Cheap bubble wrap is effective way to insulate your windows and save heat without spending all day

Step 1 Measure your windows: ***Multiply*** the width and height of each pane and add them up so you’ll know how many square feet of bubble wrap you need.

Step 2 Get your supplies: Scissors, Yard stick, Bubble wrap with large bubbles, Marker, Spray bottle with water with 1 drop of soap shaken up. If possible, use bubble wrap that is not perforated so it will have more inflated bubbles.

Step 3: Clean your windows. The solution with one drop of soap will even cut residue and clean windows. It’s actually one of the only things recommended to clean plexiglass as a side note.

Step 4 Roll the bubble wrap out and mark on one side where you are going to make the cuts to be ever so slightly smaller than the window pane. You don’t need to draw a line because you can just cut along the same place in the pattern of bubbles.

Step 5 Apply good water sprays over the entire strip of window. Then place the bubble wrap on the window. A lot of people have vinyl window clings and overall it’s not worth doing those. Some of them won’t stick and also it would effectively be a technique to make the vinyl windows clings come off easier.

Step 5 Think about leaving the windows blinds open. The majority of the sunlight that would come through the windows and bubble wrap would be reflected off of the white blinds and back through the window. You are going to want to leave the blinds raised or open, and open any curtains with lighter backs. The bubble wrap creates a good privacy shade, but in some rooms if you don’t want to do that you can hang a dark fabric behind the curtains.

[sbodolus]

I live in a house built in 1953, can't afford to replace the windows. I measured my entire window, I used packing tape to connect the bubble wrap together ( because it didn't come in a wide enough width), I then covered the entire window, trim to trim, not against the window, used wide blue painters tape to tape it to the trim. it makes an unbelievable difference!

[BjornV]

i have done it a few years ago when we had a much colder winter here in Belgium, and it really helps. A simple trick to know it works, is to touch your window glass with bare hand, and it feels cold in the winter. If you do the same and touch the bubble wrap, you feel immediately the difference.
Bubble wrap works best with the largest bubbles (30mm), but the 20mm and normal 10mm will also works. It's also best to apply 1 piece that cover the entire window.
And as last and most important note, bubblewrap has much more effect when you place the bubbles pointing to the glass, and the flat side pointing to the room.
With the bubbles pointing to the glass, you have the air layer of the bubbles itself, but also the space between the bubbles that forms a second layer. When using the bubblewrap with the flat side towards the glass, you have straight contact with the plastic between the bubbles and the glass, and that space is not isolated with air.
When using the bubblewrap with bubbles towards the glass, you can tape it to the window frame with transparant box sealing tape. Also if your piece of bubblewrap is not 1 big piece, the flat sides of the multiple pieces will stick much better with the tape then the bubble side.
Also at the bottom, it's best to not use tape, so that condensation water can drip out and not get trapped between the wrap and glass like a envelop, because this will eventually create black mold.

[marilynhollingsworth]

I was skeptical about this but the room was so cold I was willing to try anything. I am as astonished with the immediate and dramatic results. Thanks for this tip. I’m passing it along!!

[sonrog]

My favorite part is that you left a viewing pane for the cat. Awesome

[robf]

The thing is, how are you going to resist popping the bubble wrap.

[karenreynolds]

This worked, all I used was water in a spray bottle to put up bubble wrap!!! It really did work!! This was in a house with no heat whatsoever!!! I was blown away!!! This was in below zero temps! The difference it made was mind blowing!!!!

[orionjaguar]

love the lookout windows for the kitties. If they aren't happy, no one is happy =^^=

[willowwobble]

On the list of essential necessities he missed the need to have a cat to help you with advice and approval at the end.

[paulcowan]

Looking at 3.26 you can see that the bubbles throw the light around giving you more light. I bought a large roll of wide bubble wrap 50 mtrs and 175cm wide which was the widest window ie patio door and so did every window in 1 piece. the roll cost me £12 and I used half ( trade roll large bubbles). One other side effect is the reduction of noise, we have school kids passing every day and when working nights it used to wake me during the day, but no more. I have done my shed, garage and the glass in my glazed internal doors and on the windows of my motorhome during winter layup.
use a perm marker and mark each panel of bubble wrap so you can put them up again next year

[aida]

Thank you for sharing Tyler!! I just did this earlier today and I immediately felt the difference in that my house felt much warmer!! I'm hoping to see a lower electric bill next month!! Happy Holidays!!🙏🏼🙏🏼

[lauradean]

I did it to a bathroom window that the cold just seem to come through the glass. I just washed the glass with plain water and adhere the bubble wrap to the glass bubble side in. Cut excess wrap with exacto knife. If I needed to overlap it I did about an inch.it stuck together for the 10 years. I lived there. It kept cold air out and in the summer it kept the bathroom cooler. Also block people from seeing anything but shadows when lights on.. I've put a little on a window in my new home because I have a beta fish in a bowl sitting on a window sill and it cuts the cold window from becoming too cold for the unheated bowl. It work.

[mssixty]

Thank you especially for how to do the math calculations to know how much bubble wrap to buy!
Thank you for this great idea that makes more sense than most ideas I've seen.
My house was built in 1960, and still has the original windows, with gaps and falling apart frames.
I've already subscribed before seeing the entire video.

[shanarstra]

I did this last year AND BOY DID IT WORK!I WE WERE MORE COMFORTABLE AND MY HEATING BILL WENT DOWN BY 25 BUCKS A MONTH!!

[jeffgreen]

FYI You can use the smaller bubble wrap. It works just as well.

[MegaLivingIt]

Thanks you saved us about to do that hard job with the plastic sheeting. Such a smart idea from you! 😄🧡

[sueb]

I can really see the advantage of not having to look at our neighbor's garbage. I feel warmer already.

[yankeetraveler]

Wow! That looks fantastic! Makes having widows so redundant!

[carolynstewart]

Kitty likes this project. And it really works!

[TinaTia-eqkh]

I saw a different video that said best to have smooth side towards the inside of the home and the bubble side cling to the glass. I'm assuming the smaller bubbles are better at clinging to glass????

[maryrenaud]

I live in South Florida and our biggest issue is cooling during spring-summer-fall months in a tropical climate. We have single pane windows and I wonder if this window insulation will work for keeping the cool/AC air in the house…what do you think? thanks!😊