Why Should You Air Your House Even In Winter?

When temperatures drop outside, we are often reluctant to open the windows wide at home. And yet, it is essential to renew the air inside your home in all seasons, especially in winter when viruses are circulating. We explain why it is important to air your home every day, even in winter.

1- To avoid pathogens such as viruses and molds

Since the Covid-19 health crisis, we all know that opening windows is one of the barrier actions to limit contamination.

This gesture, which may seem trivial, helps to renew the indoor air of the home and evacuate airborne pathogens, especially when the ambient humidity level is high.

At a time of year when winter viruses are circulating, which can cause Covid but also the flu or the common cold, it is more important than ever to follow the official recommendations of the WHO.

The World Health Organization recommends airing your home 10 to 15 minutes twice a day at least, and this remains valid even in winter, regardless of the outside temperature and weather conditions. It is even recommended to air your home when it rains (at least twice a day for 5 minutes).

2- To evacuate pollutants

We don't always realize it, but the indoor air in our homes is on average more polluted than the outdoor air.

This indoor pollution is partly related to daily activities such as cooking (which generates moisture and cooking fumes), and partly caused by furniture and floor or wall coverings.

Indeed, furniture, carpets, upholstery glue as well as paints and varnishes contain many chemicals and emit volatile organic compounds or VOCs that are hazardous to health.

These harmful volatile organic compounds are also found in cigarette smoke and household products as well as synthetic home fragrances (air fresheners, scented candles and incense).

To eliminate the pollutants that accumulate in our homes without our knowledge, it is very important to air our homes even in winter. There are certainly green depolluting plants that are supposed to improve indoor air quality, but their action will never replace a good daily ventilation.

3- To reduce energy consumption

In this period of inflation and energy sobriety, while the government encourages us to limit our consumption of electricity and gas, it is normal to not want to let the cold enter your home.

But did you know that airing your home even in winter paradoxically allows you to reduce your energy consumption? This paradox is explained by the fact that humid air warms up less quickly than dry air.

By opening your windows, you evacuate the humidity that accumulates when you take a shower or when you cook or play sports and, according to Ademe, this simple gesture allows you to save energy!

Contrary to what is often imagined, opening the windows wide for 5 to 10 minutes does not cause you to use more heating. This ventilation time does not cool the house because the walls, furniture and floor remain at room temperature during this limited time.

How to air your house in winter?

If the three reasons listed above have convinced you to open your windows every day to renew the air inside your home, here are the steps to follow for effective ventilation.

In winter, turn off the heat before opening the windows for 10 minutes in the morning and evening. This is enough to renew the air in the rooms sufficiently without cooling the house.

On the other hand, it is not enough to leave a window ajar. It is also not advisable to leave windows open for longer periods of time: this can cool the wall around the window and encourage condensation deposits and mold growth on the wall.

In summer, create drafts by opening doors and windows! This is a much more natural and environmentally friendly way to cool your home than air conditioning!

If you live in the city, note that it is recommended to air the house in the early morning and late evening to avoid peak pollution hours.

In addition to these two daily airing windows, consider airing your home :
- after cooking
- after taking a shower
- after cleaning the floors
- when you are working on the house
- when you use certain household products
- when you use certain cosmetic products such as nail polish or hair coloring ...