Proper ventilation in autumn and winter

Are you wondering what is important for proper ventilation in winter and autumn? We tell you how to create the optimal room temperature!

If you want a good indoor climate, you need to ventilate. Regularly and above all correctly. How you ventilate depends on the season.

Because properly ventilate in winter works quite differently than in the summer.

But who likes to ventilate in winter? Brrr. Swap the cold dry air for the cozy warmth? Yes, it has to be done.

If you make mistakes when airing, then mold easily forms in the apartment. The air becomes musty and stuffy. And the first dark spots already spread on the walls.

But do not despair. We'll tell you how to ventilate properly in winter. It's not that difficult.

But first, a quick bit of basic info.

The air in winter is not only cool, but also dry. Perfect for our living rooms, which are very often too humid.

However, so that your apartment does not cool down too much, you should not ventilate for a long time. The exchange of stale air must therefore be quick.

However, the bedroom is ventilated differently than, for example, the bathroom or kitchen. And again it looks different in the basement or attic.

Tip: With a hydrometer you always have an overview of how high the humidity is. So you see immediately when it's time to ventilate. You can order a hydrometer from Amazon.

Incorrect room climate, by the way, leads to dry skin, brittle hair, promotes colds and is not good for our body all around.

Psst: Do you know the best care tips for skin and hair in winter?

How to properly ventilate safely in winter

We tend to ventilate too rarely in winter. We're already cold anyway, so why let cool air inside?

Quite simply, it's about ensuring that the humidity in the room is ideal. For this, it must be neither too damp nor too dry.

1. In autumn and winter you need to ventilate briefly and effectively. Open all windows as much as possible, so that the bad air can get out. Tilted windows are of little use, because only little air can get into the room. The air exchange takes much longer and is less effective.
2. Turn off the heat while airing to avoid heating out the window.
3. Open windows and doors that face each other in the room. This way you will get a good suction together that will suck the bad air outside and fill the room with fresh air.
4. If it is very cold outside, open the windows for only 5 minutes. Maximum 10 minutes.
5. 3 times a day shock ventilation is optimal.

Now the room humidity should be in the optimal range again. After airing, turn up the heating again.

At night, you keep all the windows closed. Except in the bedroom, if you are too warm. But be careful: if it gets too cold, you may get a sore throat!

How you can prevent colds in 7 steps!

How you can tell if you are ventilating properly in winter

When it is cold outside and we activate the heating, we often have to deal with very dry indoor air.

The throat starts to scratch, the eyes itch and you have to clear your throat every now and then.

Especially in the office, in the living room or in the bedroom we notice that. That's why it's important that you air all rooms regularly. Even those that you don't spend a lot of time in.

If you want to ventilate properly in winter, you need to keep an eye on the room humidity. If it is too low, it can harm your health. If it is too high, then mold can easily form.

How to improve the indoor climate in 4 easy steps!

Tip: Acquire a hydrometer. It measures the humidity in the environment. You can read on it when it's time to ventilate again! You can order a hydrometer from Amazon. 

That is why there are guideline values that help with orientation.

The following applies to the humidity in the living room, work room, bedroom

• 40-60% is the ideal value.
• in winter it is 40-45%
• Too high it is from over 60%

For the humidity in the bathroom applies

• 50-70% is the ideal value.
• in winter it is 50-55%
• Too high it is from over 70%

The following applies to the humidity in the kitchen

• 50-60% is the ideal value
• in winter it is 50-55%
• Too high it is from over 60%

For the humidity in the basement applies

• 50-65% is the ideal value
• in winter it is 50-55%
• Too high it is from over 65%

By the way, living rooms are all rooms where you spend a lot of time, such as bedrooms, guest rooms, living rooms, study rooms and dining rooms.

Proper ventilation in winter, however, helps not only to get rid of humid air, but also to humidify dry indoor air. Because some people fight against very dry air. Especially when there is no snow and it does not get plus degrees during the day.

Tip: Then a humidifier can help that the room does not dry out too much. The Philips humidifier at Amazon has particularly good reviews and a very quiet mode that automatically switches off as soon as the humidity fits.

You have itchy shins? You can do that!

Reasons for too high humidity in winter

Excessive humidity in the home is a good breeding ground for mold and the number one cause. But how does the high humidity in the room arise in the first place?

• Breathing. We release moist air with the puff of air. Liquid also evaporates through the skin, which then ends up in the air.
• Plants, an aquarium, the water of the cat or dog and fountains provide too humid air.
• By cooking, ironing with steam station, drying laundry, mopping floors, showering and bathing.
• Leaky windows and doors allow moisture from the outside in.

So in any closed room, if you don't ventilate, the humidity will automatically increase. The more we are in the room and the more people are in it, the faster it gets humid.

The fumes accumulate on walls and windows, causing mold.

This is what you can do against condensation on the window!

How to avoid fogged windows in winter

Are your windows tarnished or even wet? This is because warm air can absorb and bind more moisture than colder air.

The windows are cooler inside than the room air. On the windows, the temperature drops to the dew point. Then the moist air releases water.

Example: In the living room it is 23°. The humidity is at 62%. The dew point is now about 14°. If the temperature at the window is cooler, then they fog up.

This not only looks unsightly. But can also lead to mold.

With these tips, you'll never freeze again!

I know the problem all too well myself. Especially with windows that have no heating nearby or are protected from warm air by a window sill, the wet windows occur.

The only thing that helps is wiping or vacuuming and then airing. I have the Bosch window vacuum cleaner bought at Amazon and am very satisfied. Goes quite quickly and uncomplicated.

What can also help is if you run a dehumidifier from time to time. It pulls the excess moisture out of the air and the walls. The water ends up in a tank that you can easily empty. A dehumidifier is available at Amazon.

Why it is so difficult to ventilate properly in the bedroom

Finding and creating the ideal sleeping environment is quite difficult. When we sleep, we enrich the air with moisture as we breathe. Then the room humidity value quickly climbs above 60%.

Especially because bedrooms are usually comparatively small and we spend 6 to 8 hours in them.

Therefore, it is very important that you open the windows wide before going to bed. You can leave them open for 10 minutes or more.

So you get a comfortable temperature and very low humidity. During sleep, the humidity will rise again.

In the morning you set again 10 minutes on shock ventilation and you have good climate in the bedroom.

Proper ventilation in winter in the bathroom & kitchen

In the bathroom and kitchen, we produce a lot of water vapor through showering and cooking. That is why mold is particularly likely to occur here.

What you can do about it? Open the window immediately after cooking and showering. In this way, the damp air in the room gets outside.

Proper ventilation in the basement

The basement is usually not heated. It is the coldest room in the house.

You may leave the windows in the basement tilted during the day. This allows the moist and musty air to get outside.

Or you can also use shock ventilation. But don't forget to close the window after 15 minutes.

Why heating is just as important as proper ventilation in winter

When you ventilate, you turn off the radiator. Otherwise, you heat out the window. After airing, turn the heating back on.

If you leave the apartment during the day, you should not turn off the radiators completely. If the living space cools down too much and you then turn on the heat at full power, you are saving in the wrong place.

Even if the air is already warm, the walls need time for this comparatively long.

Because otherwise the warm air condenses on the cold walls. The wall becomes wet and mold has a very easy game.

So it should be at least 17° in the apartment when you are at work or on vacation.

What you need to pay attention to when drying and airing laundry

The wet clothes release the moisture into the air, making the room very humid and again we favor mold.

If you have the opportunity not to hang the wet laundry in the apartment - use it! There is a drying room or laundry place? Very good! But if not, here are some great tips to keep it from getting too damp.

If you don't have a laundry room to hang your clothes in, then you should get a clothes dryer.

If you can't avoid hanging up the wet laundry, then you have to air it a lot.

Put the laundry on the balcony for a short time directly after washing. This allows most of the moisture to escape. Unfortunately, it won't dry if the temperature is too cold. Keep a close eye on the room humidity when you dry the laundry in the room.

Our conclusion

Even if you like it cozy and warm, you should completely open all windows at least 2x a day. The moisture must get out of the room so that mold cannot form. If the air is too dry, this is also not healthy for the mucous membranes.

Proper ventilation in winter is not an art, if you follow our instructions. With a hydrometer you can keep an eye on the humidity. :)

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