Living in a cold climate during the winter presents some unique challenges. While you may be aware of some things you should be doing in the winter (like shoveling snow regularly), chances are you’ve never thought about opening the window when it’s freezing outside. Interestingly enough, many Germans consider opening their windows daily as a non-negotiable, even in winter. This practice is known as lüften (“ventilating” in English) and involves opening the windows of your home every day to ensure air exchange takes place: the stale, dirty indoor air goes outside and is replaced with fresh air from your house. the outdoors. If this practice makes you worry about your electric bill, don’t worry; there is actually good data as to why you should embrace this ritual.
While there’s a lot to love about winter, there’s no denying that indoor air quality can suffer during the colder months of the year. Many energy-conscious people do everything they can before winter to counteract any drafts and may rush to close a door after entering from outside. While this fixation on air conditioning your home is understandable, you run the risk of releasing pollutants into the air. Fortunately, the German custom of airing your home can help you breathe fresher air. If you’re interested in trying the winter version of ventilating your home (called Stoßlüften), you only need a few minutes to loosely keep an eye on the clock.
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Lüften and Stoßlüften explained
Woman opening windows in winter – Eyeem Mobile Gmbh/Getty Images
At first glance, lüfting is a simple practice where Germans open the windows of their homes every day. In the summer, it seems they have to stay cracked for hours to reap the benefits of fresh air. In winter, however, the approach is more strategic, aimed at removing the bad air outside and the good air inside – all without significantly increasing energy costs. Start by walking through your home and fully opening all of your home’s windows, which will allow for the best airflow and transfer of indoor and outdoor air. Now set your timer for a few minutes. On a windy day, the windows should be open for about 3 minutes, but if you are dealing with a still winter day, you can leave them slightly ajar for 5 to 10 minutes before closing them again.
Although you may notice that the air in your home feels a little cooler after a Stoßlüften session, the limited time that the indoor space is exposed to outdoor temperatures is short enough to prevent all the walls, floors, and furniture from becoming icy. This means that it takes little energy and time to bring your home back to the ideal indoor temperature. For those who want to take full advantage of this practice, it may be wise to ventilate your home with this method two to three times a day to reduce musty odors, condensation, and allergens (although once a day is better than none). If maintaining pristine air quality is on your wish list this winter, it may be a good idea to try this practice abroad.
Read the original article on House Digest.
