Ten Subtle Ways to Keep Your Home Warm During Winter

Winter is just around the corner. As the cold weather starts to kick in, you might start to consider prepping your home for the chilly season.

Aside from increasing insulation, there are some low-key ways that you can do to keep your home warm and cozy during winter:

Hang up some thick, durable curtains

Get those summer curtains out and replace them with heavier drapes. Thick curtains can help keep the warm air in and the cold breeze out, keeping your home less chilly during the cold season.

Expose your home to natural daylight

There’s no better way of keeping your house warm than letting the sunshine in. Open your curtains and blinds during the day. Rearrange your furniture so that it would not block the sun rays. It will also keep your property airy and comfortable.

Exposing your home to daylight does not only keep your home toasty at lesser costs, but you also get some dose of vitamin D.

Several studies have shown that natural daylight can improve your overall health by promoting the regulation of calcium and phosphate levels in your body. This stabilizes your blood pressure and keeps your muscles and bones fit. Natural light can also improve your mood by boosting your serotonin and endorphin levels.

Close your curtains at night

This keeps the cold air out after the sunsets. Failure to close your drapes at night during winter can reduce heat loss from a warm room by up to 10%, according to Energy.gov research.

Use rugs or carpets in rooms with hard-surface floors

Uninsulated wood floors can cause up to 10% of a home’s heat loss, according to the National Energy Foundation. Installing rugs or carpets on your flooring can help lock warm air inside your home while keeping your chilling toes warm. You can also scatter some throw rugs and blankets in the living room to make everyone comfortable.

Rugs can easily attract dirt, though, so make sure to clean them regularly and handle them with care to prevent them from wearing down.

Change the direction of your ceiling fan

Turning on your fan might be the last thing you would do when it’s already freezing outside. But several experts say that doing so can actually keep the room temperature up.

Set your fan’s rotation to a clockwise motion to pull the cold air up and push warm air down and around the room. Not only do you keep your house warm, but this also allows you to save as much as 15% on heating bills.

Cover your windows with shrink-wrap and seal any leaks you may found

Wrapping your windows with plastic from the inside gives you an extra layer of insulation, keeping the cold air out and locking warm air in.

Also, make sure to seal other air leaks in your home. You may find them in your attic, basements, garages, or even in your home’s brickwork.

Make sure that your heating system works properly

Before the harsh winter sets in, have your furnace heater and ventilation system checked by maintenance professionals to make sure that they are running smoothly. Or you may consider upgrading them altogether if you notice that they have been losing power.

Also, make sure to clean your air filters to avoid any potential blockage in your heating system. Unwanted trapped dirt can damage your equipment and may even incur some harmful effects on your health in the long run.

Move your furniture away from vents

Do a quick survey of your home and double-check that vents are not blocked by any furniture. Blocked ventilation can cause air pressure issues in the future, which makes your ventilation system less effective.

Keep your doors closed, especially in rooms that are warmer than the others

Keeping your doors closed at night can help trap warm air inside your rooms. Just make sure to shut the vents in those rooms as well to prevent heat from escaping through any gap. This will allow warm air to spread faster around your house, letting you save a little on heating costs, too!

Keep the oven door open after using it

When you’re done baking, leave the oven door open for a bit to keep your house warmer. Just make sure to turn it off first to avoid any kitchen accident and extra electricity costs.

Winter can be quite daunting, especially when the cold starts to become unbearable. Fortunately, these simple tricks can help you make your home (and yourself) extra warm and cozy without doing too much.