To not open windows at home ALL THE EFFING TIME

[R1cciteddy]

My mum is driving me mad with this… she constantly has her windows open at home. No matter the weather. Strangely it’s the kitchen windows she keeps shut. She’s always having a go at me for not opening my windows enough. I’m sick of it I don’t want to freeze. I do sometimes open windows when it’s cold for a bit of ventilation but NOT ALL THE TIME! Yes, my dad pays the bills, not her. Ps my bathroom and kitchen windows are open often. Please help as I’m made to feel like a bad person and that my daughter will have respiratory issues when she’s older due to ventilation. Yes my mother is nuts so they will be open when she visits! AIBU not to open them enough!?

I too am interested to know the relevance of who pays the bills?

My house is cold enough without throwing windows open for an hour in the mornings.

You only need to open a window for 15 minutes to air the room, here’s a guide.

We only open bathroom and kitchen windows regularly. Our bedroom is always open just a crack. The last time living room window was open was during the heatwave. My home doesn't smell. I would know as DH and Ds have very sensitive noses. Which is a pain as I have to use very plain smelling detergents and shower gels so they don't have sneezing fits.

I voted YABU because you are a fully grown woman who is worried about what mummy thinks. Tell her to mind her own business.

Well clearly the OP is trying to have a dig at her silly, frivolous non-working mother, squandering her hard-working father's money. 🙄

@R1cciteddy irs your house, your home and your bills.

just tell her to look after her own windows and leave yours alone

“you do do” is helpful here

What a horrible thing to say, that your dad pays! That right there tells a sad little story of how you view her.

And of course you should always open windows for at least a bit every day. Humans and houses are meant to have fresh air.

I'm confused by many people saying how they don't have the windows open when the heating is on but that they still have them open even in winter etc. For anyone worried about energy bills this is not very sensible. Even if you only have the windows open when you don't have heating on, you'll be causing the temp to drop inside (in winter) and then whenever you do put the heating on, you'll be using more energy to heat than if you'd just kept them closed!
It's not confusing.

My heating only switches on during the day if the house drops below 16 degrees, which is rarely does. When it's on in an evening it's only on at 18 degrees. I get fresh air in my house and the chill taken off later.

I've never been one to burn money to heat a whole house to 20/22 degrees to sit around in a t shirt. It's much cheaper to heat the person than the house.

I open our bedroom windows every weekend morning, and bathroom window is usually open all day until evening, every day, with the door shut. No windows open when heating is on, can't afford that!

DS opens his bedroom window often, instead of just taking his jumper off, it's 15 in here and would probably be 16 if he wasn't letting cold air in.

For those of you who have windows open for extended periods, do you have quite well sealed houses? Some house make me feel ill (and quite oppressed) with the stale air so think I know what you guys are on about.

I live in a Victorian terrace in the south and I never see anyone opening windows for an airing. All the windows, doors and chimneys are draughty though. We have been trying to seal them more!

obviously I don’t stare at peoples houses all day but I would have expected to see it now and again!

We dress for the season

Sorry @LolaSmiles but I just had a vision of you there in a full Your Ladyship evening gown in a London drawing room followed by tweeds for a country weekend

All upstairs windows are locked open a crack unless it’s really cold here and normally opened properly for an hour or so during the day to air . Tend to open downstairs back door as much as I can ..this is when the heating isn’t on though . Heating is only on first thing though and teatime onwards

@Passanotherjaffacake We're in a new build so not draughty but there are vents at the tops of the windows. I mostly leave the bathroom window open because we shower in the morning so the towels are damp all day.

All my upstairs windows are on the latch, all year round.

Downstairs I have 1 or 2 in each room on the latch to allow fresh air in.

Like I said, I open them for an hour or so, not all day and not when the heating is on.

I have windows open all year round except for a few hours when the heating is on. Someone I know never opens their windows and their house smells. I couldn't sleep with windows closed and heating isn't on overnight.

Sorry @LolaSmiles but I just had a vision of you there in a full Your Ladyship evening gown in a London drawing room followed by tweeds for a country weekend
Ooh I wish. It sounds a lot more glamorous than my house and life.
😀

Though an evening gown might not be practical in a house with widows open. It could get breezy.

I always open my windows in the morning, even if it’s just for 10 mins.

I used to live in a really damp home and it was one way to help get rid of some of the excess moisture.

I also always open the bathroom window when showering or straight after and the kitchen window when cooking to reduce the moisture inside the home.

Your mum is very silly to open the windows when the heating is on but that’s their problem, not yours.

I open my windows each morning for some time, in the bathroom after bath/ shower, in the kitchen after cooking. I don’t think it’s necessary to keep them open all times, but some people do. They pay their bills themselves so it’s their problem.
Dont feel guilty. Do you keep your house very hot like 24-25 degrees? If yes, it would be better for your daughter’s health to keep it lower. If it’s around 21, it’s fine.
Your mum probably suffers from hot flushes.

I used to live in a HMO where people would open the windows while the boiler was running at maximum power. Towards the end I think the boiler actually just gave up and died because it had been running roaring at full power for 3 months non stop.

Telling people to shut the windows was met with blank stares. There was no way I could persuade the people that attempting to heat up the entire planet was futile.

The heating bills were absolutely horrendous. That was about 5 years ago. I can only imagine what they are like now.

My Windows and patio doors are open most days, l think it's still quite mild and only just closed them up now. Plus l have young kittens l am getting used to the garden, they don't know how to use cat flap yet. l can't stand a hot stuffy house.

Could the residents adjust their heating or were they stuck with it on? If I was stuck with 21 degrees or something then I'd open a window.

Yes we could !

When I asked the commune to turn the heating down they said no because then they would get cold ...

I read a useful trick a while back. Start with one window then go round the house and open every single one. Then immediately go back to the first one and then close them all. Freshens the house nicely without cooling it too much. I WFH so couldn't sit in a cold room with the window open!