17 Winter Hacks That Canadians Swear By

Kitty litter? Yes. Seriously.

We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to share their secret winter hacks that help them get through those long Canadian winters.

Here are 17 of the most impressive winter hacks from your fellow Canadians:

Sarah Aspler / Thinkstock

1. Stock up on baby wipes.

firstbabybuys / Via instagram.com

"Wipe your boots with simple baby wipes when they get dirty, so you get rid of the salt before it can stain." – Andree-Anne Van Houtte (via Facebook)

2. Wear a pair of gloves UNDER your mittens.

tsubasa_gaki / Via instagram.com

"Gloves separate your fingers and direct the blood flow in all directions, while mittens keep them together where they can warm each other, but gloves under mittens keep you from feeling the cold at all. Especially a pair of touch-compatible gloves, so if you need to use your phone, you can just take the mittens off and not expose your skin completely." – loissanborn

3. Buy some kitty litter. Seriously.

audrey_pitt / Via instagram.com

"Car stuck in the snow? Put some kitty litter under it to gain some traction." – Taylor Lauren (via Facebook)

4. Invest in a pair of boots that actually fit.

djmichaelgreymn / Via instagram.com

"If your boots are decent and fit properly, one pair of socks will keep you warm better than two. Multiple pairs of socks take up room in the boot and cut off circulation, and can rub together causing blisters." – Jeff Rininger (via Facebook)

5. Bundle up with light layers instead of one heavy layer.

nancwink / Via instagram.com

"What I found really useful was to layer on clothes and not really wear just a huge jacket. You don't really know how cold it's going to be so this makes it easy to adjust. Also, if you go inside somewhere with the heating on really high, having something light on underneath all those layers is great." – Alice Giraudi (via Facebook)

6. Don't leave any skin exposed.

mukiemd / Via instagram.com

"This may seem like a no-brainer, but seal all the gaps in your outfit! Nothing worse than snowy socks or having snow find its way up your back." – Katherine Haché (via Facebook)

7. Bring antifreeze with you.

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"Keep a tiny bottle of antifreeze in your winter jacket. You never know when old man winter will decide to freeze your car door shut." – Laura Rivett (via Facebook)

8. Forgot your toque? Use a scarf.

smallthingsgranamor / Via instagram.com

"Infinity scarves can actually turn into hoods if you forgot your toque at home. Just loop the infinity scarf twice around your neck (or however many times until comfortable), then take one of the loops up from behind your neck and place it over your head and ears until it looks like a hood. It's really comfortable." –

Taylor Yuill (via Facebook)

9. Plastic bags will ensure your feet will never get wet.

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"Wear two pairs of socks with a plastic bag between them. It keeps your feet dry and forces the bag to stay put." – roxypoop

10. Skip the expensive spray and DIY your salt stain remover.

wineisgoodliving / Via instagram.com

"Water mixed with vinegar will remove salt stains from leather boots!" – Alysha Ruggier (via Facebook)

11. Sunglasses and long johns are must-haves.

ohbarkerfinn / Via instagram.com

"Wear sunglasses. There is nothing worse then getting snow blind from a bright glare of sun on the snow. Also, long johns. They are basically like thermal underwear and old school ones have a nifty butt hatch. Growing up in Newfoundland, these were a must have to keep you warm on a cold day!" – sabrinab4aab05ff9

12. Take instant hand warmer packs wherever you go.

rzippa / Via instagram.com

"Buy those mitt warmer pouch things, they are honestly a life saver. Not only do they work in mitts, you can put them in boots too!" – StormyOblivion

13. Double up on winter accessories.

lidsforkids / Via instagram.com

"Own multiples of everything. Hats, gloves, coats, scarfs, boots, so on and so forth. You're bound to lose a few things or ruin a few things every winter so have backups." – Jenna Ballinger

14. Skip the fancy ice scraper and use an old credit card.

jadeswizzle / Via instagram.com

"Keep an old bank card or gift card in your car. Use it to scrape away the frost that builds up inside a cold vehicle. The flexibility makes it work way better than any scraper from a store! You can also use the card to unstick windows that have frozen over due to rain. Just run the card on the outside, between the window and rubber." – y2jasmine

15. Freshen up your stinky boots.

baileyrkennedy / Via instagram.com

"Boots getting stinky from sweat? Mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle and add few drops of vanilla or a different essential oil. Then spray newspapers until they are damp and stuff them in your boots overnight. You can also spray the mixture on the outside of leather boots to clean them and remove salt stains." – y2jasmine

16. Add an extra layer between your skin and your jeans.

thesouthernpeach_ / Via instagram.com

"If you're wanting to stay warm while wearing jeans but you don't want the bulk of something underneath, wear nylons or leggings. I guarantee you that you won't feel the cold as badly through your denim and you'll love it way better than ugly snowpants!" – jaclyng4359dc641

17. And lastly, treat yo' self to some ice cream because WHY NOT.

iam_pupae23 / Via instagram.com

"Winter is a good time to eat ice cream because it doesn't melt. This isn't really a hack but more of a coping method to deal with how horrible winter is." – drdoctorson

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