Do you 'air' your house every morning?

[Angryosaurus]

Please help settle an ongoing dispute between me and DH! I admit I'm a bit obsessive about it but I really like to open the windows in the morning before work! Especially bathrooms after showers, bedrooms and the kitchen. My husband thinks I'm insane. He says he doesn't have time to open and close a window. Every winter we have the same disagreement every single morning. I used to just do it myself, but with 2 young DC to get ready we need team work in the mornings! Should add we live in a radon area if that makes a difference...

I am an "airer", I prop the front door and back door open and open all windows, even in Winter. I hang duvets outside but only when changing the beds. It helps to keep the house smelling fresh and stops any mould or condensation. I was told it is cheaper to heat cold dry air than hot wet air. The wetness comes from breathing, showers, baths, tumble dryers and cooking without using saucepan lids. Of course the more bodies in a house, the more important it is to change the air.

We have the heating on low but permanently at the moment.

I switch it off on my work from home day, open all the windows, and keep it that way til afternoon. I do a bit of airing at the weekend too. The bathroom gets aired after every shower.

With cats and a litter tray, it's the minimum I can get away with. This week has been a bit of a funk, because they are refusing to do anything in the soggy garden. Can't wait for summer.

My parents don't open their windows - and they have actually blocked off a bathroom window with polystyrene for insulation! They don't seem to realise that repainting after mould removal every few months is probably more expensive than just airing it. (can't have double glazing as it's a listed building).

My house is old and draughty and the windows are properly vented, and we don’t dry things on radiators and have decent extractor fans etc etc, but I just love to feel the fresh air

Yes

I only do it because we have a condensation problem in the house and there was black mould on our old wallpaper. Had a complete redec last year and opening the windows has solved the issues there. My dd has this problem as well and I keep telling her to open the windows during the day.

yes, when its a work day, they are opened for 10 mins in the morning and then when we are back in the eve, about 1 inch on the little latchy thing. you can always tell when a house hasnt been aired.

Never realised there was a term for it. I just open windows because it makes the house less cave like and more home like. Showers and toilets should have semipermanently open windows

Usually. But even if we don't, We leave the upstairs windows on nightlock all day

Yes and I have the same argument with mine.

What's a radon area?

Bedrooms and bathroom every morning till about lunch time (not on weekends though when teens lie in)

www.ukradon.org/information/ukmaps

UK radon areas - related to the types of rock prevalent in the area - Cornwall is particularly affect iirc

Bedroom windows open all night. bathroom window/ door left open after showers/baths. kitchen French doors open every morning. hate stuffy unaired houses.

In the summer they are open day and night. In the winter just the bathrooms. I work from home and I don't want to sit at my desk frozen.

Where I am it is currently. -6degrees. I had the flat window open for half an hour.

The place feels better now!

Interesting. What do those of you do who live in high pollution areas - as in road pollution, not radon etc.

The bedroom window is open on lock all year round. Absolutely love having the windows open at weekends

Don't you find that your house does smell when you come back from holidays? The first thing I always do is to open all the windows when we come back.

It's bloody freezing here! How does your house not get freezing?

Having said that i'm gong to start in my bedroom as its upstairs and shouldn't freeze everywhere.

Windows are open in my house all day every day. The only time they are closed is when we are on holiday.

There is no way I’d have my windows open all night, especially in winter. It must be hellish getting up!!

Drum do you have the heating on too?

I don't understand this need to air. What happens to the house if you don't air it? I can't say I've ever been in someone's house and thought 'this needs airing'.

Christ! Lucky you. I have. it depends on the house. Some are well built and ventilated. Others need the humans to do it for them. If not they get smelly, humid and mouldy.

Also, if you have heating on 24/7, aren’t your heating bills astronomically expensive?

Yep, I air all bedrooms every morning and all bathrooms too. Open all the curains immediately too. Gets rid of fustiness/bathroom smells and freshens up the house.