Last minute tips, money saving tricks and alternatives to get ready for Houston winter freeze

HOUSTON – The countdown is on, Houston.

Onset of the winter freeze is in sight and time is quite frankly running out.

If you’ve procrastinated, can’t find the supplies or simply need to save a couple bucks while keeping your home safe, we understand. That’s why we’ve compiled these trusted and tried Houston-approved hacks to preparing for the winter freeze. They’re in no order, so keep scrolling so you don’t miss out.

1. Whataburger Cup Faucet Cover

C’mon. You know we’re going to start with this H-Town classic.

If you don’t have a plastic insulated faucet cover, a large Whataburger cup will do the trick.

Using a pen or pencil, poke a hole in the cup. Use a rubber band to feed through the hole while using the pen/pencil as a stopper.

Using the portion of the rubber band inside the cup, latch it to the faucet ensuring the cup stays clamped to the wall.

PRO TIP: Try to wrap the pipe with a towel, bubble wrap or other insulator for max protection!

2. Pool Noodle Pipe Insulator

Pipe insulation is one of the first things to fly off the shelves at hardware stores. If you can’t find the insulation, head to a dollar store or other big box store to grab some pool noodles.

Using a sharp knife, carefully cut open the noodle on one side like a hot dog bun. Then slide it over any exposed pipe.

3. Kitty Litter For Traction

It’s next to impossible to find road or sidewalk salt at a hardware store in the South. No needs to fear!

Kitty litter is a solid and rather affordable alternative. While it doesn’t offer the ice melting advantage of salt, it does help with traction.

PRO TIP: Stick a bag in your truck in case you get stuck on the road!

4. Mario’s Torchy’s Taco Sprinkler Cover

Okay, this one is going to take some MacGyvering to make it work. But KPRC 2’s Mario Diaz has the trick.

If you have a sprinkler system exposed to the elements, turning off the water alone won’t cut it.

Once the system is turned off, water turned off and system bled of excess water, find the following: a plastic bag, some sort of insulation (pool noodles, packing peanuts, etc.), tape and one of those Torchy’s Taco’s insulation bag. (Any insulated shopping bag will work)

Line the plastic bag with the insulation and make a round or rectangular cover, taping it off as you go. Mario’s looks like this:

Once it’s custom sized to your equipment, slide it over like a glove.

Put a insulated an water resistant bag on top for good measure. Mario swears it’ll keep your pipes as warm as Torchy’s queso. 😉

5. Mountain of Mulch (or soil)

It’s pretty much what it sounds like. If you didn’t hit the Whataburger drive thru to get a Styrofoam cup, you can insulate outdoor exposed pipes by stacking bags of mulch or soil around the pipes.

Think of it as Mother Nature’s insulation!

6. Get Supplies At Alternate Stores

Every other day of the year, you’d get a case of water at the grocery store. But right now, that’s probably the last place you want to go. Plus, it might already be sold out.

But you can get that same case of water at a discount dollar store, gas station, Home Depot or Lowe’s and some other big box stores.

Neighborhood cultural stores or specialty stores could also have a hidden stash, too!

Think outside of the box and your odds of success will increase.

7. Do Your Dishes/Laundry!

Not only will your mom be proud, but according to one Reddit user, it’s their trick to ensure you’ll have enough dishes in case power or water goes out.

8. Candles Make Great Light + Heat Sources

We’ll preface this with the following message: BE CAREFUL!

Please responsibly use candles so you don’t catch a fire. If the power goes out, having candles for light is a great idea. Plus, a group of candles can be used to warm up a pot of soup.

9. Stop Opening The Fridge

Did you know roughly 30% of the cold air in your fridge leaves every time you open the door?

If power goes out, well, your refrigerator isn’t going to make any more cool air. So, don’t open the door unless you absolutely have to.

Here’s a good tip from Reddit u/cobo10201

“If you lose power and don’t have a generator, avoid opening the refrigerator unless absolutely 100% necessary. And if you do have to open it, get multiple things out at once, quickly. Don’t keep opening and closing it and definitely don’t just stand there contemplating what you want,” they wrote on Reddit.

10. Small Spaces Heat Up Faster

This one is for if the power goes out.

While it might make sense to try and heat up an area like a living room, it’s actually not a great idea. Living rooms are large. Try to pick a smaller room.

11. Fill The Tub

This is a commonly known one, as Reddit u/bluecyanic points out, but worth a mention on the list.

Having the water around is good, but maybe avoid drinking from the tub.

12. 🤝 Texans Helping Texans

Do you know your neighbors? This might be a good time to make an introduction and be friendly with them.

If you need something during a freeze and can’t make it out to the store, they’re your first line of help. As one Reddit user points out, it’s a good time to be on good terms. Texans really do help Texans.

13. Run Your Pool Filter

While you might not be jumping in for a refreshing swim, water that’s moving will never freeze.

Keeping the pumps running will help protect your system.

14. Set Alarms To Run Water (If You Don’t Drip)

Set an alarm on your phone to go off every hour or so to flush a toilet or run a sink for a little bit.

This is an alternative to dripping your faucet. It’s also a good way to not get a good night’s rest. However, as we said earlier, running water won’t freeze.

15. Run A Self Clean On Your Washer

Let’s be honest, you probably have been pushing this off anyay.

Many newer washing machines have a feature where you can set the machine to self wash. The cycle often takes hours, which is great for running the water and system overnight while you’re snuggled up and sleeping.

16. Whataburger Power Outage Tracker

This is a solid alternative to the outage trackers that CenterPoint Energy or Entergy provide.

Download the Whataburger app and check their location map to see what locations are open. As most Whataburgers are 24/7, if a location is closed, something is up in that neck of the woods.

17. Water Your Outdoor Plants

Seems kinds weird, right?

Well, a wet root ball will actually act as better insulator for the plants giving them a better chance of survival.

18. Find Your Water Shut Off (And Know How It Works)

This is for the worst case scenario. But if a pipe breaks, you need to leave your house or simply just want to know, ask a neighbor or a professional to help find your water main shut off.

Don’t just locate it, but make sure you can turn off the valve to ensure you can cut the water flow to your house.

19. Set Your Ice-maker To Run

Does your fridge make ice? Great! Toss out the whole tray of ice in there and let your fridge work all night to make ice.

This will help keep the water in your pipes moving.

20. Breathe + Relax

If you’ve made it this far, we really hope you were able to learn something to take away a tip, trick or save a couple of bucks while getting ready for the freeze.

Understand that you do NOT need five cases of water, three packs of toilet paper and two loaves of bread. The freeze is only going to be a few days. You’ll make it through!