The Kashmir Monitor
KM Lifestyle Desk
At The Kashmir Monitor, we are attempting to make your life a little easier and offer free advice to help you and your family get through the longest and toughest part of the season. With snow pounding Kashmir, we are sure these tips can help!
Keep Socks at hand
Do try and pack an extra pair of socks in your car, scooter or even in your backpack. Just in case you step into a puddle or water seeps in through the shoes, you will still have an extra pair to slip into. Better even to keep waterproof with fleece lining as the spare one.
PS.For the old worn-out ones use them as wiper blade covers!
Layered Dressing
Use blankets, woollen sweaters.
Dress in layers even while you are at home, it will keep you unbelievably warm, especially during pesky power cuts.
Keep your Car heavy
If it’s snowing and you are driving better to heave a car that weighs a little heavy. Keep a few sandbags in your car trunk.
This extra weight in your trunk will also create added pressure on your tires, ensuring greater contact between your car and the ground.
Skip The Smoke Before Shovelling
Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and can add extra stress to the heart.
If you have to move snow from your path or the rooftop try not to smoke or have coffee. The heart can only take so much.
Powercuts and Food
If you are having a long power cut because the grid station got knocked off or supply is disrupted don’t let food spoil in the fridge.
Food will be safe for about 24 hours, after that move it outside if you can, air is cooler and fresher there. Get a charcoal grill to cook up anything that won’t last.
Learn To Walk Like a Penguin
Remember Penguins? Well, they are the masters of walking on snow.
Try these few steps: Point your feet out, and hold your arms out slightly to your side. Shuffle, and take short steps. Guarantees fewer falls!
Potatoes fight Frost
If it’s freezing or below zero, use a Potato! Rub half a potato over your car’s windshield.
The sugar from the potato creates a barrier over the window and prevents ice from forming, so you’ll come out in the morning and won’t have to scrape! Simply rinse and wipe with your wipers when you get on the road.
Fuel Up
It makes great sense to keep your fuel tank at least half-filled throughout the winter.
It will help you not get stranded during the snow but it also helps keep the water in the tank from not freezing. Freezing water damages the fuel pump.
Side Mirrors
Cover your vehicles side mirror during the night with anything, a pair of socks or even a plastic sheet.
In the morning they will be frost-free and no need to change the sock or the cover!
Amazing benefits of Car’s Floor Mats
Your car’s front floor mats are your best friend, literally. Just place them under your spinning tyre and you will get some traction!
Don’t forget to put them back once you start moving.
The Hand Sanitizer
We have all been using hand sanitisers since the start of Covid-19. Well, they have one more for us in Kashmir. If your locks are frozen, spray some sanitiser on them.
The isopropyl alcohol that kills germs also lowers the freezing point of water and can melt the ice inside the lock within seconds.
Skin Care
Skip the long, hot showers, which can dry out the skin. Try taking a lukewarm shower, for a shorter duration.
Duct Tape
Not only does it fix everything, but you can use it to start a fire– duct tape is very flammable and is a great tool to get a fire going in an emergency.
No more freezing pipes
The best tip to avoid bursting water pipes!
Wrap your pipes in layers of newspaper and then cover the newspaper wrapping with a plastic sheet to keep out moisture. Economical, way more economical!
