Since winter has come and gone, we like to forget about the cold weather as much as we can. However, it’s still there, lurking in the back of our minds. And really, it’s never too early to start preparing. Here’s one tip for everyone that owns a touchscreen phone. We’ve all seen special gloves that you can purchase, which will allow you to use your phone while wearing them. However, when cold weather hits, you can’t really order a pair and wait for them to come in the mail. What you need is a way to make your current gloves work, and it’s easier than you think.

If you’ve ever built your own computer, there’s a good chance you already have the one thing you need to make a pair of touchscreen-friendly gloves. I’m talking, of course, about thermal compound. The sole purpose of this stuff is to act as a conductor. If you have an extra bit of it lying around (I know I have a few tubes in a drawer) you can work the substance into the tips of the glove fingers that you use. It’s probably not going to work on all gloves, since there does need to be a connection between your finger and the outside of the glove. But just working it into the fabric should create the necessary connection, and like magic, your gloved fingers will work perfectly.