm. Since I absolutely love a cold bedroom and have my window open at night 365 nights of the year, I was thrilled to steal it for $10. Again I have a duvet cover to keep it clean and I love the warmth I feel when I cuddle with Mister T (for those of you that don’t know, Mister T is my best buddy my mini black and tan dachshund).
6. Use Door Draft Stoppers. Door draft stopper or guards are filled tubes that keep cold air from creeping under doors. They can be purchased new or made easily by filling a tube sock or tube of fabric with rice, beans, sand or stuffing. They look a bit like a snake and really do the trick. If you have a dog like mine that likes to pull the innards out of stuffed animals don’t make yours with stuffing!
7. Close Doors. Keep the doors closed to rooms that do not need to be heated. Just heat the areas that you sit in during the day.
8. Do leave the Bathroom Door Open. Showers and baths create lots of heat but more importantly humidity. In the winter the house dries out and the moisture from the bathroom can help tremendously. Now I understand in some family’s privacy is important. Just leave the door open after showering and don’t use the fan.
9. Do Leave the Oven Door Open. Leave the oven door open after cooking and turning off the oven. Let that heat escape to warm the kitchen.
10. Do Open the Dishwasher When Washing Cycle is Finished. Once the dishes are washed open the door and let the dishes air dry. This will let the heat escape, allow the moisture to escape to humidify the house and save a bundle on electricity over a period of time.
Hopefully one or more of these suggestions will help you stay snuggie warm in the cold months. If all else fails go to the animal shelter and get a Dachshund. Dachshunds love to snuggle under the blankets and curl up and sit in your lap. They are loving, loyal, small and great substitutes for hot water bottles. Your other alternative is to go to bed early with a good book.
The Frugal Fraulein is a canner, gardener, preppie, frugalista who blogs at Frugal Canning.
Join thousands of preppers and get all my survival tips for FREE! Subscribe to The Survivalist Blog dot Net via RSS or via e-mail.
{ 13 comments }
Along with Slippers I am a big fan of bathrobes. They are super comfortable and warm. One winter the roomies and I were all short on cash so we kept the house pretty cold. Slippers, bathrobe and a watch cap will keep you comfortable and warm.
Re: throws and lap blankets. If bulk or weight is a consideration here, try a throw made of polyester microfleece. Works very well and weighs next to nothing.
Great ideas. I've lived and been active outdoors in Minnesota 19 years and most everything you said rings true.
A couple comments:
1. Unless there's a chimney from the oven or dishwasher, the heat that's inside it will get out anyway, just slower. (According to Thermodynamics and Heat and Mass transfer).
2. Opening the dishwasher will let more of the moisture out immediately, but on our dishwasher there is a dry cycle where the heater goes on and steam comes out of a slot above the door. Interrupting that dry cycle by opening the door could actually reduce the humidity you get.
3. If you're in a firefight (after TEOTWAWKI of course), you don't want to be wearing polyester. It melts and fuses to your body. Ask Richard Pryor (well you can't because he's dead) about the polyester shirt incident. I heard the Marines have commissioned wool/kevlar clothing, but that sounds incredibly uncomfortable. I think cotton and wool are better though.
PhilaBOR
Great info! It's funny how most of the time when people are cold there first reaction is to crank the thermostat up. :D Outdoors, the clothing thing is so important. In cold weather I always go with a base layer like Under Armour ColdGear. I know it's not cheap, and it might not even be the best (or it might, I'm not sure), but it's always worked well for me. Having the right clothes on in cold weather vs. not having the right clothes on is like night and day.
The only one I'd add a caveat to is #7, close doors. I think this makes sense if your heat source is in a single location – fireplace, wood burning stove, wall heater. If your house has central heating I've been told doors should be left open. Something about the system being more efficient if all vents are open and air is allowed to circulate freely. A few different HVAC people have told me this, but since I'm not an expert I suggest people research it more before listening to my BS. :D Like I say about most things, I could be wrong.
-Romadant
Greetings from a freezy scandinavia.(-40 F some places last night and the power grid is on the brink of failure)
I got the tip from the previous house occupant in the house i live in to showel up snow around the house foundation to insulate and cover the airintakes to prevent cold air from circulating underneath the house chilling the floors. I almost immidiatly noticed a significant improvement.
Better get out in the barn to get moore firewood
//N
Most trailers have crappy windows. In Canada, where I lived for many years, we taped plastic over the windows to help stop infiltration of cold air. If you pass a lit candle across and around your window on a day with a breeze, you may see the flame flickering, indicating infiltration. Or, if the windows are really crappy, you might feel a breeze on your face!
Kudos on the tips. I can attest to the tip on covering furniture. My chair is alot warmer when I place a blanket down first. It helps ease the pain of keeping the house at 65 degrees.
Keeping your extremities warm is important, especially your feet.
Microwavable socks are also a good choice to keep your feet toasty.
Good stuff
Best Gravity Gardener
http://gravitygarden.com/Microwave-your-Footwear.htm
I used to teach basic mountaineering and I found that a most useful item was the neck gaiter. It's basically a turtle neck without the sweater and it can be used as a hat, neck warmer, face cover, face and ear cover, a head band, and it adds amazing flexibility to how you can adjust your sleeping bag when you want more of a range for temperature adjustment than just an open zipper vs. a closed zipper.
I get mine custom made (I have a large head) for under $10.00, including shipping, from anickascottage at Etsy.com in the handcrafted items section – or you can search for "neck warmer" using their search function if you prefer a different model. If you don't need anything special then you can get one off the rack just by using Google to search for "neck gaiter".
Almost everybody I've ever loaned one to has really found them useful.
I hope this information is helpful.
Here in the South we are experiancing unusual cold – day after day!!! Great posting….looking forward to more.
Rourke
WorldInfoCD.com
Don't waste the heat coming out of your clothes dryer. Put a sock over the hose and lay it on the floor beside the dryer. You may have to empty the lint in the sock once in a while, but the heat stays inside rather than trying to heat the great outdoors.
Way #11 – Older guys & younger women, older women & younger guys, find each other. Guaranteed to work!
Whether or not you open the oven door after cooking, that heat isn't going to go anywhere. Opening the door of a hot oven helps the heat warm and room a couple degrees very quickly, but even if you leave it closed it will eventually radiate into the room, walls, cabinets and floor. The net effect is the same.
Comments on this entry are closed.