Opening windows in cold weather

[Disorganisedmess2023]

I love fresh air coming through the house but obviously this is harder now the weather is colder and damp. How often do you have your windows open at this time of year in UK weather?

Another one who has windows open as often as possible even in winter. Back door usually open for the dog unless absolutely freezing / heating on, same for bedroom and bathroom. Kitchen ones tend to stay closed as back door open anyway and they have trickle vents. I'm probably biased as it's our house but it honestly helps to minimise dog smells (we also rotate furniture covers / wash pet bedding every few days)

No I use the powerful extractor hood over the cooker to pull all the air out. That's what it's there for !

Not sure about the logical of filling the house with scent/nasty smelling chemicals, only to remove it all again by opening the windows. I hate scented stuff it makes me sneeze.

I don't use aggressive cleaning products, but will put the extraction on if I use bleach.

everyday for at least 2 hours even in january, however my flat stays at roughly 19 degrees without needing heating. Today for example all windows have been open since .06.00 and wont be shut until around 15:00 with 2 staying open all night

Ours are open daily otherwise the house just starts to smell and is all stuffy! It’s also not really that cold yet.

Every single day.

The bathroom window is permanently open

Other rooms I open the windows for a few minutes everyday or longer if it's sunny

I have a dehumidifier for a back bedroom which travels around the house for drying washing
inside

There's a fine balance in keeping my Victorian house warm but aired so it doesn't get damp.

During the summer most windows are open 24/7 unless there's a heatwave so they stay closed with curtains drawn and fans and dehumidifier on

Every day, otherwise we have problems with damp.

Bathroom and toilet windows open all day/night all year.
In the winter all the other windows are open for an hour in the morning and then closed. We have no heating and live in a very old house.

I found that a couple of winters ago when I was keeping the windows open and the heating down that my house was not happy

It encouraged damp

The heating in my house needs to be minimum 18 during the winter and having the windows open for too long is like having a neglected empty house rotting away. That how it seemed

At night the heating goes down to 7 because we can't sleep when it's too warm

I love fresh air plus I have a dog so need to air the house daily. However I close windows when I’m out as I live in a slightly dodgy area and insurance doesn’t cover burglary if your windows are open.

The other week when the temperature dropped I started closing the bathroom window at night and within a week there were tiny spores of mould on the ceiling. Not happy

So back to being open 24/7

I never have windows open when it's raining because I've decided it's counterproductive

Window is currently open in the kitchen because I'm making chicken stock. Also open in the living room.

I chose to wait for the rain to stop before I could

Only the bathroom windows and the kitchen window when I’m cooking, it’s far too cold otherwise but I do have the vents on the windows open.

My windows are open all year round.
I hate the feeling of no fresh air.
To stuffy if windows are closed.
My large windows are closed at night or if its way to cold but the top long windows never shut them.
I never understood people that never open a window.

Als much as possible even overnight all year round
Exception is if heavy winds are blowing rain in!
No need for all these plug In air freshener etc
Helps stop damp buildup too

Same here. I have a dehumidifier that runs in the bathroom when I shower (that has the useful side effect of warming the room) and an extractor fan in the kitchen.

I also have extractors in both the bathrooms since neither has windows and I move the dehumidifier to the room with the drying washing after I’ve done laundry (flat with no outside space to dry).

The heating also dries the air during the winter.

Bedroom window is open 24/7 (to be honest, I'm not entire sure that it does close) - I like a cold bedroom. Downstairs, I open the back door when I'm pottering in the kitchen or when the dog is out in the garden, the front window is usually opened at least once a day first thing in the morning until lunchtime (and sometimes I forget and go out for a run and leave it open in the afternoon, too).

Need them open a bit to prevent moisture and damp

You don't make the house damp? Do you not cook? Or shower? Or even exhale?! Is your body colder than the air inside your house, too?

Those of you who sleep with bedroom windows open overnight in winter ... do you have the heating set to come on at all or are you all hate as nails and able to get out of bed when the house is very cold?

Bedroom window is open 24/7. So is the bathroom window. I probably shut each one 2-3 times a year for a big storm if the wind direction calls for it.

Google Luften and the benefits of it -
It's huge .. even written into tenancy agreements to make sure houses remain mould free . Whatever the weather we Luften but we aren't German

Generally I try and have as many windows open during the day if I'm home, for as long as I can bear it and certainly until half an hour until heating is timed to come on.

I see it as a personal challenge for how cold the house can get before I crack

Back door is open now. My bedroom window is open most of the year (I don't heat it, in fact I don't heat most of upstairs). Might be different if I lived in the wilds of Scotland though!