During the fall and winter, when the temperature outside drops drastically, we begin to look for ways to heat up. A warm bathroom is essential during the cold time of year so our time spent there is pleasant regardless of the outdoor temperature.
And who doesn’t like to feel comfortable after getting out of the shower or bathtub, without looking nervously for a bathrobe?
I guess no one likes staying in a cold bathroom so make sure to keep its air temperature comfortable. Because temperature must be adapted to the function of a room, the bathroom should be the warmest room in the whole house, especially when we’re about to take a shower or a bath.
After all, we want to avoid a sudden change in temperature and the feeling of overwhelming cold to our body after turning off the water.
Why do we feel cold after getting out of the shower?
Every time we get out of the water we feel cold. We observe the same phenomenon after taking a bath or a shower and also after swimming in the sea or a pool. Why is that happening? It is because of physics and chemistry.
The first thing you do after a bath is to wipe your wet body with a towel. As you may easily guess, this is not the most effective method of drying. There are small drops of water left on the skin, which must get evaporated.
However, to analyze this process, we would first have to examine what it is and what laws it is based on. Let’s imagine a glass of water. If we wanted to evaporate the water, we would have to heat the glass up, namely, add heat (energy) to the liquid.
In regard to our damp skin, the water which must evaporate from our body needs the energy to do this as well. If the water can’t get energy from its environment, it has to use the energy from our body.
How to keep your bathroom warm even on the coldest winter days?
Insulate the bathroom window from the cold
The first thing you need to do is to isolate the cold. It’s more likely that cold air will get inside if there’s a window in your bathroom. To test it, touch the window all around with your hand and see if you can feel the cool air. If you can, it means that you need to seal the window. For this, you may use a seal for windows, silicone, or anything else you have on hand.
Next, once you have a well-sealed window, touch the glass. If it’s very cold, there’s another problem you will have to deal with. Because the cold glass cools the air inside, you can’t keep the bathroom warm and that’s why you need to insulate the glass.
To do this, apply a window film to the glass, and also to the frame if you want to. After covering with the film, make sure to heat it up with hot air (you can use a hair dryer) so it sticks well.
Bathroom heating
To keep your bathroom warm for a long time, you need to generate more heat and make it last longer. When you take a bath, you generate the most heat and steam that warms up your bathroom.
Consider placing some type of heating in the bathroom such as heating lamps. They are perfect in this case as they not only light up the bathroom, but they heat up the air in it very quickly. This way, whenever you decide to take a shower, the room will get very warm and cozy right away.
Most of these lamps have a clock and can turn off automatically when set up, so you don’t have to worry about them working all day and adding to your electricity bills.
In addition, you can mount a bathroom radiator or towel racks to hang your towels. You will enjoy drying yourself with a warm towel afterward. The radiator will also help your towel to dry, and make the air in the bathroom warmer.
Floor heating
Installing floor heating is an extremely effective and nice solution, especially if it’s in the bathroom.
Underfloor heating will allow the optimal use of energy but the installation of the entire system is much more expensive than traditional heaters or wall-mounted radiators. However, if you use heating mats placed directly under the floor, you will ensure that the heat is distributed evenly, e.g. after leaving the shower, you will feel it directly while walking on warm tiles.
Cover bare floors
There’s nothing more unpleasant than setting your bare feet down on a freezing cold floor. Adding bathroom area rugs and bath mats actually creates another layer of insulation, trapping the cool air underneath so it can’t creep up and cool the bathroom. Your bare feet will thank you too.
How to keep warm after getting out of the bathroom?
Put on extra layers
When you feel a chill, reach for a sweater instead of a thermostat. With the extra layers, your body will warm up much faster than the heater can heat your house.
On the bottom put on thermal underwear which allows you to keep warm, and at the same time wicks moisture away from the body.
Put a flannel pajamas on top of this. A great way to keep your pajamas pleasantly warm is to make it warm before bedtime, for example in a clothes dryer or on a radiator.
Cold feet are usually an inconvenience that prevents us from falling asleep. It’s best to protect your feet with thick, woolen socks. Put them on while your feet are still hot after the shower. Wool will perfectly retain heat. However, remember that your socks should not be too tight, because they may inhibit blood circulation.
For those who have problems with cold feet, it’s also recommended to use electrically heated “slippers” after the shower.
You can put a hood on your head when your hair is wet.
Flannel, wool, or fleece are materials that work well to retain heat. Their advantage is that they absorb sweat well, and therefore do not allow the body to cool down.
But it’s better to avoid cotton and modal in cold rooms as they are less effective. Cotton absorbs moisture, which starts to cool down the body after a while. Also, artificial fabrics such as nylon, polyester, or spandex, do not work very well because they absorb sweat more slowly, and this leads to the body cooling down.
Drink hot liquids
Once you’re bundled up, sip on something hot. Even when it’s not summer, you have to make sure that you always hydrate your body properly. Drink a cup of hot tea, cacao, milk, hot chocolate, and other warm liquids (including soup!) which will raise your body temperature in a jiffy. Rooibos tea is perfect for the winter, which apart from warming you up, will provide your body with many vitamins.
However, avoid drinking alcohol. Alcohol only gives the illusion of warming up. The body loses heat faster, and when it’s not properly covered, it becomes cold.
Before you go to sleep, you may also relax in a hot bath, and sip a cup of herbal tea at the same time. For example, white tea will put you in a great mood before bedtime.
Consume warm meals
We need more energy to heat the body on cold winter days. That is why we often feel more hungry or have cravings for high-calorie food. Every morning, after your daily shower, treat yourself with a boost of energy in the form of a nutritious breakfast, especially when there are low temperatures outside.
In addition to a warming breakfast, particularly in winter, try to eat more hot meals during the day, such as hot soups.
Warming up the bed
In order not to lose body heat, it is good to warm up the bed before you get inside. If you don’t like sleeping in socks, think about putting an extra blanket on top of the duvet. When you get too hot, you can easily get rid of it.
Electric blankets that can be heated up for a short time before you go to bed are perfect.
In some parts of the world, there’s an old way of warming up the bed, which is to use hot stones wrapped in a blanket. However, as this is quite complicated from a practical point of view, it’s probably better to use a hot water bottle instead.
Heat retention in bed
Even the most sophisticated ways to warm your body will not work if you don’t keep the heat in bed. Several layers of cover will work better than one thick blanket or duvet. It’s better to put a thick blanket under a thin and airy layer as it will retain more heat.
If your mattress has a winter side, use it on cold nights. Sometimes we don’t even realize that we sleep on such a mattress. Its winter side is usually equipped with a wool insert that retains heat better.
You can also create a winter version of your mattress yourself. To create an intermediate layer, all you need to do is put a thin woolen blanket (or, sheepskin or fur) between the mattress and the sheet.
A companion in bed, or a natural “heater”
The best “solution” for cold nights is another person or a furry friend in our bed. There is an English saying, “Three Dog Night”, which describes a very cold night and it comes from Australia. During the cold nights, the Aborigines warmed themselves up, cuddling up to their dogs. If only one dog was enough to warm up, it wasn’t too bad. But if three dogs were needed, the night was thought to be very cold.
Sharing your own warmth with your partner or pet is a great way to warm up your body, although sometimes it can be a little crowded in bed.
Improve blood circulation
Hot shower – in the evening
If you take a hot shower in the evening, you will warm up and stimulate your blood circulation.
Also, a hot shower helps us to fall asleep as lowering your temperature before bedtime makes it easier for the body to enter the “night mode”. Contrary to what you might think, this effect can be achieved not with a cold but with a hot shower.
Scientists explain that warm water stimulates circulation, causing blood to drain from the body to the hands and feet. This results in faster heat release from the body and as a result, a decrease in body temperature. To achieve the right effect, it’s important to take a shower at the right time, preferably 90 minutes before going to bed. The water temperature should be warmer than your body temperature.
Cold shower – in the morning
A cold shower is refreshing but even on a cold day, it can help you feel better. It improves your immunity, provides a powerful dose of energy, and improves blood flow.
Exposure to cold water causes the blood vessels to narrow on the skin surface. This causes blood to drain from the skin surface, improving circulation in deep tissues. Therefore, the blood which starts circulating in deep tissues with double the force will warm up the skin. As a result, we will feel warmer after getting out of water.
Taking regular showers in cold water improves the body’s ability to thermoregulate, i.e. adapt to the current temperature. Thus, when we experience changing temperatures they are no longer a nuisance for us.
Move around a bit
Exercise gets the blood flowing which warms us up. Just a few minutes of squats, sit-ups, bicep curls, or even just a brisk walk will have you feeling warm in no time. Walking and other types of physical activities support better blood supply to the limbs. Muscle contraction and relaxation will improve your blood circulation.
Use spices
When cooking your meals, use hot peppers, ginger, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, chili, and Ginkgo Biloba to improve blood circulation in your body. They will not only enhance the taste of your food but will also warm you up.