While keeping your windows closed all winter may keep your home warm, it also traps mold, bacteria, and allergens inside the house, where they will gradually build and affect your indoor air quality.
To counteract this air quality issue, Germans developed the practice of lüften, which is now used in homes, schools, offices, and other public spaces in Germany. Lüften is even sometimes required by apartment leases in Germany.
Find out what lüften is and discover whether you should adopt this German window practice for your home.
What Is Lüften?
So what exactly is lüften and how is it done?
"Lüften is a historic practice of opening your home’s windows to allow fresh air in and force stale air out," says Lauren Riddei, Healthy Home Wellness Interior Designer and CEO of Haus Holistics.
There are a few ways to go about this depending on the time of the year, the time of day, and the size of the home.
For smaller spaces, opening all the windows in a room for a few minutes is often enough to improve the indoor air quality. When you have a larger home, it's a good idea to open all the windows in the morning, the evening, or both to let cool air in and allow warm, moist air to escape.
How Does Lüften Work?
The goal of lüften is to increase the amount of oxygen inside the home, while allowing excess carbon dioxide and moisture to escape.
"Lüften works simply by manually opening your windows either in the morning or in the evening to release an excess build up of carbon dioxide, mold, bacteria, allergens or condensation, while also allowing oxygen back into the interior environment," Riddei says.
Depending on the season, you can practice lüften at different intervals and for differing lengths of time. In summer, open all the windows about two times a day for 30 minutes to improve the indoor air quality.
During the spring and fall seasons, shorten the amount of time the windows are open to about 10 to 15 minutes twice a day. When winter hits, you should only need to have the windows open for about five to 10 minutes twice a day.
Why Is Lüften Considered Beneficial?
In general, by practicing lüften, you can improve the air quality indoors, replacing stale air with fresh air to help reduce the risk of mold.
Cool, oxygen-rich air also helps you to sleep better at night, while opening the windows during the spring and fall can keep the home feeling comfortable, without wasting money on energy bills to run your furnace or air conditioner.
"Lüften is not only a quick and easy habit to get into, but it's a great way to release potential volatile organic compounds, condensation, mold, allergens or bacteria that can build up inside our enclosed spaces," Riddei says.
Why Should People Consider Lüften for Their Home?
Adopting lüften as a regular practice can improve home comfort and air quality. It's also an easy practice that doesn't take a lot of time or much effort, so there is little reason to avoid this beneficial change to your morning or evening routine.
"Personally, I prefer to slightly ajar my windows first thing in the morning as I'm going about my tasks," Riddei says. "During cold winter evenings, there is nothing better than opening my windows for just a few minutes before I go to sleep. Not only does the temperature drop, allowing for deeper sleep, but the indoor air quality is improved."
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