My uncle swore by putting a wet towel under the door for drafty apartments

He told me to roll up a damp bath towel and shove it against the bottom of my front door to block the cold air. I laughed it off as some old school hack until my heating bill hit $180 last January. Three months later I tried it during a windy night and my living room stayed noticeably warmer. Has anyone else had luck with weird draft fixes that actually work better than weather stripping?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliot_taylor3d ago

Gotta say your mileage may vary on this one. Rolling up a towel can create a nice seal but it also traps moisture against the door and frame. From what I've seen that leads to mold and peeling paint after a few weeks of regular use. A simple foam weatherstrip tape from the hardware store costs like five bucks and does the same job without the dampness issues. Just my two cents but I'd rather swap out the tape once a year than scrub mold off my doorframe.

drew_bennett243d ago

You're buggin if you think a foam strip seals as tight as a damp towel lol. That foam tape sits there loose and lets drafts sneak through the gaps, especially on older doors that warp over time. I tried both last winter and the towel kept the cold out way better, my floor actually felt warm near the door for once. Yeah you gotta swap the towel out every few days and let it dry so mold doesn't build up, but that's like 30 seconds of effort. Weatherstripping gave me a false sense of security while the draft was still sliding right under.