Preparing for Winter

winniepooh

lol like a sleeping bag ?????

downshifter

Gigervamp wrote: »

Sleeved blankets?

Exactly so - google it!

They seem cosy but I still prefer those babygro or space suit things, I can't stand sitting around but hate to freeze too.

Now if someone could find me a cosy snuggly small sofa I might change my mind about sitting around, but with nowhere cosy to sit, it's easier to keep going.

DS

valk_scot

rigsby1967 wrote: »

Anyway making this suggestion may get me shot but i covered up the living room air vent as last year there was such bad wind that the heavy curtains were blowing about :eek:.

I'm not going to shoot you. I don't even know if you have a gas appliance in that room. But if you do, make sure it's been recently serviced and buy a carbon monoxide detector before you seal up that vent again. People can and do die from carbon monoxide poisoning every week from doing things like this.

Gigervamp

valk_scot wrote: »

I'm not going to shoot you. I don't even know if you have a gas appliance in that room. But if you do, make sure it's been recently serviced and buy a carbon monoxide detector before you seal up that vent again. People can and do die from carbon monoxide poisoning every week from doing things like this.

Exactly what I thought and didn't someone in this thread since that post, mention that her mum nearly died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning?

edited to add:

shelley_crow wrote: »

6) Unfortunately, I only have a gas fire that I won't use (my mom had an almost fatal case of CO poisoning) so i am making sure the central heating works fine.

shelley_crow

Gigervamp wrote: »

Exactly what I thought and didn't someone in this thread since that post, mention that her mum nearly died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning?

edited to add:

Might throw in my two pennyworth - I didn't spot that post at the first read

We were living in a private rented house while my parents were waiting to buy another house, this would have been around the winter of 1997. As it happened, my mom suffered with a bad back at this time which limited her mobility, she was told to rest, which she did.

As she was a person who hated the cold and she lacked the mobility to create her own warmth, the gas fire was blasting out pretty much all of the time to keep her warm. As luck would have it, I hated being that warm and still do so i kept away from the main living area when the fire was on.

After a while, she said she was feeling tired all of the time, which she put down to the strong painkillers she was prescribed for her back. Alarm bells started to ring when she said she was having constant bad headaches and having trouble remembering simple things.

They tested her for everything, including ME and eventually it was found that the gas fire was the culprit and if she had remained in the room with the fire on much longer, she would have died, the CO levels in her blood were the among the wost the Dr had seen.

As a result I really don't trust gas fires and haven't used one to this day. Make sure your gas fires are serviced yearly and don't block up the vents.
For the sake of a draft it is really not worth the risk. Carbon Monoxide alarms are cheap enough from B&Q, at least with fires you can smell that something is wrong. My mom was very very lucky, you and your family might not be.

Confuzzled

shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »

I agree , i hate brollies they turn people into ignorant eyepokers:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

seriously a waterproof with a hood keeps you drier....................but won'win any fashion contests

I actually need a new one as i reproofed mine recently and it has become les effective we caravan and walk a lot so the waterprooofing gets some use...............i noticed millets had a sale too........................

Shaz

oh don't i know what you're on about with the eyepokers! i'm curteous and lift mine up to avoid that but of course that's always when there's a gust of wind to get me in the face with rain!

today i managed to pick up 4 of those tourist rain ponchos on ebay, total with postage was just 2 quid, mind you they won't last as long as a proper raincoat but i reckon with 4 it should last me through autumn and winter and you can't beat that price, these are also preferable for me because i walk 1.5 miles into town (been here for nearly 5 months and i've NEVER taken a bus locally) a few times a week and of course i take a ruck sack or my trolley. these will allow me to cover my coat AND my ruck sack and i thought i might try fitting one over my trolley to keep it dry, it's sorta waterproof but i always put library books and such like in plastic bags to keep them dry just in case if i think it might rain, but the poncho might help!

Confuzzled

kingshir wrote: »

How about duck tape (I use it for LOADS of things:D) although only any good if you don't want to open the doors. You could apply it on the inside and outside (ducktape is weatherproof).

actually that is a very good idea, however please note that if you have painted or wooden doors you might have some of the wood or paint stripped off when you remove the tape, though if it's not much to resolve that then the savings would far outweigh the minor inconvenience later!

Confuzzled

lulu75 wrote: »

Hi all - I've decided to buy an electric blanket for this year as I can't sleep when I'm cold in bed. I'm not sure what to get though - what's the difference between an underblanket and a mattress topper? If anyone has any recommendations I'd be grateful. I just want something to warm up quickly when i get in at 7am after a night shift!

an underblanket is one that is left on the bed under your sheet and needs to lay flat as that's what it was designed for. a mattress topper or overblanket can be used like a regular blanket so you can use it if you're sitting at the sofa watching telly etc without fear of damaging the stuff inside, or at least that's my understanding

i bought an overblanket this year as i was wanting the electric blanket for a very cheap boost of warmth and because to me it has far more flexibility than an underblanket.(both literally and figuratively!) personally i'd use a duvet under the sheet for warmth (big help) and more comfort and buy the overblanket variety

if you plan to leave it on to help you sleep make sure you get one with a timer on it, i think most go up to 75 minutes which should more than get you off to sleep, once the blanket has warmed you the duvet should do the rest!

oh one little thing about duvets and keeping warm in winter... i'm not sure if many of you have thought of this but it's really important if you get up in the middle of the night for the loo or whatever, to not just toss the duvet off you and leave it like that when you go. duvets work by trapping your body heat in the pockets of air in the polyfill inside them. this only stays warm by your body heat so if you aren't there and they are exposed to cold air they will cool down quickly.

if you lay the duvet back down again so it's covering where you were laying you will keep more of your body heat in til you get back, especially if you use my tip above of having another duvet under the sheet as this too will be retaining your body heat so they will assist each other.

i know it's a small thing but it only takes a split second to do it and it saves coming back to a bed that's gotten a bit chilly, i know i return to sleep much faster when it's warm and cozy vs cool or cold!

downshifter

Confuzzled wrote: »

i bought an overblanket this year as i was wanting the electric blanket for a very cheap boost of warmth and because to me it has far more flexibility than an underblanket.(both literally and figuratively!) personally i'd use a duvet under the sheet for warmth (big help) and more comfort and buy the overblanket variety

In the winter (i.e.now) I have both under the sheet. I have a fleece mattress cover to keep it clean, a duvet and an electric underblanket. It's really really important to air the bed well in the morning and on sheet changing day, throw everything back, hang the duvets out of the window or on the line if its dry, leave the bed open all aday if you can. Moisture gets trapped in so many layers and as well as being unhygienic it also holds in the cold and you'll never feel warm, however many layers. Like camping, its just as important to have a thick warm layer under you as well as on top as that's where much of the cold can come from.

Anyway, a much brighter day today thank goodness, yesterday was so dark and wet.

DS

cheerfulness4

Confuzzled wrote: »

if you get up in the middle of the night for the loo

In all my preparations for the winter this has just reminded me what is one of the worse bits to me. For some maddening reason I always wake up at least once, often more, needing the loo in the night. :mad:
Nothing worse than being warm and snug and then waking up in the horrible, chilly dark and stumbling around without the light (don't wanna wake anyone :rolleyes: ) falling over the assault course of slippers etc left willy nilly on the floor, only to have to sit on a fridgy seat in the loo.

How does one prepare for that little joy to come?!