If you are like me, you may not be the open window type. I either survive off my heat or my air, but to be honest, it’s important to open your windows every now and then in order to ventilate your home. But how often is every now and then? That’s what we are going to find out, with the help of DS Brothers Ltd, a company of builders in London.
Opening your windows benefits you and your family in more ways than you probably realize. Not only does it remove any stale odors, it also provides chemicals and other impurities with a way to escape, which helps you and your family stay healthy.
What Happens If I Don’t Open My Windows?
I understand not wanting to open your windows, especially in the middle of winter or summer. It lets your heat or air out, makes it either cold or hot in your home, and in turn may cause your electric bill to go up.
However, the risks that come along with never opening your windows are more serious than an electric bill that is slightly higher than last month’s. According to The National Post, never opening your windows:
- Allows toxins to build up in your home.
- Causes condensation, which leads to mold.
- Causes dust, smoke, bacteria, and viruses to build up, which causes health concerns for you and your family.
You can avoid all of this by having a window opening routine. Have a certain time of day you open your windows and set an alarm, so you don’t forget.
How Often Should I Open Them?
Now that you understand why it’s so important to open your windows, you’re probably wondering just how often you should be opening them to avoid the risks.
Winter is the time when ventilating your home is most critical. Since cold and flu are rampant during the winter, it is important to open them at least once a day, (no matter how cold it is) in order to cleanse the air of germs and viruses. The cold air not only kills them but also freshens the air in the process.
In the summertime, it’s effortless to ventilate your home. If you have kids, they ventilate it for you while they are running in and out all day. If not, just open the door or raise a few windows to let the fresh air in and the old air out.
There’s no need to do this for longer than necessary. 10-15 minutes tops is all it takes per day to keep fresh, clean air in your home as opposed to stale, germy air.
When Should I Ventilate?
According to Holmes, ventilating your home year-round is important since there are always toxins lurking in the air from our everyday hair routine, air fresheners, and smoke. If we don’t smell it, we don’t think about it, but it’s still there until it has a way to escape. This is where ventilation comes in to play.
Time of Day
It’s smart to set up a certain time of day to ventilate your home daily. This helps you stay consistent as well as pick the perfect time to do it.
Maybe in the early morning when everyone is asleep. That way, no one else will be affected by whether it’s too hot or too cold, only you will know.
Another great time to ventilate is at night after everyone is in bed. Open the windows and let the fresh air take over your home, but be sure to close it before going to sleep if there are any safety concerns.
For Smokers
If anyone smokes in the home, the best thing to do is open a window close to them while they smoke each time they smoke to keep the toxins down.
Other Pollution in the Home
Some appliances in the home need special ventilation, such as the stove and oven. Always use the fan to vent pollution out of your home. According to the American Lung Association, the ventilation above the stove is used to carry the air outside to avoid redistributing pollutants from cooking, inside the home.
How Do I Ventilate Hard to Reach Rooms?
It’s simple to ventilate the living room and bedrooms because of doors and windows, but what about the hard to reach areas like the bathrooms, closets, and hallways that are prone to condensation buildup?
The best option for those hard to reach rooms is to use a fan. Using a fan helps get the fresh air around the whole house, which includes any hard to reach rooms as well as all the cracks and crevices.
Fans also come in handy right after a shower to help dry out the air and help prevent mold growth.
Ending Thoughts
Ventilating your home is extremely important. Now that we know what kind of unseen dangers are lurking around our homes when we don’t ventilate, it should be a lot easier to open those windows for 15 minutes every day.
True, it could possibly raise your electric or gas bill, but that is so much less serious than family falling ill from breathing contaminated air. If you aren’t already doing it, start today so you don’t risk you or your family’s health.
