Well, the temperatures have definitely dropped. Some places have even had their first snowfall! Is your home ready for cold weather? Here are a few tips.
- keep a throw blanket in the livingroom and by your computer. If you are a bit chilly, toss this on (maybe slippers too!) rather than automatically turning the heat up.
- make sure your windows are properly sealed so no air escapes or comes in when they are shut. There are eco-friendly alternatives to caulking.
- clean those gutters! You don’t want an ice dam, that can back up the gutter and cause water to enter your home.
- take down window screens. If you need storm windows, install those.
- reverse your ceiling fan; it’ll blow warm air downwards.
- shut the doors in rooms you don’t use or just aren’t in.
- make a draft stopper or purchase one, your choice!
- now is the time to use that oven! Bake muffins, casseroles etc and let the heat of the oven warm up the place (you could turn down the thermostat prior to this).
We “donated” our down blanket to my mom years ago because we thought we were allergic to down. We bought synthetic (what a horror!) replacement and we’ve been using it, under a wool blanket. But I was always cold, sleeping.
We lost power recently and had to spend a night at my parents and used our old donated down blanket. We forgot how warm it is! So we brought it back to our house and have been using it. Now we are warm and toasty. We can keep the temp low and don’t have to be cold anymore!
Nice! I have a mild allergy to down too, but I find if I use 2 pillowcases on a down pillow I am fine. Feathers and wool are my favorite insulators.