On cold winter days it’s sometimes nice to cuddle up and enjoy the comforting warmth of indoors. It’s tempting to keep any of the cold outdoor air from coming in at all. Nevertheless, it’s very important to air your home out regularly, also in winter. If you don’t, it can get stuffy, and you run the risk of contact with fungal cultures which can be detrimental to your health.
In general, living space should be aired out two or three times a day, ideally in the morning, at midday and in the evening. It’s also a good idea to ventilate after you’ve been cooking, taking a shower or doing the laundry.
The most effective method is transverse airing, in other words opening windows opposite each other for around five minutes. This creates a draft that ensures that stale air in the room is quickly replaced by fresh air, and a lot of the moisture in the room is removed. Ventilating like this also prevents the surfaces of the walls and ceilings from cooling down, which saves on heating.
Another effective option is “inrush airing”. Here you replace the stale air by opening the window wide. Although this method involves opening the windows for longer than the transverse method – five to ten minutes should do the trick – it’s very effective.
You should avoid leaving the windows tilted open for permanent ventilation. If at all, it’s best to reserve this method for summer. Leaving the windows tilted makes the exterior walls cool down, which can cause damage, and also wastes a lot of heat.
24.02.2016