Experts reveal the real reason you should always air your home in winter, and it's worrying

It is currently quite dangerous on British roads due to the sometimes heavy snowfall. However, the snow not only makes the roads slippery as glass, but also leads some people to wonder whether they should ventilate their home or whether the cold, damp air contributes to mold growth. We'll tell you.

Air saturation plays a major role

Some people are not only wondering whether they should turn off the heating when airing their home or how to dry out a bathroom without windows, but also how sensible it is to open the windows when it's snowing. As Utopia reports, you should let fresh air into your home even when it's covered in white snow:

However, when the cold, humid air enters the home, it automatically becomes drier as it warms up, even though the absolute moisture content of the air does not change. Relative humidity, which serves as a guide value for the indoor climate in everyday life, does not describe how much water is in the air overall, but how saturated it is. Humidity is therefore not only dependent on the amount of water in the air, but also on the temperature.

Humidity level by room

However, if you do ventilate, you should still keep a few things in mind to prevent mold from forming in the end. Praxis VITA recommends airing the living room in particular several times a day, with recommendations ranging from two to five times a day. The bedroom, on the other hand, should be aired immediately after getting up.

It is generally advisable to air rooms intermittently to prevent them from cooling down and increasing the risk of mold growth. If you want to be really precise, you can measure the humidity in your home. According to Stuttgarter Nachrichten, this can be between 40 % and 60 % in the living room and bedroom, and a little higher at between 50 % and 60 % in the kitchen and bathroom.

Read more:

⋙ You should stop drying your laundry indoors for this specific reason

⋙ Stay away from this button in your car if you're driving in winter

⋙ This is the best at-home remedy for your cold this winter

⋙ Seasonal Affective Disorder: Why you get depressed as winter approaches and how to stop it

⋙ Experts reveal the real reason why we usually gain more weight in winter

This article has been translated from Gentside DE.

Sources used:

Utopia: Lüften bei Schnee: Wie sinnvoll ist das?

Praxis VITA: Lüften bei Schnee: Muss das sein?

Stuttgarter Nachrichten: Die optimale Luftfeuchtigkeit in Räumen - Alle Werte im Überblick