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?

That’s the thing, my house is far from stuffy. I’d not understand it either, if it was. But my home isn’t stuffy .in fact when I get up it’s chilly.

That’s why the front windows rarely get opened unless I’m in the room.

Do worry a bit about the bathroom one, but anyone trying to get to it would have to go down an overgrown path that you can’t tell is there unless you know it’s there, climb through 3 gardens and then navigate a mass of brambles to get into the garden. And then you’d need a ladder.

The bedroom window is usually open a crack 24/7 and the bathroom window gets opened for 20 mins or so after a shower. Other windows might get opened if it feels a little stale.

There is no exact science to it. But I don't get mould and it smells fresh inside.

We live in 2nd floor flat so leave bedroom, bathroom and toilet window open most of the time, or at least in the morning during winter. Always leave small top window open even when away, the angle means rain can’t get in. And Kitchen window open when cooking!

I open my windows a bit, but also have plug In air fresheners. X

Bathroom window open a crack all day n night u til its freezing cold. Quite warm today so had bedroom windows open for a few hours but being careful as I have spider phobia so trying to limit how they get in 😆

It was about 18 degrees outside, but the sun was strong and therefore warms our front facing rooms up to 21-22.

In winter, it can be -10 and those front rooms the heating turns itself off and the rooms warmer than set heating. Alps. The sun is strong here.

If you have smart heating like hive, Netatmo, Tado etc, most will also have co2 measurements and the rooms quickly increase to ‘high’ aka not good if you keep windows closed, and then have several people in a room with door pulled to like a bedroom or living room. If ours goes to mid/ high at all it gives me a headache

Damp houses take more energy to heat - you have to control relative humidity and internal water and opening windows/air flow is key to this. I do live in the south so obviously generally a lot warmer but my house hasn't dropped below 17 celsius yet - I only set my thermostat to come on at around that.

There is a dew point - around 15 celsius that you don't want to reach. This causes condensation to form on cold spots - humid/ moisture laden air will condense on these cold spots and also in walls and turn to liquid which causes damp in walls. If you air houses there is less moisture therefore less moisture laden air, then look to use heating when internal temp reaches around 16 celsius.

My hygrometer is my best friend - measures my relative humidity in all my rooms and I keep it 60 - 80% for a dry house.

Mine are always on the latch unless I want the heating on. Other than that I constantly leave every window on the latch.

Maybe you should it a go if your house is that cold. Maybe it's damp and you are going to be fighting against it all winter.

My bed room window is open about two inches ( it has child locks built into the frame ) as soon as I get up untill about a hour before I go to bed.

No bath room window 😡

Down stairs I don't have child locks on the windows and my house cat is a escapeologist so i rarely open them however my cat sits in his carrier or cage at the front door for hours so in mid winter my house can be bloody cold !

( obviously I don't have the heating on then ! )

If anyone can recommend good child locks that stick on ( rent so cant drill frames ) flat cats dont work as my cat tries to climb up it to sit on the open window sill

I like my bedroom cold

How cold? Do you take a hot water bottle (or hot DH) to bed with you?

Most windows have a built in latch. Most of them if you slightly open them and then pull the handle back down there should be a little latch it catches on to.

Bedroom and bathroom are never shut unless we go on holiday.

Kids rooms opened every morning and closed at night.

I flingbthem open. Our bedroom daily. Children's and guest rooms when people are arriving that day. Bootroom door is usually open all day, everyday day. Downstairs lavatory windows always have top section on the latch. Kitchen doors often opened when cooking on stove rather than in Aga.

@PinkButtercups Ah I had actually forgotten about this nifty little locking system so thank you for reminding me .
I think I stopped using it because it is not always easy to see when the window is open and I have gone out / to bed leaving it like this but I will just have to be more vigilant awake in future

Haven’t shut my bathroom window since May. It was open before then but I was away a couple of nights.
Bedroom window is open all night. In fact I only close it when I go out.
Lovely sunny day here yesterday South East. Dried bedding and towels on the line in no time.

Open our bedroom window when I go to bed. Only really close it if start to feel a draught downstairs. Bathroom window open after showers. Close when it feels cold.