ITS COLD OUTSIDE
- As the temperature outside drops it’s important to remember to keep ourselves warm to protect our health. Keeping warm isn’t just about your environment it starts at keeping yourself warm with layers and self care. The HSE published some tips on how to keep you and your home environment warm this winter to protect yourselves from the cold. Here at Kare Plus we hope everyone keeps safe and warm this festive season. See some tips from the HSE below
Keep yourself warm
- It is best to avoid getting too cold in the first place.
- Wear several layers of light clothes instead of one thick layer.
- Wear clothes made of wool or fleecy synthetic fibres (cotton is only effective if the clothes stay dry). Thermal underwear can be very effective.
- In very cold weather put extra blankets or duvets on your bed.
- Put on a coat, hat, scarf, gloves and warm shoes or boots when you go outside.
- Eating a healthy, balanced diet will help keep you warm and healthy in the winter. Make sure you and your family eat at least one hot meal a day and have plenty of hot drinks throughout the day.
- Avoid too much alcohol or caffeine.
- Listen to or watch the weather forecast and don’t go out in extreme weather if possible.
- Keep active indoors. Moving around will help keep you warm.
Keep your environment warm
- Keep the rooms you spend most of your time in warm. This is especially important for infants, the elderly or those with chronic health conditions.
- Ideally all rooms used during the day should be heated:
- living room to around 18-21°C (65-70°F)
- the rest of your house to at least 16°C (61°F).
- If you can’t heat all your rooms, make sure that you keep one room warm throughout the day.
- Close doors to separate heated areas from unheated areas of your home
- Use draught excluders to stop draughts around doors, windows and skirting boards.
- Never block wall vents as they are essential for good air quality in your home.
- If you have a natural gas or oil boiler, solid fuel fire, gas fire or standalone gas heater, install carbon monoxide alarms – visit carbonmonoxide.ie for helpful information and advice.
- If using a stove or open fire:
- Always guard open fires with a spark-guard and a fireguard secured to the wall.
- Cover stoves with a fireguard secured to the wall.
- Never put anything on top of a fireguard.
- Ensure chimneys are clean and visit www.dublincity.ie for advice from Dublin Fire Brigade about how to avoid chimney fires.
- Keep portable heaters away from curtains and blinds as they could catch fire.
- Make sure you have working smoke alarms and test them regularly.
- In very cold weather, instead of turning the thermostat up, set the heating to come on earlier so you won’t be cold while you wait for your home to heat up. See the SEAI website for energy saving tips and advice and supports to help you keep warm.
For more valuable information from the HSE visit HSE – How to protect your health in cold weather