Do you 'air' your house?

rileydog

I often read the house buying/selling/renting board where people have complained about damp, mould and condensation in their homes. In pretty much every post I've read about somebody says that it's due to not airing the house and that windows/doors should be left open regularly, especially after using the shower and that you shouldn't dry washing inside etc etc Nobody seems to argue against this opinion and it's often pointed out that it's the tenants 'fault' for causing damp/condensation by not doing the above!

Due to a spider phobia I probably open my windows three times a year (only in the height of summer when it's unbearbale) I also dry all my washing inside, again because of the spider risk! My bathroom window has never been opened in the whole time I've lived here... and yet I don't have any condensation/mould/damp.

Do people really 'air' their houses as has been suggested they should? If you do air your house is it to prevent the above issues?

Tigsteroonie

We're tenants, and the house is 'aired' daily as both bathroom & bedroom window are rarely shut. When downstairs feels stuffy, we will open the kitchen door to get some fresh air in.

After a shower, I leave the bathroom door open & the window open, it dries the room quicker.

We do dry washing indoors. Although I have just discovered that the tumble drier - which I thought was kaput - is still working when on the lower setting :T

Ruby_woo

Have my windows open all the time when I'm at home and open every night of the year when I'm asleep. Personally, I can't stand stuffy houses. You need to air your home IMO x

*onlyme*

Ruby_woo wrote: »

Have my windows open all the time when I'm at home and open every night of the year when I'm asleep. Personally, I can't stand stuffy houses. You need to air your home IMO x

Exactly that here too!

sassyblue

I do because l like the house to feel fresh. I have to have a window open in bed, only the small one though, l have the kitchen window open when cooking and everyday I'm home l have the windows open for a while. The bathroom windows are upvc and have the option to have thrm open slightly but still lockable which they are, apart from when im running the bath or showering and l open them wider. Can't bear stuffy houses.

meritaten

I have my bedroom window open a bit in the winter unless there is a hurricane blowing, and a lot in the summer. and other windows get opened fairly regularly to 'air' the rooms.
I hate a 'stuffy' room and my OH absolutely loves it! but I win the battle of the windows because he knows that otherwise the house will quickly steam up and he will be wiping the resulting wet windowsills and walls!

lostinrates

Yep, we air daily.

rileydog

So far people seem to air the house to prevent it feeling 'stuffy' rather than condensation etc I honestly don't think my house feels stuffy, except maybe in the height of summer. Maybe that's beacause it's quite a large house with big rooms? I guess if it was more compact my lack of 'airing' might have more of an impact?

daisiegg

My sister is absolutely petrified of spiders too but my grandad has made her bits of muslin that he has attached to the windows so they cover the gap when she opens the window - air can get in but spiders can't!

I like to air the house. In the summer the windows are open most of the time. In the winter, I open all the upstairs windows at least once a week for an hour or so. I often open the kitchen window downstairs but apart from that the downstairs doesn't get a huge amount of airing during th winter. We have no mould, damp, anything like that. I also dry washing indoors.

thehappybutterfly

Rileydog - I suppose it depends on your house. If it's a new build, you might get away without opening windows etc. due to the modern insulation etc. We live in an old house, approximately 80 years old, it's stone built and bloody freezing summer or winter so we can't keep our windows open. So we have quite a bit of mould and mildew.

I open the windows in the summer but I too have a spider phobia, my hubby has a wasp/bee phobia and we're surrounded by trees, hedges etc! And we're on one floor so the 8 legged beasties don't have so far to climb

rileydog

thehappybutterfly wrote: »

Rileydog - I suppose it depends on your house. If it's a new build, you might get away without opening windows etc. due to the modern insulation etc. We live in an old house, approximately 80 years old, it's stone built and bloody freezing summer or winter so we can't keep our windows open. So we have quite a bit of mould and mildew.

I open the windows in the summer but I too have a spider phobia, my hubby has a wasp/bee phobia and we're surrounded by trees, hedges etc! And we're on one floor so the 8 legged beasties don't have so far to climb

The house is about 15 years old, not sure if that counts as a new build insulation wise? It does have a 'vent thingy' in the bathroom over the bath which goes into the loft, I daren't look up in case there's a spider :eek: I don't mind other insects/creepy crawlies/rats/mice/snakes etc just spiders _pale_