With snow making an appearance up and down the UK this January, everyone has been feeling the cold a little more than usual. With temperatures low and set to get lower, it is so important to make sure that you and your family are staying warm throughout the rest of the winter.
From keeping your body warm when you’re braving the cold weather, to keeping your house warmed through until we see signs of spring, there are a number of things you can do to stay toasty and warm. Here is some practical advice for keeping the cold at bay.
Layer Up
One of the most important things you can do is layer up. Whether you’re off to work, or you’re staying at home, you need to make sure that you have the necessary layers or you simply won’t stay warm.
Choosing the right fabric is key here because some fabrics will keep you warmer than others. Silk is a good choice because it is temperature regulating, so not only will it keep you warm when layered under your clothes, but it will also stop you from overheating. You can wear thermal silk layers as shirts, long johns or vests. Alternatively, modal is a great fabric for layering, because of its thermal properties.
Warm Fabrics
To keep your house feeling warm while the temperatures drop, you should incorporate warm fabrics and furnishings into your decor. Even something as simple as keeping rugs over hard floors or silk blankets lying around the house, you can help keep the rooms in your home less hard and cold. Having blankets to hand is also good for when you’re planning to relax on the sofa.
You may also want to think about changing up your bedding. Choosing warmer materials for your bedding will help you to keep warmer at night, as well as warming up your bedroom while you heat the house. Take a look at our range of silk bedding, to find out how this can help you keep warm.
Avoid Dampness at Home
During the winter, it is common for houses to get damp if they are not heated, cooled or ventilated properly. It may seem like the craziest idea to open your windows when it’s so cold outside, but airing your rooms for a few minutes a day can keep dampness away.
While trying to keep your house warm, you may find that things get a little stuffy, but, letting in short bursts of fresh air through your house will keep it feeling fresh.
Fingers, Toes and Heads?
The extremities on your body are likely to get the coldest. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your fingers and toes are protected properly. Wearing the right socks and gloves when you leave the house, ensuring there is no skin uncovered, will help you to keep your extremities warm.
If normal gloves don’t do the trick, you can invest in a set of silk glove liners, that slip under your gloves as an extra insulating layer, the same can be done with silk socks. Not only do these regulate the temperature, but they wick away moisture so that your hands and feet feel refreshed. Also, you lose a lot of heat through your head, so putting on a hat before you step outside will make a world of difference.
Open Your Curtains
One way to help get some extra heat into your home is to open your curtains briefly when the sun is out. Winter sun can be extremely powerful, and letting it heat your home by coming in through the windows can make a big difference to the temperature.
Just make sure that you close them again when the sun goes down.
Stay Hydrated
While you’re busy trying to keep your body warm, sometimes is it easy to forget about staying hydrated. This is not only good for your overall health, which will help prevent cold and flu during winter, but it is also good for staying warm.
Water in the body is good at retaining heat, so making sure you are drinking enough throughout the day should help you to stay warm.
Hot Water Bottles and Hand Warmers
Although there are many easy ways to make sure your body and your home are staying warm throughout the winter, sometimes you could use a little extra help. Hot water bottles are guaranteed to keep you warm and there are many different ways you can use them. Some people like to hold them close while they’re relaxing around the house, while others put them under their bedding to heat up the bed before they get in it.
Similar to hot water bottles, you can use hand warmers, which generate heat and can be kept in your coat pockets to keep your hands warm.
Utilise Your Kitchen
Your kitchen is a very important room throughout the winter months and cooking or baking as often as you can, will help keep your house warm. While you’re using the oven and handling hot food, heat can easily build up, helping your house to feel toasty and warm – not to mention the amazing smell of food.
You should also try and make sure you’re eating at least one hot meal and day, and plenty of warm beverages.
Draught Proof
It is essential to ensure that your house isn’t losing any unnecessary heat. That may mean carrying out a thorough inspection of your home to check that there aren’t any draughts.
If you do find a draught coming from a door frame or crack in the wall, make sure you cover it. To combat this, you can buy draught excluders or stoppers, or you can repair holes and cracks with appropriate materials.
Exercise
Getting enough regular exercise is good for your overall health, but it will also help you to stay warm during the winter. Keeping yourself moving will warm up your body, as well as helping you feel more motivated and energetic until winter comes to an end.
To find out more about how silk can help keep you warm in the winter, take a look at the rest of our blog.
