Look, I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but there’s no way around it: winter will be here before we know it.
Those of us who live in cold climates are getting set to hunker down for months of hibernation. It’s going to get chilly, and we all want to stay warm. These hacks won’t melt the snow away, but they’ll make winter a tad more bearable.
1. Put socks on your windshield wipers.
Putting your wiper blades up to keep them from getting frozen to the windshield is a tried and true hack. But if things get icy overnight, the blades will get coated even if you leave them up. KICX917 shared this tip on YouTube to protect your blades: once you put them up, throw some socks on ’em.
2. Pack the heat in.
Windows tend to allow heat to seep out of your home. Stay warmer and save on your energy bills by insulating things with a cheap, effective insulator: bubble wrap! This tip from Redditor Combatwombat0311 is perfect for little-used rooms where you won’t miss the view.
3. Frozen lock? Just (safely) add fire.
Locks can easily freeze up and become stuck in subzero temperatures. YouTuber GreenHatPirate shared this simple hack to overcome chilled locks: just heat the key up using a lighter, then Jimmy it around until it unsticks and unfreezes the lock.
4. Get grippy with your bike.
As anyone who had to ride their bike in winter can attest, things can get pretty slippery. YouTuber RSOPVIDEOS shared instructions for adding studs to your bike tires for added grip. It’s a long process, but worth it if you value the extra grip.
5. Insulate everything.
Power outlets are a common source of household drafts, since they’re just flimsy plastic in front of holes in the wall. Why not insulate them with, well, insulation? Redditor BigBear1107 shows how easy it is to cut insulation into the proper shape to mount behind the outlet covers.
6. Winterize shoes with beeswax.
Anna De Souza shared this easy way to waterproof shoes for winter: just rub beeswax (or candle wax) thoroughly over the outside of the shoe, then use heat to melt the wax in. Your shoes will look just as good as before, only now they’re waterproof!
7. It might not be pretty, but it works.
There’s nothing worse than getting wet feet in the winter. If your footwear isn’t quite waterproof, this foolproof and inexpensive solution from Guthook Hikes will work: just line your bare feet with plastic bags, put on your socks, and then put on your shoes.
8. The winter tool you never knew you needed.
Gloves and mitts don’t play well with touchscreens. If you don’t want to take your gloves off, try this one from Redditor Majonez : pick up a touchscreen stylus and attach it to an accessible place on the front of your winter jacket. It’ll be there for all your texting needs.
9. Make any gloves phone-friendly.
If the above method isn’t for you, it’s super simple to turn an existing pair of gloves into magical touchscreen-friendly gloves. All you need to do is sew a bit of conductive thread into the fingertips of your gloves. This simple hack comes from craftzine .
10. Keep gloves together forever.
Stray gloves will be a thing of the past if you incorporate this simple hack from Instructables user vref_guy . A length of cord and a couple of cord locks are all you need to attach your gloves together.
11. Warm up using the magic of science.
I’m not even going to try to understand the science behind it, but you can create a simple, effective hand warmer using just two ingredients and two plastic bags. Instructables user junits15 demonstrates how water, calcium chloride pellets, and sealed baggies create hand warmers.
12. Roam like a mountain climber.
Crampons — those grippy plates attached to the soles of serious mountain-climbing shoes — are, needless to say, super effective at helping you keep your footing. You can rig up some removable crampons for any of your existing shoes with this Instructables tutorial from Frankyfly .
13. Supercharge your boot-drying capabilities.
If you need to get soaked footwear dry in a hurry, there might be no better method than this one from Instructables user alhur . All you need is an old sock, a hair dryer, and a bag or pillowcase that’s in the right shape — the one used here is a chainsaw bag.
14. Let there be light.
Having a headlight is handy for those dark nighttime winter walks. Rather than strapping one to your head, try building one into your ski cap. Instructables contributor rbateman shared instructions for putting a bright LED light into his knit cap.
15. Even non-knitters can knit.
Knitting is a great way to make warm winter garments, but many people are scared off by knitting needles. You can easily make a simple winter scarf without even knitting. All you need is yarn! This tutorial comes from Sajata-e For D2bd on Vimeo.
16. Fog-proof your windows with shaving cream.
Hot drinks have a way of fogging up your car’s windows during the cold months. You can repurpose a bathroom mirror hack to solve this problem, as demonstrated by Autoblog on YouTube. Just rub shaving cream all over the window, rub it off, and marvel at your newly fog-free glass!
