When the winter months roll around, you’d better be prepared to battle the cold. The frigid temperatures can take a huge toll not only on your body, but your clothing, home, and car, too. That’s why it’s so important to be prepared to avoid getting stuck in annoying or downright dangerous situations.
Here are 14 awesome hacks that will help keep the frostbite away so you can enjoy the beauty of the winter wonderland that surrounds you!
1. Use kitty litter on slippery tires: Trying to get traction on your vehicle’s tires when the road is a sheet of ice is nearly impossible. However, if you sprinkle a generous amount of kitty litter underneath the treads, it will give the wheels the kickstart they need to get you moving.
2. Use a razor to remove pilling on your sweaters: Snowy weather means your favorite knits might fray and accumulate a layer of thin fibers that can look unsightly. Using a disposable razor, you can actually easily scrape off those fibers without damaging the fabric.
3. Put screws in your sneakers to prevent slipping: One of the biggest dangers of winter is ice and slipping and falling isn’t only embarrassing, but it can be quite painful as well. Placing a handful of screws into the soles of your shoes will drastically reduce the chances of falling.
4. Make a DIY defroster: If your windows or stairs are covered in ice, don’t worry! Combat the slippery stuff using a mixture of two quarts rubbing alcohol, one cup water, and one teaspoon of dish detergent. Throw it on the ice, and watch it melt away.
5. De-fog your windshield: Windshield fog is a huge danger when you’re trying to navigate icy roads. If your windows are constantly fogging up, try filling a sock with odor-free kitty litter and placing it on your dashboard. The combination will suck up any moisture and leave your windows crystal clear!
6. Use your ceiling fan to keep warm: We usually associate fans with summer, but this hack will actually have your fan working to keep you warm. Since hot air rises, switch your fan so it turns counterclockwise, and it will push the warm air back down to the floor. All fans have a switch for the seasons!
7. Prevent hat hair: Keeping your head warm is always important, but unless you have a crew cut, your hair will almost always look disheveled every time you remove your winter hat. However, spraying a bit of dry shampoo in your hair will fluff it back up!
8. Unstick your snow shovel: No one likes to shovel snow, but it has to be done. Snow, however, can accumulate on the shovel head, making your chore even more tedious. Coating your shovel’s head with non-stick cooking spray will eliminate this headache.
9. Use foil to save heat: Radiators are great for staying warm, but a lot of the heat they produce gets absorbed into the wall behind them. If you place a large sheet of tin foil between the radiator and wall, the heat will reflect back into your home.
10. Prevent side view mirror ice: If you own ziplock bags, you’ll never have to worry about frost coating the side view mirrors of your car ever again. Place the bags over the mirrors at night, and in the morning, they’ll be clear!
11. Ride your bike safely in the snow: Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you have to store your bike until the warm weather returns. Fasten some zip ties around your tires every few inches and you’ll have the treads to ride safely through the snow!
12. Keep your boots standing upright: To prevent your tall boots from crunching up when you store them, stuff the insides with pool noodles! They’ll keep the fabric on your tallest footwear from getting unsightly creases in them.
13. Use the sun to melt ice: Vehicle defrosters can be expensive, so if you don’t have the money to buy one, use the power of the sun instead! If you park your car so the windshield faces east, the sun will rise in the morning and melt off all the annoying snow and ice before you need to start your car.
14. Protect your windshield wipers: Ice can affect cars in all sorts of negative ways. Sticky windshield wipers are one of the worst situations to deal with. However, if you lift them and place socks over them during a storm, they’ll stay dry and operate normally in the morning.
If you try out these hacks yourself, you’ll find the winter months to be far less daunting!
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Source: boredomtherapy