There’s a definite chill to the air now that autumn’s here. Time to unpack our favourite knits, layer up and brace ourselves. The nights are especially cold, and we feel it most when wrapped up in bed.
The thermostat gets very tempting right about now, but with energy prices as steep as they are, that’s just not feasible. Luckily, we’ve roped our heads together to find 6 ingenious ways to keep your bedroom warm when it gets chilly outside. Here’s what you need to do.
Change up your bedding
Make sure you’re using the most appropriate bedding to keep warm. A thicker duvet will have a bigger tog, and that retains the heat better – 4.5 tog is standard for summer, while all-season/winter duvets have a rating of 13.5 plus. But you can get ratings in the middle if that’s too much! Opt for down or wool duvets for better insulation, while still being breathable.
As for the bed sheets, flannel is ideal for retaining the heat and will wick the sweat away, too. You can opt for flannel pyjamas too for the same effect.
Roll out the rugs
If you have exposed floorboards in your bedroom, a lot of your heat will be lost through the gaps. Rolling out a rug is a quick and simple way to ‘plug the gap’ and better insulate the room. It’s less of a shock on your feet in the morning, too!
Use a rug with a thicker pile to retain the heat better. During the best washable rugs tests at the GHI, the Asiatic Super Snug Washable Rug stood out for its thick, luxurious pile, and scored an impressive 84/100.
Upgrade to thicker curtains
A lot of your bedroom heat is lost through the windows, but you can reduce this with thicker, thermal curtains. This creates a barrier that locks in the heat and prevents drafts. Just make sure you open them up again during the day to let the sun (and heat) stream in.
If you’re losing excessive heat through your windows, there’s also the option of quickly sticking insulating film over the glass to create another protective layer. It’s a makeshift way to double-glaze the glass – although don't expect as strong a performance!
Draft-proof your doors
You might have a draft coming in from under your bedroom door, too. An easy – and often adorable – way to fix this is with a draught excluder, like the Marwood Under Door Draught Excluder. Just move it in place when the door shuts and it blocks the breeze.
You can create your own draught excluder by simply rolling up a thick towel, though it's nowhere near as cute!
Move furniture away from the walls
Your exterior-facing walls are exposed to the outdoor elements, so they’re naturally cooler than the rest of the bedroom (a bit like the glass on your windows). Because of this, pulling your bed away from such walls or windows, even by 10 centimetres, will make a difference to your warmth at night.
It will also let the furniture breathe better, meaning dampness and mould are less likely to grow in the bedroom.
Dust off the radiator
Your radiator collects dust throughout the year – by the end of summer, it’s usually caked in it! The trouble is that this insulates your radiator and makes it work harder to heat the room, resulting in higher energy bills.
The fix for this is simple. Invest in a microfibre radiator brush to reach between the fins and brush the dust away. You need to lay down a towel first to collect whatever falls out and make sure it’s switched off before you start, after which you just need a minute of two of dusting. This is a messy job, but worth it to better warm your bedroom during the day, which will make all the difference at night. After all, the point is to keep the heating off!