Keeping your home warm during Winter

In case you haven’t noticed yet, winter has arrived! While we all love to snuggle under warm blankets in front of the telly or fireplace, this is not always an option when we need to get up, get the kids to school and get to work or start the day. Waking up and getting out of bed and dressed for the day, can be unpleasant when it’s freezing cold. Here are a few things you can do to help keep your home warmer during these cooler months and get you out from under your cosy doona.

Use your curtains:

Take advantage of the warm, free sunlight that shines into your home during the day. Leave your curtains open and let the sunlight warm up your room. Then make sure to close your curtains as the sun sets so you can keep the warmth inside your home. Having heavier drapes is also a plus during the cooler months. Make sure you don’t have any gaps or leaks. Adding a pelmet will also stop the warm air escaping through the tops of your curtains and prevent the cool air from entering – it may also help reduce condensation.

Use heaters wisely:

If you have central or controlled heating where you can set a timer, set it for half an hour before you wake up: this will definitely make it easier to leave your warm bed. If you know it’s going to be a cold day then set it for half an hour before you’re due to return home in the afternoon.  When using an electric heater, as tempting as it may be on a rainy day, make sure not to hang anything on top of it and don’t place furniture too close to it either, as this will restrict the flow of hot air around your house. Don’t make the mistake of leaving your heating on all day, you may have a warm home to return to but you will have a large bill to go with it.

Wonderful rugs:

Having carpets in your house will definitely keep you warmer and cosier this winter and help you save on your heating bills. If you don’t have carpets then invest in some rugs: here are our tips to choose the perfect one for your home. Climbing out of bed and putting your feet onto a cold surface is not as enjoyable as landing on a warm, fluffy carpet or rug. Warm floor coverings will also help better insulate your home and keep any drafts from coming through the floorboards, which leads us onto the next tip…

Block out the drafts:

Do some investigating around your house and find any areas where a draft could be coming though, then cover it up! There are many ways you can stop draughts coming in. Most of it you can do yourself by using self-adhesive rubber sealing around your doors or windows, or even roll up a towel and place it at the base of doors where a draft could be coming through. If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace for those extra cold nights, remember to close the flue when it’s not in use, or all your warm air will escape straight out the chimney! If you have a mail slot or doggy door you may want to cover these too at night, to prevent drafts from coming in.

Insulate your home:

Insulation will help keep your house warm in winter and cooler in summer so it can be a very good investment to save on heating and cooling bills. A good place to start is with a carpet underlay as it will not only add extra comfort underfoot, it also creates a layer of insulation against cold bare floors and reduces significant heat loss. Saving you money on energy bills and keeping you toasty warm at the same time! Not sure which carpet underlay to get? Here are our tips for choosing the right underlay for your carpet.

Reverse your ceiling fans:

Most of us don’t think to use our fans during the cooler months but if you reverse the switch then the blades turn anti-clockwise and push the cool air upwards to mix with the warmer air, since warm air rises, and then push the warmer air downwards. Most fans have reverse switches.

Use the oven:

If you have finished baking or cooking then once you’ve turned the oven off, leave the oven door open so the warm air can fill your kitchen. Obviously make sure there are no small children or pets who could injure themselves if you do this.

The hot water bottle:

Make a hot water bottle and place it into your bed a few minutes before bed time, so it’s nice and warm when you get in. Make sure to read the care labels carefully before using them.

Now that you’re equipped with some great tips on making your home a warmer space, put the kettle on and warm yourself up from the inside with a cup of warm tea or coffee. And if you’re able to work from home then you can always cover up with a warm blanket and put some warm socks and slippers on!