Winter Weather Hacks

Winter is here and while snow can be fun for a day or two, the freezing temperatures and cold wet weather can be a pain if you still have to get out and about to go to work or run errands. There are lots of winter weather hacks that you can use to make yourself more comfortable and to make life just a little bit easier and warmer!

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Spray your Snow Shovel

Have a sidewalk that needs to be shoveled? Spray your shovel on both sides with a non-stick cooking spray, The snow coating your walks will have a tough time sticking to that!

Use Plastic Bags on Mirrors

Use plastic freezer bags around the side-view mirrors and zip closed as much as you can. Gallon sized freezer bags will be the best choice for this, and they will help to keep snow and ice off of your side-view mirrors.

De-fog your Windshield

Tired of having to wait on your car to warm-up before your windshield defrosts? Take an old sock and fill it with cat litter and tie it shut. Place the sock against your windshield and leave it there. The cat litter will suck out the moisture in the car and leave your windshield clear.

Use Your Electric Blanket

Use your electric blanket to get your bed nice and toasty before you are ready to climb into it. No electric blanket? Use your hairdryer to warm up the sheets right before you climb in for the night.

Frozen Lock Tricks

Do you struggle with frozen locks during winter weather? Here are a couple of tips to unlock those doors quickly. Heat a metal key with a lighter for a few seconds and slip it into the frozen lock. Just don’t burn your fingers! You can also rub hand sanitizer on the end of a key and slip it into the lock. The alcohol in the sanitizer should melt the ice quickly. You can also use a hairdryer to melt the ice in a frozen lock.

Keep Car Doors From Freezing Shut

If you know that wintry weather is headed your way spray the seals of your car doors (the black rubber part) with non-stick cooking spray, or WD-40 and wipe the excess away with a paper towel. This should prevent your doors from freezing shut in the cold weather.

Frizzy Hair

Is the cold weather leaving your hair full of frizz and static? No problem! Simply take a clean dryer sheet and rub it on the problem areas in your hair. Your hair will be smooth and frizz-free in no time, and you can easily slip a dryer sheet into your purse or pocket for when you are away from the house.

Cover up your windshield

Cover your windshield with a towel, blanket, or an old rug. Lift your windshield wipers first and then put them down on top of the cover to help it stay on. This will keep snow and ice from building up on your windshield.

Put Extra Socks in the Car

There are a couple of reasons to keep extra socks in your car during the winter months. For one, you can change your socks if they get wet! There are other reasons as well though. You can slip a pair of socks over your shoes to help give you more traction if you find yourself walking in icy, snowy conditions. You can also slip a pair of socks over your windshield wipers to prevent snow and ice from building up on them.

Reverse Your Ceiling Fans

During the colder months make sure that your ceiling fans are spinning clockwise to push the warm air up around the ceiling back down into the room where you can feel it. Most ceiling fans have a small switch on them to change the direction of circulation.

Inexpensive Insulation

Are you looking for an inexpensive way to keep warm air in your home and the cold air out? You can buy sheets of bubble wrap and cut them to fit your windows. Spray the windows with water and the bubble wrap will stick right to the window. Since bubble wrap is clear you can still let warming sunlight into the house, and they are easy to remove once warm weather returns.

Homemade De-Icing Solution

Did you forget to pick up de-icer from the store before winter weather hit? Not to worry because you can make your de-icing solution at home. All that you need is a half a gallon of warm water, six or seven drops of dish soap, and ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol. Pour it on your driveway and watch the ice melt away!

These winter weather hacks can help to make your life a little bit easier during these cold, wet months, and maybe even help to keep you a little bit warmer and more comfortable. What are your favorite winter weather hacks?