Adding Lüften or “house burping” to Your House Cleaning
Some of you might have heard on the news about the German practice of Lüften, or airing out homes by opening windows. The practice of opening your windows, even for 5 minutes a day, can help to shift stale air, ensure adequate ventilation and prevent mold buildup, all of which are good for improving your health.
In Germany, ventilation is a cultural norm and people routinely open windows all year long first thing in the morning, after cooking or showering, and following social gatherings to clear moisture, odors, and built-up indoor pollutants. Using this practice during flu season seems to gain traction. Read this article from Time to take a deeper dive.
How It Works
- Reduces airborne disease transmission and lowers the amount of harmful airborne chemicals indoors
- Dispels indoor air that collects moisture from showers and cooking, smoke and particles from stoves, and chemicals from cleaning spray and furniture. These along with other particles and viruses that people breathe out increase CO2 inside and can cause mold growth
- Helps to remove these particles and moisture from the air
Consumer Reports agrees that opening a window for as little as five minutes a day in winter can improve indoor air quality by letting out stale air and decreasing pollutant concentration. For strategies to keep your indoor air cleaner, watch this WMUR video. Additionally, when windows or doors are left open for a few minutes during the day, CO2 levels drop significantly, and people tend to sleep better.
Two Techniques to Try
- Impact ventilation involves opening a window wide for at least five minutes, usually in the morning and evening, to quickly exchange indoor and outdoor air.
- Cross-ventilation works by opening windows on opposite sides of a home, allowing fresh air to flow through while stale air flows out.
Will this Affect My Heating Bill?
There might be some tradeoffs though. Opening a window may cause your heating system to work harder, but the good news is that brief ventilation each day is unlikely to have a noticeable effect on your heating bill.
If you want to try it, just be sure to avoid opening windows near your thermostat. Buying an air exchanger, a mechanical ventilation system that continuously removes stale, humid air and replaces it with filtered outside air, can cost you $1,500-$4,000 after installation. In comparison, a free dose of fresh air seems great!