Preparing for Winter

KittyBoo_2

jcr16 wrote: »

wow thats a good price. i've laods of hot water bottles but i can't find the stoppers anywhere. i used to keep them screwed in but i can't remember where i heard it , but if you do it makes them perish quicker so now i've loads of bottles and only 1 bung :rolleyes:. no i dea if i can buy spare one's so it looks like i'm gonna have to replace them with new. seems such a shame.

I got new bungs from Wilkos last year.

jcr16

we don't have a wilkinsons on the isle of wight unfortnatly.

since posting i've found one bung, so have 2 working hot water bottle's. i don't want to throw the other out. so might hang on to them incase the others perish and i can inter change the bung's.

rosieben

jcr16 wrote: »

wow thats a good price. i've laods of hot water bottles but i can't find the stoppers anywhere. i used to keep them screwed in but i can't remember where i heard it , but if you do it makes them perish quicker so now i've loads of bottles and only 1 bung :rolleyes:. no i dea if i can buy spare one's so it looks like i'm gonna have to replace them with new. seems such a shame.

we used to be able to buy hot water bottle stoppers (they used to be a standard size) but it seems thats another useful item gone, so that we have to spend more money to buy the whole thing :rolleyes:

Boots sell stoppers to fit their hwbs though

Bargain_Bunny

Hi

Am looking to buy some flannelette/fleecy bedding, gutted i didnt get the qvc tsv...Was wondering if any of the supermarkets or Shaws have these?? I can only find them on the net and they are not cheap, any help would be appreciated

BB

iceicebaby

Lidls have flanelette sheets from time to time. Bought some for the OH's mum from there on a couple of occasions.

Frugaldom

rosekitten wrote: »

As a quick fix
two cup hooks and a piece of wooden pole
hem one end and thread the pole through
and hang up against th window,you can
always take it down during the day

I've used this idea before and it works well with medium cup hooks and a garden cane or XL cup hooks and a cheap broom handle from the pound store

Had to light the fire yesterday as it was so miserable and wet out (I burned the first batch of cones collected from forest in summer), but it meant there was a little extra heat about the place to block in during the first experiment with the window fleece in place.

The velcro idea has worked better than expected because when I cut the fleeces to the right sizes (for cosy curtains in kitchen window) it was so light weight that the sticky velcro doesn't need stitching in place, it's stuck fast. :T I even had enough fleece & velcro left over to make a blind/curtain for the window in the back door, but I'll still need a full length curtain over that and the front door. I think I'll use the cup hook and pole idea for those. Our front door almost faces north so the wind was whistling through it all day yesterday. I'll also invest in some of the sticky back foam draught/draft (?) excluder tape for there, too. Now, if I could just work out how to devise a method of not having to go outside during bad weather, that would be great. :rotfl:

Edited in - Oops, forgot to say - I DID feel a difference in the kitchen this morning having used the fleeces in window. I reckon it'll make a huge difference during winter and am now planning on doing livingroom and bedroom windows if I can get any more cheap fleeces.

Rummer

Bargain_Bunny wrote: »

Hi

Am looking to buy some flannelette/fleecy bedding, gutted i didnt get the qvc tsv...Was wondering if any of the supermarkets or Shaws have these?? I can only find them on the net and they are not cheap, any help would be appreciated

BB

They are always available in ASDA!

Glamazon

right, am making a list of stuff so that I can make fleece drapes to go against the windows in the living room, hallway and landing to keep the heat in. Will also need to do it against patio doors that go out to conservatory as awful draught through there!
suction hooks, poles and a few cheapie IKEA throws.

In our bedroom we have a blackout blind and curtains - do the blackout blinds do much to keep the warmth in and cold out?

If not, will be fleece drapes in there as well. Have already got the IRMA fleeces on top of the mattress, big fleeces on sofa, curtain up against front door although could do with a thicker one so might see if MIL has a spare lying around, draught excluders in place. Just need to fire up the boiler to check it is working OK - should really get it serviced though at some point. No excuse now I'm on maaternity leave

sashanut

Hi all

I am an avid reader of this thread; although generally not a poster! But I thought I better tell you about something that might be of interest if you have an open fire grate that is not continually in use. We've got a big Victorian house with several fire places, only one of which we use in the winter. Our problem has been mainly that we have no cage on the chimney pots - and can't afford the cost of someone to go up & fit some - it's VERY high so would need more than just a ladder:eek: Our previous neighbours used to feed the local pigeons, & our big problem has been that they tend to fall down the chimneys - causing a big mess. I usually manange to get them outside before the cats get them but DH has a bird phobia:eek::eek::eek: so if I'm not around it's mayhem. On researching what I could do about this problem, I cam across this:

http://www.chimney-balloon.co.uk/


which we have just fitted this morning. Now I know you don't all have pigeon problems, but of course it should act to prevent cold air from coming down the chimney - a consideration for me as I sit next to the fireplace even when it's not lit. Apparently if you forget its up there & light a fire, it just shrivels up & you've lost £20 or so; however if you deflate it you can use it again. As I said, it's only just been fitted, but I'll report back on it's effectiveness (or not!). ATM they also have free delivery & 10% off as well - I have no affiliation with them, just thought it might help someone else.:D

So far we have not had the heating on, aiming for Nov 1 or later if poss. We do have an Aga which is on all the time so it provides heat, although it doesn't go far in this big place. Still, if I can train DH to leave the kitchen/hall door open, it does take the chill off. And with DD at uni, I am expecting my energy bills to PLUMMET since she always walked round in a strappy vest complaining of the COLD. Not to mention the TV/computer/iPod/hairdryer/straightners & the fact she could empty the hot water tank just washing her hair:rotfl:

Frugaldom

Just a quick note about the fleece window coverings in case anyone hasn't read it elsewhere - if you go the velcr0 onto window surround route, leave a decent gap between the fleece and the glass or your new fleeces will absorb any resulting condensation. Apologies if this seems obvious to folks, it's just in case.