How Did Folks Stay Warm in the 19th Century? 10 Ways They Kept Cozy in Winter

2) Use a Bedpan

Since privies and outhouses were outside for most average families, they used chamberpots or bedpans to avoid stepping out into the cold of the night. Less heat lost is less heat needed to acquire!

1) Burn Those Candles

Lamps and candles were their only light at night, but did provide some amount of heat as well. Candles, tallow, and lamp oil were not cheap, though, and were used sparingly most of the time. Special occasions like Christmas and birthdays were times when a family might burn some extra candles or keep them going until they burned down- a rarity for working class and farming families!

If they didn’t follow these steps they could easily find themselves in trouble- hypothermia was a real threat and if they weren’t careful then they might have woken up to all their drinking and bathing water frozen!

If you enjoyed this then click the “Next Page” button for a look at how pioneer housekeeping makes our chores look puny by comparison!