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?

My bedroom window is open practically all the time and the first thing I do every morning is open the bathroom one.
We live in an old house and it needs fresh air and heat to stop condensation. I know it sounds daft but having the windows open with the heating on helps air circulation and really does keep the damp at bay.
Plus there is nothing better than fresh air smell.

On the latch all the time (upstairs windows), open fully first thing every morning for an hour before we leave. Like others, I see it as very important for the house and our general health.

Nightly, in my bedroom. V little anywhere else until its sunny then I open them all for 30 mins to air house.

Bathroom windows always open, even if only a crack.
My bedroom window is always open, except when I put the heating on. It's always open overnight - I can't stand a stuffy bedroom. I open the window in DD's room in the morning, but it's always locked slightly open anyway.

If I'm at home, all downstairs windows opened wide for at least 15 minutes in the morning. Backdoor frequently left open for the dog.

I think fresh air is so much better than spraying air fresheners etc. It's also free and environmentally sound, unlike running extractor fans and dehumidifiers.

I have the top window down an inch or two 24/7.

My heating is set to 16C overnight but in the two years of having a Nest thermostat I can see that it has never needed to come on. My 2-bed flat retains heat well.

Thanks. I'm clearly a wuss 😳

Yes. When I cook I leave the lids on the pans to reduce the humidity. I don't leave water boiling away on the hob pumping steam into the house. And I pull any steam generated out through the extraction hood.

I shower every day. I keep the bathroom door closed and use the extraction to pull out the humidity. I also push all the water off the shower screen and tray into the plughole using a rubber scraper. This stops the screen getting marked (hard water area), keeps the tray clean for much longer and reduces the humidity because there is no water exposed over a large surface area to evaporate into the atmosphere.

I exhale, but the dehumidifier takes care of that.

I have just been outside sweeping up leaves. There are about 20 houses in my road that I can see. Not a single window open on any of them. Not one (although we all have trickle vents of course). Either we must be the stinkiest street in Britain or leaving your windows open to let your house freeze is not normal.

I blast each room for around 10 minutes when it's cold, just to freshen the air. I've got a PIV unit and eco trickle vents though, which are always on.

Fuck leaving doors open.

Not at all once it's cold, I hate being cold. If I want some fresh air I go outside. I hate visiting people who have the windows open and cold houses.

My bedroom windows are open 24/7 and the radiator in there is turned off.

Other rooms have windows open much of the day if I'm here alone and for 10 minute blasts if the rest of my (always cold) family are here.

I would have them open way more often but my house is surrounded by trees and hedges and there’s at least one spider comes in every time our bedroom window is open. After a run in with a spider IN MY BED last week I’ve been put off opening them again 😭

Never - well not in this flat I live in. Central London so the air is not fresh and there's constant contraction works going on. However my flat has a ventilation unit that sucks air from outside, purifies, filters and pushes that clean air into each room. I also have ac so don't need to open the windows in summer either.

I just thought the vent was a fancy but pointless accessory and didn't really do much until I made friends with my neighbours who are directly below me. Their windows are always open and their flat gets dusty quite a bit. In spring/summer my allergies also starts playing up which doesn't happen in my flat.

Every day first thing. Vital in an old house for air flow, prevent damp and mould etc.

I’m like you, OP. Fresh air is lovely. We open our windows all year round.

In the main lounge/dining room for a few minutes if at all practical every day.

Bedrooms and bathroom windows and kitchen doors opened daily, my bedroom window always open winter and summer. The only windows that are rarely opened are the through sitting room with windows at either end, three reasons, I keep them all locked and finding the keys is a pain, they are too high for me to open easily anyway, the room is kept aired by means of a very draughty chimney!

Back door is open now. Bathroom window is always open to some extent. My bedroom window is always open at night.

Hate stuffiness.

Every morning I open up all the bedroom windows for 20-30 mins to ventilate the house. Bathroom window gets opened after a shower/ bath.

Trickle vents always open, bedrooms open overnight, during the day windows either open if not raining, or locked open in frame if wet.

Air changes are important for humsn and building health. It is not just about humidity, but providing clean, fresh air and exhausting dirty air. If you don't like opening windows in winter, you should really be installing mechanical air handling.

Well our bedroom window is always open, the dc say that our bedroom is the fridge in winter. The bathroom window is cracked from when I get up until around 5/6pm. All the other (small) windows are opened daily before I go on the school run & shut after I get home / before I go to work/ until evening, depending on how cold it is.

Maybe they had windows open on the back or side of their house. Or maybe they have just shut the windows or will open them again later on. I think it would be odd if there were 21 households all clustered together that never open any of their windows, as you say you do.

It's cold at this time of year, for sure, but we are not in the depths of winter and it really doesn't hurt to open a window for half an hour every day, to let air circulate through the house; there's always a point during the day where it's not too cold to open the windows. Your home must smell of something for never opening windows, but you'll not be able to smell it because you live there. Even just the faint smell of food, unless all of your food is boiled with a lid on...?

Having fresh air in your home is good for health, too, as somebody else mentioned.

Some people think it is a bit odd and some sort of obsession to want the windows open from time to time to air the house a bit. Humans are part of the animal kingdom, and we need fresh air. It gets horribly stale and stuffy otherwise.

Never open windows maybe very occasionally in the summer. I prefer to be warm and comfortable it my home. If I want fresh air I can go outsude.

All the rime pretty much to get fresh air.

I suppose if you live alone or have a very large breathing old house it would be OK to have them shut but we need to refresh air and breath in fresh air.

I’m in the US and windows are almost never open. There’s probably a few weeks a year where it’s not too hot or too cold.