Preparing for winter III

Austin_Allegro

One thing I've been suspecting for a while is part of the reason people feel cold and whack up the heating is that they just don't wear the right clothes.

I don't mean they wear shorts and tee shirts, though we've all heard of people who do that in their house all year round with the heating full on, but it seems to me that most people wear thin cotton or manmade clothes that don't keep them warm.

Eg most people seem to wear trainers (made of some sort of nylon) or just cotton socks on their feet in the house; cotton jeans, often a short sleeved cotton or nylon blend shirt, perhaps a cotton pullover (there seem to be a lot more of those nowadays) and a thin manmade jacket, and no hat when they go out.

I've noticed a real difference in feeling warm and cosy by simply changing to woolen socks (worn over cotton ones sometimes) woolen trousers, a flannelette shirt, wool pullover and tweed jacket, even in the house. I've ditched my corduroy jacket for winter - just not warm enough.

I know it costs more to buy woolen clothes, but I think it's worth it. I wonder if it's not just cost though - perhaps people think wool is somehow unhygienic as it's harder to wash, or that it's uncomfortable?

I'm even considering buying an army surplus 'hairy mary' - a kind of woolen shirt we used to wear in the Corps at school that was warm but so itchy on the collar that you had to sew a strip of cotton into it (or rather, get your mother to). :rotfl:

his_missus

Hi all! Not been on here for ages. Have now learned how to bookmark threads so I don't lose them:o

kittie wrote: »

heavy snow 2+ dec esp east and midlands, 7th widespread, 11th e/se, 16th east anglia/kent, 20th -20 deg, 22+ snow in east, 25th+ snow showers, 29+ sudden thaw floods sw diagonal band to ne. 75-80% accurate over the month, mostly 80%

Finally, I might get to use my snow boots soon then. DH laughed at me for buying them especially when the rumoured October snow never fell. Roll on December:j

Mind you, we're going away to the Lincoln Christmas market so it had better wait til after that to snow. Missed out last year as it got cancelled due to snow.

My latest keep warm in bed trick is putting a fleece on my side of the bed on top of the sheet. I put it there originally because one of the cats had started sleeping in the bed during the day and kept getting muck on the sheet. One night I forgot to take it off and had a fab night's sleep. It also means DH doesn't moan about getting too hot as the fleece is only on my side

marmiterulesok

Austin_Allegro wrote: »

One thing I've been suspecting for a while is part of the reason people feel cold and whack up the heating is that they just don't wear the right clothes.

I don't mean they wear shorts and tee shirts, though we've all heard of people who do that in their house all year round with the heating full on, but it seems to me that most people wear thin cotton or manmade clothes that don't keep them warm.

Eg most people seem to wear trainers (made of some sort of nylon) or just cotton socks on their feet in the house; cotton jeans, often a short sleeved cotton or nylon blend shirt, perhaps a cotton pullover (there seem to be a lot more of those nowadays) and a thin manmade jacket, and no hat when they go out.

I've noticed a real difference in feeling warm and cosy by simply changing to woolen socks (worn over cotton ones sometimes) woolen trousers, a flannelette shirt, wool pullover and tweed jacket, even in the house. I've ditched my corduroy jacket for winter - just not warm enough.

I know it costs more to buy woolen clothes, but I think it's worth it. I wonder if it's not just cost though - perhaps people think wool is somehow unhygienic as it's harder to wash, or that it's uncomfortable?

I'm even considering buying an army surplus 'hairy mary' - a kind of woolen shirt we used to wear in the Corps at school that was warm but so itchy on the collar that you had to sew a strip of cotton into it (or rather, get your mother to). :rotfl:

I definitely agree with you.As for me,it's only in the last 5 or so years that I've made the connection between dressing appropriately in winter and staying warm-and I'm in my forties!:oI remember thinking that knee-length cotton socks were great until I tried a wool blend.In the past I also bought a lovely looking but woefully inadequate 'winter' coat.I would have been as cosy wearing a bin bag!

Anyway,thankfully I have learnt to wear thin layers,woolly socks etc. ,invest in some wool/cashmire jumpers and that a good winter coat is a woollen one (bought a lovely wine-red one very cheaply in a charity shop).A winter hat is a great thing to have.

My must-have item is my wool-lined leather gloves.I would have preferred silk-lined but they were out of my prize range.

BTW you can add thin layers by putting on a silk top-they're really great at keeping you warm and are not bulky.

I have a question.I put bubble wrap on my kitchen windows last year and it worked well.I just can't remember whether you put the smooth or the bubble side against the windowpane.Can anyone advise?I would have thought it was the bubble side...

Thanks!

Austin_Allegro

marmiterulesok wrote: »

I definitely agree with you.As for me,it's only in the last 5 or so years that I've made the connection between dressing appropriately in winter and staying warm-and I'm in my forties!:oI remember thinking that knee-length cotton socks were great until I tried a wool blend.In the past I also bought a lovely looking but woefully inadequate 'winter' coat.I would have been as cosy wearing a bin bag!

Anyway,thankfully I have learnt to wear thin layers,woolly socks etc. ,invest in some wool/cashmire jumpers and that a good winter coat is a woollen one (bought a lovely wine-red one very cheaply in a charity shop).A winter hat is a great thing to have.

My must-have item is my wool-lined leather gloves.I would have preferred silk-lined but they were out of my prize range.

BTW you can add thin layers by putting on a silk top-they're really great at keeping you warm and are not bulky.

I have a question.I put bubble wrap on my kitchen windows last year and it worked well.I just can't remember whether you put the smooth or the bubble side against the windowpane.Can anyone advise?I would have thought it was the bubble side...

Thanks!

I am guessing the bubble side should go against the window, as you will get a layer of air trapped not only in the bubbles but between them, but I don't know the 'science part'.

gardenia101

Frugal wrote: »

Definately going to remedy that tomorrow and no doubt the pharmacist will frown and question me on why I am buying different types etc :rotfl:

What IS the best cough medicine out there atm? Any tried and tested favourites?

I used to love Galloways... Can you still get that? or buttercup syrup and Potters Vegetable Cough Remover - now that, I seem to remember, is powerful stuff. Although I am not sure what a vegetable cough is :rotfl:...... sorry

Cough medicines - depends on the type of cough! Dry, tickly coughs with no phlegm - pholcodine is very good, but not always a good idea for those with breathing disorders (asthma/COPD etc.) as theoretically it can depress the cough centre in the brain. This is what you want to do if you've just got a cough, but not if you may need to cough to clear secretions in your airways. Not good with opiate-type painkillers either. If you like the old fashioned, "medicinal" tasting mixtures that you can feel warming your throat as it goes down then the Pavacol-D brand of pholcodine is lovely. It is an acquired taste .

Chesty coughs - all of a muchness really so go for one you like the taste of! If they are just for chesty coughs (with no decongestants etc.) then they are all very similar. Simple home made honey & lemon will be just as effective.

Potter's Vegetable Cough Remover is great - again a strong taste, but it does work IMHO. But if you are on any other medicines do check with your pharmacist as herbs can cause problems with other meds.

Not seen Galloway's for a few years, & then only in a tiny village pharmacy. You could always see if a pharmacy could order it in for you. Buttercup syrup is still widely available.

When you are grilled by pharmacy staff please try & remember they are doing it for YOUR benefit, not because they are nosey. Lots of medicines don't go together & lots of people are hospitalised every year due to medicines - either interactions or doubling up on similar ingrediants without realising it. And it is the law to check each & every sale is safe & appropriate...

Frugal - this isn't meant as an attack on you even if it reads that way, sorry! As a former pharmacist I just felt the need to rant.... You would be amazed at how vile some people can be when you refuse to sell them a medicine that isn't safe for them, even when you've explained exactly why they shouldn't take it :mad:. Glad I'm out of pharmacy now.

Confuzzled

his_missus wrote: »

My latest keep warm in bed trick is putting a fleece on my side of the bed on top of the sheet. I put it there originally because one of the cats had started sleeping in the bed during the day and kept getting muck on the sheet. One night I forgot to take it off and had a fab night's sleep. It also means DH doesn't moan about getting too hot as the fleece is only on my side

my daughter does this too, though she often coccoons herself in one under her duvets and she said it makes such a difference, especially if she uses one that's she's had on her lap whilst watching telly before bed, it's already warm so no shock from cool sheets in a cool room that way!

Confuzzled

Austin_Allegro wrote: »

I am guessing the bubble side should go against the window, as you will get a layer of air trapped not only in the bubbles but between them, but I don't know the 'science part'.

that's the right way to do it, if you put the flat side against the window you aren't trapping any air and whilst it will give you some insulation the goal is to create another 'pane' or a third level of glazing so the bubbles need to touch the window and the cold air gets trapped between the spaces between them and the glass

Fruball

gardenia101 wrote: »

Cough medicines - depends on the type of cough! Dry, tickly coughs with no phlegm - pholcodine is very good, but not always a good idea for those with breathing disorders (asthma/COPD etc.) as theoretically it can depress the cough centre in the brain. This is what you want to do if you've just got a cough, but not if you may need to cough to clear secretions in your airways. Not good with opiate-type painkillers either. If you like the old fashioned, "medicinal" tasting mixtures that you can feel warming your throat as it goes down then the Pavacol-D brand of pholcodine is lovely. It is an acquired taste .

Chesty coughs - all of a muchness really so go for one you like the taste of! If they are just for chesty coughs (with no decongestants etc.) then they are all very similar. Simple home made honey & lemon will be just as effective.

Potter's Vegetable Cough Remover is great - again a strong taste, but it does work IMHO. But if you are on any other medicines do check with your pharmacist as herbs can cause problems with other meds.

Not seen Galloway's for a few years, & then only in a tiny village pharmacy. You could always see if a pharmacy could order it in for you. Buttercup syrup is still widely available.

When you are grilled by pharmacy staff please try & remember they are doing it for YOUR benefit, not because they are nosey. Lots of medicines don't go together & lots of people are hospitalised every year due to medicines - either interactions or doubling up on similar ingrediants without realising it. And it is the law to check each & every sale is safe & appropriate...

Frugal - this isn't meant as an attack on you even if it reads that way, sorry! As a former pharmacist I just felt the need to rant.... You would be amazed at how vile some people can be when you refuse to sell them a medicine that isn't safe for them, even when you've explained exactly why they shouldn't take it :mad:. Glad I'm out of pharmacy now.

Brilliant, thank you. Don't worry, I didn't take it as an attack and when I posted about the pharmacist it was more in a humourous way as why would you buy a tickly cough med, a chesty cough one and whatever other ones Most people just get them when they need them rather than keep some in for when its needed.

I quite agree that some people just don't take enough notice of what can and can't be taken together and don't bother to find out.

I also think that a lot of people don't appreciate the amount of knowledge a pharmacist has to have.

Sunnyday

Austin allegro - i`ve got to agree with you about materials, last year i invested in some merino wool blend socks and they are fabulous. I was wearing them over thin socks so that the thin ones next to my skin were washed/changed each day and the wool ones lasted two to three days in my workboots.

This year i have a couple of extra pairs and i`ve also been wearing some wool blend totes toasties as socks in my boots. My feet have NEVER been as warm. I`ll keep adding to my good sock collection as they are a fantastic investment.

SD

splodger_seedswapper

Sunnyday wrote: »

Austin allegro - i`ve got to agree with you about materials, last year i invested in some merino wool blend socks and they are fabulous. I was wearing them over thin socks so that the thin ones next to my skin were washed/changed each day and the wool ones lasted two to three days in my workboots.

This year i have a couple of extra pairs and i`ve also been wearing some wool blend totes toasties as socks in my boots. My feet have NEVER been as warm. I`ll keep adding to my good sock collection as they are a fantastic investment.

SD

i do the same thing - wearing thin socks against skin - then wool pair ontop (and get several days out of them)
i am a skinny thing with no natural insulation - so feel the cold - so i wear layers and layers ontop of layers - i purposely get oversized clothes so that i can layer up well - i look like mitchelin man when it's really really cold - but as i don't care what i look like, only what i feel like - i matters not that i look odd (and having been blessed with a face for radio i am sort of used to look somewhat odd :rotfl:)