Leaving window closed throughout winter months?

madtrekker

Oooh I couldn't imagine NOT airing the house. Eurghh. Our bedroom windows, bathroom and kitchen are locked on the slightly open mode (about 1cm open) nearly all year round. I only close them completely overnight if it is really, really cold. In warmer months, the windows are nearly always open properly if we're in.

In all but the chilliest weather, the bedroom window is opened a few inches at least for 5 - 10 mins each morning while I have my morning shower. If it's that cold, I get dressed in the bathroom afterwards so I'm not having to change in a cold bedroom. I then close the window (back to slightly open) for the rest of the day and the room soon warms up.
I personally don't think it's healthy to live in a sealed house at any time of year and can't bear stale air (and would agree with others' opinions that if you live like that all the time it probably doesn't bother you but others WILL notice it!).

casper_g

shegar wrote: »

Im really surprised at how many of you dont have open windows and you say that your rooms dont smell, trouble is you cant smell your own home but someone else walks in they can, :eek: doesnt matter how cold your bedrooms are as long as you have a warm bed to sleep in, my windows are open 24/7 you cant beat a bit of fresh air, we all need to air our beds before making them up, all that stale breath etc phew ive gone all funny:eek:.............

We never usually bother opening our windows. Then again, they're single glazed sash windows and fit so badly there's a gap an inch wide all across the top, so it's more accurate to say we never close them!

peachyprice

KateLiana27 wrote: »

Growing up, we never opened windows except on very hot days in the summer. It never smelt stale

Houses weren't hemeticaly sealed with double glazing at every portal when most of us were growing up though.

My last house had lovely original wooden sash windows, they let in just enough fresh air to keep the house aired, this house has double glazing, cant stand the bloody things.

Our top bedroom window is always open 24/7, I open the big one as soon as I get up along with the kitchen window and patio door. Childrens bedrooms get aired for a couple of hours every day, I do wish my boys would leave a window open when they went to bed, teenage boy smell, eugh.

martyn05

We leave our bedroom window open all night. In the morning we open other windows and the back door. The back door is open to allow our german shepherd in and out but it also allows a flow of air through the house. You need to open windows to allow the air to circulate through replacing stale air with fresh air. In the colder months, we still open the windows but not as long, 30 mins is enough to replace the air in your house.

Barneysmom

I like to open the upstairs windows for a bit even on cold days.
Just lately I've taken to opening the front and the back door for an hour to get a good blast of air through, it makes the house much calmer somehow. Cleaner.

I really don't like air fresheners, they're full of formaldehyde.

KateLiana27

I'm genuinely curious about you window-openers-in-winter. Don't you find that the heat (presumably from central heating) escapes pretty quickly?

I would like to leave my windows open more often, but I've tried and it's freezing within 10 minutes!

TimBuckTeeth

It is important to have good ventilation for health. Poor ventilation can lead to condensation and mold and high levels of allergens. Unless you live on a very busy main road the air inside a house is more polluted. It is not good breathing in mold spores, allergens such as dust mites, chemicals from plastics and carpets.
It will increase the heating bill if the windows are wide open all day but a balance can be found, it is well worth spending an extra few pounds for better health, and saves money cleaning mold and repainting.
Central heating should be on a timer and not continuously for economy, when it is off it is easy to put a jumper on, open all the windows for 15 minutes and do the vacuuming to keep warm.
An effective extractor fan is important in the bathroom and kitchen to remove humidity and smells.
I don't understand the proliferation of air fresheners advertised to mask the fetid smells trapped and caused by poor ventilation, it is just pumping more chemicals into the air and worsening the air quality, it is cheaper opening a window or two.

shegar

casper_g wrote: »

We never usually bother opening our windows. Then again, they're single glazed sash windows and fit so badly there's a gap an inch wide all across the top, so it's more accurate to say we never close them!

Ive got those windows that lock too,but never use that option cos you can hardly get a fag paper through it so you dont hardly get any air through, you cant beat having the windows open...........

Its lovely when youve got a minus 4 outside:eek: and your tucked up under the duvet with the windows wide open, ohhh all that beautiful cold fresh air, you cant beat it..................sleep like a babe thats me..... .. and no horrible stale bedroom smells.:eek:

madtrekker

KateLiana27 wrote: »

I'm genuinely curious about you window-openers-in-winter. Don't you find that the heat (presumably from central heating) escapes pretty quickly?

I would like to leave my windows open more often, but I've tried and it's freezing within 10 minutes!

I tend to air the house in the morning just before I go out to work so it doesn't really matter.
The heating is not on again until later in the day (about an hour before I get home - enough time to warm the house up again). If it's really cold outside, I'll only leave the windows open for a few minutes so yes, some warmth does escape but not much and it would have done anyway throughout the day.

Haffiana

Wow. Interesting thread. My Victorian London house could have its windows nailed closed all year round and it would never, ever get stale in here! Constant air circulation through fireplaces, floorboards, airbricks etc etc. We replaced most of the sash windows with new double-glazed sash windows (every single one a different size, so each hand-made) a few years ago as they were rotting, but it has made no difference to the air circulation 'benefit'.

That said, I also like to sleep with the bedroom window open even in the depths of winter. Only really effective way to air the bed though is to leave the duvet at the foot of the bed all day and only make it just before bed time.