It’s best to winterize your pipes before the freezing temperatures set in. But don’t get upset if you forget — there are still ways to help keep pipes from bursting, like running your faucets and opening cabinet doors.

Tenants may have heard that winterization is important, but in the hubbub of your first year living in a home, it can be easy to overlook the need to prepare for the cold weather ahead. After all, it’s just not something renters deal with. Ideally, you should winterize your pipes in the fall, before winter seriously sets in. But if you’ve forgotten and all of a sudden you’re in the middle of a deep freeze, there’s still time to prevent disaster.

Here are some easy practices to save your pipes from blowing up and causing major damage not to mention the inconvenience:

Turn On Your Faucets

If the temperatures have dropped into or close to the freezing range and intend to stay there, turning on your faucets — both indoors and out — can keep water moving through your system and slow down the freezing process. There’s no need to waste gallons of water, a slow drip will suffice.

Open Cabinet Doors

During cold weather, open any cabinet doors covering plumbing in the kitchen and bathroom. This allows the home’s warm air to better circulate, which can help prevent the exposed pipes from freezing. While this won’t help much with pipes hidden in walls, ceilings, or under the home, it can keep water moving and limit the dangerous effects of freezing weather.

Wrapping Your Pipes & Hose Bib

You can purchase precut foam tubes for pipes and covers for the hose bib at most hardware stores such as Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and Lowes. The hose bib is the faucet located on the outside of your house which is where the hose is fitted. When the weather is very cold the water can freeze inside the tap and pipes which will cause damage to the pipes and could cause them to burst.

Use Your Hairdryer

A hairdryer can be a bonus when your pipes are freezing. Try blowing hot air directly on the pipes. Important note: Don’t use a heat source that produces direct flames, which can severely damage your pipes and turn a frozen pipe into an even bigger disaster. You’re trying to melt the ice — not your pipes.

Pipes Already Frozen?

Have your pipes already frozen? Turn off the water immediately. Hopefully, you know where the master shut-off is, but if not, now’s the time to find it! Make sure to close off any external water sources, like garden hose hookups (hose bibs). This also will help when the water thaws; the last thing you want after finally fixing your frozen pipes is for water to flood the system and your home.