Opening the windows

[Ainbake]

I see advice to open windows on every thread that's asking about how to make the home smell good. I returned from a work trip and noticed that my house is smelling a bit stale.

I need more information from people who open their windows daily!
Are we talking about flinging them wide open, or just a few inches? What about when it's raining or cold? And how long do you open them for?

I open every day, even when it’s -20 here some winters.

Usually when I wake whilst getting ready upstairs one’s open. Bathrooms after shower/ bath, downstairs on and off for fresh air. Anywhere from 10mins-1hr in winter depending on how cold it is. In summer some windows remain open for months on end

Don't over think it! Until I go out in the morning or until I'm cold. Then I shut them

Bathroom and bedroom windows only get closed if we're on holiday, the window cleaner is here or it's windy enough to either blow them closed or blow the blinds around.

Downstairs we don't have many windows but will open the bifolds as much as possible.

If your house smells 'stale' check for any water leaks. It really should smell 'nothing' if you've just been on holiday.

but windows.

Bedroom windows stay open 24/7/360 (ish) days. In summer the house (according to my Dad) looks like it's about to take off! I can't be done with all this closing windows & curtain to keep it cool. I'd rather have the light & breeze! This time of year the big bedroom windows are open a few inches. If I'm home & it's nice weather I'll open them more.

Bathroom is a skylight, so when we have weather like the heatwave it's fully open 24/7. But being England it's usually closed & on trickle vent because it would wreck havoc on the paint in the light shaft if it got rained on & I do NOT want to have to paint that bastard thing again in a hurry!!

kitchen. Until proper winter, if I'm home the back door is open. If it's too cold or the rain is coming straight in, I shut the door & open kitchen & lounge windows. Wide until it's too chilly then close them over to an inch or two.

but everyone's different. My friend barely ever opens hers. I find it a bit stuffy, but she finds mine a bit 'airy' not cold just air movement.

just do what you want.

Bedroom window open 24/7 (we don't heat the bedroom). Bathroom open all day - North facing and damp so this helps keep mould at bay. Kitchen open for about half an hour every morning (in winter much more in summer obv). I'd like to do downstairs more as it often smells of cooking but need to trade with heat conservation. Upstairs smells great.

I open them in the morning - particularly bedroom windows - and shut them when going out or when it feels cold.

I have pets so the back door is open a lot. But my bedroom can smell stale so I open the window a few inches most days. When it's spring/summer the front and back windows are open almost all the time unless raining (not wide open - they don't open like that, but a good few inches).

Open even if raining or cold.

The bedroom & bathroom windows opened around 5 inches inches when I got up this morning. Kitchen window open when I was cooking earlier until just now because I’m freezing. DH had opened the patio door but I shut that because it is chilly.

I’ve just shut one bathroom and the bedroom windows but the bathroom ones will be opened again later for showers then shut around 10pm.

Every morning before you make your bed ;) regardless if it's raining or not. A few minutes is better but at least a little bit to renovate the air is essential. There have been scientific studies about this.

Threads like this explain why a lot of people have insanely high heating bills.

If I am at home during the day, then I'll open wide all the windows in the house, and also the patio door. That gets a good flow of fresh air all through the house in about 20 minutes. It depends on the weather obviously, and I wouldn't do that if it was blowing a gale or absolutely pissing down.

I love to open my windows , but how on earth when its wind! Mine blow back on themselves when it is and dh thinks it damages them .

All bedroom & bathroom windows open all year (the quarter windows not the big ones).

In warm weather they are open 24/7.

Now it's getting colder, only some of us have them still open 24/7. My youngest DC shut them overnight & I open them up every morning when they get up & they stay open snywhere from 1 hour to all morning, depending on how cold it is. They are open every day even jn depth of wi d & rain.

Have always dried clothes indoors over winter as we didn't have a drier until recently and we've never had mould.

@lljkk - ours are normal. Opening a winter for 15 mins each morning and evening shouldn’t be making your house freezing or heating bills high.
Its 21-23 indoors today, and we haven’t had any heating on yet this whole week ( new heating being installed, so none available). Windows have been open on and off. Front room was open about 4 hours when sun out as south facing

I open the bedroom window every day as soon as I get up. And the dc's windows if I'm at home and they are at school. I open them as far as they open! I feel weird sleeping in a room where the window hasn't t been opened since the night before, like there is o fresh air, but that's probably psychological.

We're probably the ones who are too hardened to need much heating though!

We prefer you to fling them wide open in the morning and leave them like that all day. You can close them again when you get in from work, we will have left by then! 😈

I haven't got my heating on yet.

Neither have I, it was 18* here today. People out in T-shirts.

I open them all in the morning and close when it gets cold. If I'm at home I have them quite wide as I'll be cleaning and get hot but when I'm out just open a crack

Upstairs windows are open all the time.
When I come downstairs in the morning I open the windows. Started closing downstairs about 5pm.

I couldn't live in a house that didn't have its windows open.

I think it is people who don't open windows who have heating on. It makes it damper surely, which people try to counter with heat?

yeah... people put the heating on just to get rid of damp. Sure they do. There isn't any other reason to have the heating on... Damp which is mostly caused by people breathing out, actually, or at least it is in my house.

Temperatures here have warmed up, 13 at 7am and daily high of 15. I can just about get by with only fire for heat tonight. I wonder where PP lives that they have had temps today of 21-23. Assuming that's centigrade. Los Angeles, maybe?

I usually open them in the morning for 2-3 hours, unless it's raining.

Oh yes downstairs bathroom window is usually open all day.