Why GERMANS Do THIS EVERY DAY, Yet AMERICANS Have NEVER Heard Of It!
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- German homes have many differences compared to American homes and because of that, there is one thing Germans do that Americans have never heard of! This German obsession is mainly because of how airtight German flats and houses are and because of that, German windows are some of the most ADVANCED in the world! However, many people in Germany will also tell you this morning routine is also for health reasons. What is this German routine we are alluding to? Lüften (or ventilation/airing out in English) 😊
0:00 - Start
2:20 - What is Lüften?
4:18 - Ventilate Like a German
6:16 - What’s the Point?
8:08 - Recent Revelations
9:51 - Real Health Benefits?
11:19 - What Do Americans Do?
13:28 - What Do You Do??
14:03 - Bloopers
Filmed: Kaiserslautern / Ramstein, Germany - October 2020
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❤️Aubrey was a Speech-Language Pathologist, Donnie was a graphic designer, but we both had a dream to travel the world and experience cultures. After three years of being married and dreaming about if something like this great adventure would be possible, we decided to quit the rat race and take on the world. We sold everything we had, quit our jobs, and took off! After 9 months of aimless and nonstop travel, we now get to fulfill our dreams of living abroad as expats as we move to Germany!
Another question! 😃 What temperature or radiator setting do you sleep at and with windows opened or closed?? 🤔
Since we have floor heating, different day and night temperatures aren’t a thing for us. It’s great for keeping a stable temperature but is very slow. The first winter trip we took with floor heating, we did what came natural and turned everything down to about 10°C. When we returned from our trip to the States, it took about 10 hours to get back to 20°. For the most part, we don’t need to turn on the heat in our bedroom at all.
We turn the radiator off at night and turn them on after Lüften in the morning.
There's a radiator in the bed room?!? 😉
We usually keep the heating off iin the bedroom (we have floor heating) and the window wide open, only the blinds down even in winter. I hate stale air when I am sleeping, and I am not even German, But live here for 10 years now...
I have an Honeywell evohome system, they have a open Windows function and keep the temperature at 15 degrees at night. I rather have the Windows open at night, but my spouse rather have it closed. So we leave it at the ventilation stand.
So „Lüften“ is not a thing in the States? I am very sad to hear that American teenagers miss this wonderful and unique puberty experience we have of a loving parent bursting into our room on a winter morning like a GSG9-squad, yelling something like “Hier stinkt’s ja wie im Pumakäfig!” (“It stinks in here like in a puma’s cage!”), pulling open the window to let the “fresh air” (i.e. the bone-chilling cold) in, while leaving us frozen to our beds feeling like a member of Franklin’s unlucky Arctic expedition…
This description is on point! Oh the memories...
Oh those memories ... LOL
i love those childhood memories, ap healthy, I felt really cared for🥶😂
Perfect description. Spot on 👍
😂😂😂😂
Stoßlüften senkt die Luftfeuchtigkeit in den Räumen und das spart Heizkosten.
Im Sommer ist es allerdings umgekehrt, falls man in einem gut isolierten (kühlen) Haus wohnt. Dann steigt nämlich die relative Luftfeuchtigkeit nach dem Lüften.
Kane lives in death!
Nö, je höher die Luftfeuchtigkeit, desto stärker das Wärmeempfinden und desto weniger muss man heizen. Energieverluste entstehen allerdings durch Mauerfeuchte bei Isolationsfehlern.
@@tubekulose Heizkosten I’m Sommer?
@@tubekulose Dann mach die Heizung doch aus?
I find it very irritating to be sealed-off from my surrounding in a house or flat with a ventilation system and closed windows. If you have a garden or nature around, you can smell the plants and listen to birds etc. when you open your windows. So the experience is more than just 'air' for me.
You get used to it. Im from eastern europe and we also air homes and open windows , cant stand that old air in house. But United states isnt europe it is hot or hot n humid. Houses are built not the same, you can hear very well all those noices outside including : air planes flying,trains crossing,cars, lawn mowers,birds chirping etc. Also eastcost of usa is very allergenic. Humidity and pollen OMG. You DONT want to open anything when it is 35 C and 80% humidity. But we do open windows sometimes on spring or autumn. Once i was in south carolina and opened a windows some and a huge roach got in as big as a hand🤣🤣🤣
I'm danish, and it's quite shocking to hear americans don't air out regularly, don't have to be as religiously as Germans, but you definitely need to air out your home regularly, if for no other reason than to let out radon.
Yeah, i was really shocked to hear that as well! I hate AC-air, so I really can't understand that... Also, In Germany it depends on circumstances and people. At the moment I would be considered one of those "religious" people as I'm working at home and fresh cool air is just really nice, so my window is open pretty much all the time 😅
In the heat of summer I get up at 04:00 to open all the windows and close them again at around 06-07:00 to get some cool air into the appartement 😅
American houses are not from rocks or stone and have no radon?
@@Roel_Scoot Radon comes up through the floor slowly, and most of the US hs bedrock not that far down, so they definitely get it in spades.
We are not as religiously as they made it sound we are xD I can only speak about a swedish household ive been to and italian homes, but it seems to be around the same, one does it in the morning and then, when you have the feeling that the air is used :) I was also shocked that people dont xo it in the us?
@@FiveOClockTea hab ich auch gemacht, vor allem letztes jahr war es sonst kaum auszuhalten 😂
I remember some yrs ago when I watched my first videos about tiny houses in America. One guy was laughing about the story, that in Europe people do a thing like "lüften". And I was pretty astonished, because here in Austria we are as used to it as the in Germany. I told my friends and they did not believe me. In our flat there is always one or two windows open. Greetings from good old Vienna!
dude they are stupid the "houses" in the states are made of plywood and carton.
hold together with nails and gliue.
Die kennen meistens nichtmal akkuschrauber.....weltmacht-
Sollen sie nicht lüften wenn man nicht weiss was schimmel ist brauch man wohl auch keine angst vor haben.
UND AUCH WENN ES TROCKENE REGIONEN SIND DORT FAELLT AUCH MAL REGEN.
amerikaner leben nonstop ohne sich irgendetwas bewusst zu sein.
Man macht einfach was man sich leisten kann und darum kostet dort ne ak auch 700dollar, ne kugel 5 cent und der liter benzin umgerechnet gerade jetzt knapp 1 euro und das ist der ALLZEIT-HÖCHSTPREIS.
aber wir hier ob deutschland oder österreich oder auch spanien und italien werden für alles inklusive en TOD besteuert und unsere kinder werden tagtäglich im glauben erzogen sie würden die welt zerstören mit ihrem konsum.
na karm, jedes land das sich vom Erdölkonsum abkoppeln will und autark sein wil wird ja auch nur weggebombt.....
nichts daran ist ulkig diese degenerierten terrorisieren die welt und sind zu dumm zum lüften.
That is so true. I also can't sleep with a closed window.😅
Haha, sometimes we have this disagreement over if the window should be open or closed when sleeping 😅
Haha. Only psychopath can sleep with closed windows. So beware! 😘
If you don't have AC, then yes. I never had AC where I lived until I was 35. Since then I couldn't imagine living without it. Where I live it may not go below 30C. Daytime temps get as high as 40C.
I go crazy staying in hotel rooms when you can't open the window and there's only AirCon.
Ich kann nicht mit offenen Fenster schlafen
This is so funny! I remember my trip to New York City when being on a "Schüleraustausch" 1994. First thing I did in my hotel room was try to open the window. It wouldn't open and I was taken aback. I was so used to open the window to "lüften". I am so German... 😊
Jaja, das habt Ihr gut erkannt: Erst schreit der Deutsche: "Frische Luft!" und dann bellt der andere: "Es zieht!" und kurz darauf der dritte: "Es ist a....kalt!" Das Jammern ist des Deutschen Lust .... LG
Bist gerade das beste Bsp für das was Du typisch deutsch schimpfst
@@sylvorius2642 Was faselst du? Wo schimpfe ich? Unterlasse doch bitte jegliche Unterstellung und Interpretation. Also so was.
Open windows in your home, but god forbid you open one on a train or at work...
@@gwaptiva Oooh ja lol - da kommen dann die herrlichsten Dialoge auf: "Es zieht!" - "Hier stinkts!" - usw. :)
und die aussage : erstunken ist noch keiner! erfroren schon viele! als gegenargument, weil man bedarf nach sauerstoff hat
You are so damn right. I woke up 2 hours ago and i opend the door to the garden already 3 times for "lüften". Thx for this funny video. And thanks to remind me; I must "lüften " again.
😂😂
Most local building/energy codes in America require a whole house ventilation systems (since at least the 1990s when I was working as a building inspector) to prevent air stagnation and mold development. This normally consists of a "whole house exhaust fan" (not AC) that exhausts all the air in the house, by volume, twice a day set on a timer.
New homes in the USA have tight energy codes that vary by regional conditions and needs. Modern building methods require an airtight structure to prevent heat/cold air loss and the use of wall sealants and house wraps to accomplish this result in a very airtight structure.
To compensate for this lack of "leaky walls" vents have to be available to let fresh air in and the fan comes on, even when the windows are closed. Most window manufacturers have included small vents in the upper part of the frame to allow for fresh air intake when the whole house fan comes on.
The reason this system can still result mold and stagnant air is "homeowner negligence and ignorance". Often they get upset that the air they pay $ to heat or cool is being removed from the home twice a day and they disable the timer that turns on the whole house fan. People also close the small window vents further preventing any ventilation. The result is a stagnant air supply with the only fresh air exchange resulting from doors being opened and this can also result in some rooms becoming isolated pockets of stagnant air. This is often where mold forms.
It was part of our final inspection routine to make sure all the window vents were open and that the timer switch for the ventilation system was set to the proper intervals and duration. On the occasion that the actual homeowner was present I would explain the reason for this system and the dangers of altering it. Unfortunately most homes were built by developers and they never implored the importance of this system on the eventual homebuyers.
Of course this is not the case in homes built before the local energy codes were adopted into law. These homes are often not airtight, leak a lot of heat/cool air, and are susceptible to mold and dry rot inside exterior walls as a result. With Europe having a lot of older homes and multi-family dwellings (townhomes, flats, etc) the conditions are different and this is likely why airing out the house is needed.
I currently live in an apartment that was built in the mid-1960s and is not up to modern energy code requirements (nor does it have to be unless a major remodel is done). As a result I actually leave a window in my bedroom open a few inches and will regulate fresh air flow by opening and closing a window in my living room. A small benefit to the older construction is that my downstairs neighbors actually heat my apartment for me most of the time as my floor becomes an unintentional radiant heating system because of the lack of insulation between the floors.
Useful phrase in that context: "Mach's Fenster zu, 's zieht wie Hechtsupp(e)!"
My german morning routine: When I get up in the morning, I completely open the windows and the door of the balcony and additionally hang out my pillow and my blanket on a clotheshorse for "lüften"!
Then I brush my teeth, wash my face etc.. and when I'm done with that, I put the pillow and blanket back in my bed and close all windows/doors.
Greetings to Rheinland-Pfalz, I'm a "neighbour" from Hessen :-)
Und zurück von der US-Ostküste! Vielen Dank für diese Infos :) Ich unterrichte hier Deutsch und habe letzte Woche übers Lüften erzählt. Es ist immer gut, die Bestätigung von anderen zu lesen. Das habe ich in Rüsselsheim gelernt, als ich anfangs bei einer Familie wohnte. Morgens alle Fenster und Türen auf! :D
In the morning I open my eyes, then my window.
The strange thing is: We are obsessed with extensive "Lüften" - but on the other hand we hate, hate, HATE drafts!
That is, when you are in a draft, you can catch a cold.
@bademeister aber dann kann man nicht querlüften
It's all about the timing: Opening the windows for a few minutes to get fresh air in is normally fine (and nobody will complain), but leaving them open just a tiny bit too long will result in people complaining.
The idea about stosslueften is that it's long enough that the air gets exchanged, but short enough so that the walls (and the furniture) inside don't cool down much (if at all).
One of the reasons why this won't work in typical US (or, more general, North American) homes is because the US homes the AIR is heated (normally through a central HVAC system), while in Germany we normally have radiators, which mostly emmit heat rays, and only heat up the air as a secondary effect. Which means that when you close the windows again in Germany, the room immediately feels warm again in no time (since the radiators will heat up in no time and emmit heat), even though the air as such is still cooler, while in the US homes, it feels really cold, because the baseboard heaters (which don't radiate that much heat and basically heat up the air as well, even though they are normally using hot water to heat as well) respectively the central hot air heating (HVAC) will have to heat up the whole air in the room (which was just replaced with the cold air from outside) again to make you feel comfortable.
And about the mold: I've seen more mold over here in Canada in a lot of different houses over the last 10 years than I saw in my whole life before back in Germany, so I doubt that the US/North American system works better to prevent mold (not to mention that if you don't exchange and/or clean your HVAC filters quite regularly, you end up with more dirt/spores/germs/whatever in the air than in Germany).
Jetzt auch wenn es unter zehn Grad hat in der Nacht, steht mein Fenster im Schlafzimmer immer auf Kipp. Und dann schön ins Federbett einmummeln ☺
auf Kipp macht es das zimmer nur kalt und kaum luftaustausch! liebre ein spalt richtig aufmachen
Loved the windows in Germany. My mom grew up in Germany and I have heard many stories of her father insisting on airing the house for health. She was on top floor and awoke many times to her bed full of snow. LOL.
German: I sleep with my windows open, all year long. I am very german, fresh air and lüften is so important, in the bathroom, kitchen ans Livin room. In the office first thing in the morning is to open the windows. Circulating the air with ventilators doesn't bring fresh air. With Corona it is more important than ever. Bring a warm sweaters or shawl ;-)
@@emilwandel mit everyone sleeps with open windows haha. And maybe they're "gekipped" and need to be opened fully for stoßlüften 😁
I'm not German but Austrian so close enough, and I open the windows every day too. Actually just came back from closing all the windows again because it was getting cold lmao. In spring, when the temerature is just perfectly cool and the air is fresh, I even leave all the windows and balcony door open all day long, at least in my bedroom. I can't even sleep if the air in my bedroom isn't freshly aired out at this point.
And of course the windows have to be opened no matter if there's need to air out if the air outside is that fresh rain air, it's a MUST to open the windows after the rain xD
Yes yes yes. Definitely air out before sleeping and after a good rain in summer time
German, Austrian, Swiss German... Same thing... Only regional differences
As a German who has lived in the US for 35 years, I still feel the need to lüft...problem is, I live in Florida. Cognitive and pulmonary dissonance!
In Swedish this is called "vädra" we also do this some times a day.
This is a thing in Finland as well. In Finnish it's called "tuulettaa".
I'm Danish and live in the US with my German husband. We air out multiple times every day - hubby even installed a while house fan, which allows us to quickly air out AND use the outside air to either heat or cool the house. The fan cost us less than $1K and has saved us thousands of dollars every year since we got it. After 26 years in California, I am still surprised by the general failing-to-connect-the-dots here: running the heating during the cold months, while at the same time wearing thin, short sleeved t-shirts, using A/C indiscriminately all the time, rather than cooling the house during the early morning hours by simply opening the windows, taking all kinds of cough/cold medications all during winter, rather than actually eating healthier, getting more fresh air etc. It still seems to me that many here in the US prefer convenient quick fixes to slight inconveniences that cost less and provide longer-term solutions.
Well...to be fair...nothing in California makes sense 😉
@@PassportTwo This comment would mean that the rest of the country doesn't do this. But that would be false. Nette is correct that many people act this way, and I've never lived in California. I currently work in a Walgreen's on the weekend, and I can't tell you how much cold medicine flies off the shelves daily. Whereas in Germany, people have a tea for everything! Salbeitee heilt alles :D
In Poland we ventilate our apartments too : D
First of all - in the morning you HAVE TO get rid of the "nighty smells" in the bedroom, second of all - it brings freshness. When I was in the US I felt the air was stale, the apartment smelled weird to me (AC was on all of the time and the apartament was new, built a year before I was there).
But I would appreciate the screens on the windows all the time - this year I was lazy once again to measure all of the windows to buy framed screens and I just installed the net itself (than you Rossmann! ; D )
You sounded like mold was only European issue beacsue of the windows, but HGTV shows me something completely diffferent - a lot of American houses have black mold, but it's hidden most of the times (whis is even worse!!)
Didn’t mean to make it sounds like mold doesn’t exist in the US😊 It definitely does happen sometimes. Usually when there is a water leak somewhere and you don’t realize and it gets inside the walls or ceiling.
@@PassportTwo I would never assume you did that on purpose, you're the nicest and kindest people : ) I hope you got used to lüften and you don't cry at nights missing the AC ; D
It is definitely not "a lot" of American homes. Those houses are on tv for a reason. If it was plain and ordinary, nobody would watch it. Those shows find extreme homes simply for shock value. This is no different than shows that showcase a 500 lb. woman (225 kg). I've heard Europeans talking about these shows as if they represent all American women. The average American woman weighs 160 lbs ( 70 kg). So just like black mold lurking beneath the surface - certainly it's possible that many American homes have some minor mold spots - but covered in it, no, absolutely not.
Mold inspections are part of the standard inspection when buying a home, and very very few people would be willing to take on a home with mold issues. Mold issues is considered the black death of American real estate. It is impossible to get rid of. You will be stuck with that property forever, and nobody will come near it. Furthermore, most banks will not even underwrite a loan that fails a mold inspection because they are well aware of the extreme costs associated with repair. The best case scenario with extensive mold damage in American homes is to tear down and rebuild.
This isn't a comparison to Germany, Europe, or anywhere else in the world. America could still be the last place losers in the black mold olympics for all I care. I'm just saying, what you saw on HGTV made television specifically for its shock factor, specifically because it falls so far outside the norm.
@@ekaski1 Oh hun, we need to talk about few things ; )
First of all, I have never mentioned that the american houses were covered in mold, I mentioned that a lot of them have it and inhabitants can not even know about it, because in your types of houses it's hidden in the walls or under the floor. I mentioned tv shows, because none of my US friend walked me around the area and showed me moldy houses (what a shame thou).
Secondly, we can talk about how Americans stereotype Europe too - or how they don't even know there are different countries in Europe except for Paris and the UK, yes, that was on purpose, or how they think that people in the Germany wear leather shorts etc etc.
You don't want to play that game as I bet average European knows more about the US than average American knows anything about the Europe.
PS. Where that obesity thing came from? We're talking about houses. No worries, no one trusts the american tv since the friends had that big apartment in the NYC being in their middle 20s : D
Dein Ü in lüften war super Aubrey!
Ich bin Grundschullehrerin in Hessen und lüfte jetzt tatsächlich alle 20 Minuten für 5 Minuten den Klassenraum.
This is one of the first times I've watched one of your videos where I was the entire time like "doesn't the whole world do this?? How do you prevent mold otherwise?"
I honestly had no idea this isn't done the same in the US :) Thanks for teaching me! 😊
I love Lüften! I'm from New Zealand but I was born in the US, and I've been doing it from the moment I found out about it, and I've been telling everyone I know to do it.
We use lüften as cooling technique. Every summer as early as you can get yourself to get up, we will open all the windows for as long as possible, to cool the house down as much as possible, then close all windows and blinds for the rest of the day, to keep the heat out. At nigth the same again and it works great
I just leave the window open all night, couldn't even survive 5 minutes with a closed window in a summer night.
all my neighbors in michigan usa think i'm crazy to sleep with the windows open in summer. then i close windows & blinds before the sun rises. cool all day without the ac.
You can take it a level further: there are several "Luftkurorte" in Germany, literally climatic spa or health resort towns. People stay there to cure illnesses through particularly clean, fresh air.
which are pretty effective
For a country that prides itself on logic and rationality, that’s just as much a pseudoscientific claim as saying homeopathy is effective.
Fresh air only helps health if you’re breathing in moldy air indoors.
Yes, it is quite common in Sweden as well. Maybe not when it is many degrees below zero (Celsius). However, this is not done in an organized way, you just spontaneously open the window sometimes. We do not make a big deal out of it, we just do it.
I think in Germany it is the same. No big deal, just do it when you feel ist nessecary.
No, it is a morning ritual. They got it spot on in this Video. And there is usually a section on the topic in Rental Agreements.
@@aenwynsnow2828 no it's not
Well, it is in my rental agreement.
@@aenwynsnow2828 I don't remember any of my rental agreements where this part would have been missing! And the current one is number 11, I think.
And the problem is: Whenever I had moldy walls, despite furniture keeping distance to the walls and cabinets and closets only placed on inner walls, the only answer you get is "You need to ventilate more regularly! Sure you didn't, otherwise there would be no mold! " ... no matter how crappy the building was.
So, me, 30year-old german, querlüfte my flat every morning after getting up. In summer I even take my blanket to the balcony to air out. Throughout the day I stoßlüfte the kitchen after cooking or the office if I work from home. Sometimes (more so in summer) I querlüfte again at night before going to bed.
For heating I only use the heater in the living room and only when I'm home. But I also live in a "Altbau" with very thick walls and on the first floor with neighbors all around. So it never gets very cold.
@anti dipshitery Ja, vorallem wenn man viel mit Englischsprachigen zu tun hat 😂
@anti dipshitery
Dann hättest Du aber auch gerne ergänzen können daß 'Salina' ein wunderschöner Vorname ist.
(Btw never heard of before)
*LOL* Lüften is also possible in the car or when travelling. When we are travelling long distances with the caravan, the car is ventilated regularly and after getting up the caravan is ventilated as well (even if it was only a short overnight stop)
PS: As a midwife of many years I can say that we teach all parents: Air the children's room regularly and (because it is a bedroom) not to heat it over 18 degrees Celsius.
Car ventilation systems (for many decades, not counting original VW Bugs) constantly bring in fresh air any time the fan is running and the recycling air is not chosen (button or lever) and there is an air exit somewhere in back.
@@emjayay You have not understood. It is not about the ventilation in the car (in German it is called "Zwangsbelüftung", literally translated forced ventilation) or fan. "Zwangsbelüftung/Forced ventilation" is required by law anyway.
It is about "Stoßlüften"/shock ventilation. So for a short time all windows on draught, and complete air exchange.
Bad, smelly air out, fresh air in
At least two times a day cross ventilation is obligatory. It is forbidden to tilt the windows because of the cats, because they could try to jump out and die in the V of the windows. Besides it gets only cold when tilted and there is hardly any exchange of air.
That's so funny, because I watched this with my windows wide open as I do every morning. I "lüfte" about 3 times a day for a few minutes. I sleep with my bedroomwindow on "Kipp", except in the winter, but then I air out the room before I go to bed.
Right now, we have beautiful weather in Texas, 27c during the day, and about 10c at night. The HVAC is off, and my windows are open all day and all night.
After living in Texas for many many years, I know those days are fleeting, so enjoy them while you can! 😅😂
An american friend of mine, who lived here for some time, found a clue to the differences.
She found out that it's not a cultural thing but simply the fact that sealed windows and isolated houses are unknown concepts in the US. Maybe?
Well, all Germans air out their homes, no matter how well their windows are sealed.
I sleep with open Window since I been Child.
I am airing all the Rooms as well in the
Morning, I go around open all the Windows and I go to Bathroom get my self ready and o go around again and Close them. In the Bathroom is
my Window always tilt.
It feels good and you get smell out
as well out during the night.
I was living in the US and my Room
Mate was such a wimp and as he came to Visit us and Partner open
the Windows in the Morning as well,
lot of English people doing it as well.
I was living in the UK for over 20 years before I moved back to Germany.
It's pretty much the same in Switzerland. 🙂 I'm airing my flat every morning and usually before bed too. Same in the office a couple of times a day - sometimes someone walks in and is like "Uuh the air is stale, let me open the window for a bit!" 😄 Funny - I thought this was just normal and is done all around the world! 😆
Same, I never figured this wouldn't be a thing in other countries
When the weather is nice my windows are open all the time. In winter several times a day. Before I go to bed I open the bedroom window for about an hour. Many Germans even sleep with open windorws.
There are few points you are missing. Most german heating systems ( not older than 20 years ) allow to set different temperatures for day and night. This allows us to keep the windows at "kipp" if we like it. This of course depends on room size and outside temperature. I was taught my my parents to keep the window at kipp at night from spring to autumn. With temperatures below 10-12°C we usually change to "Stoßlüften" in the morning and before going to sleep. Since we were away for most of the day (before covid) we would com home in the afternoon and open some windows to "refresh" out air, depending on inside and outside temperature. Nowadays i have smart valves on the radiators in the most used rooms and sensors on the windows. The Radiators in that room are automatically stopped whenever i open a window in the living room or office or the bedroom.
The main difference is that the american way ist wasting a lot of energy for heating, cooling and keeping air circulating. The difficult part is to get a feeling, when to open which window. Stoßlüften does not always mean to open all windows, just enough to clear the air. Also for "Querlüften" you would open opposing windows, which doesn't mean all windows in all rooms. Aerosols are indeed the main factor for infection with most viruses follow by droplet infection. The Advantage here is that using a ventilation system without effective filtering and and fresh air supply keeps the aerosols and droplets in the air allowing infections to spread. The Guidelines for schools also imply to use additional clothing during the periods of "Lüften" to avoid negative impact caused by draft.
The central heating in our building is triggered by an outdoor sensor and only heats our rooms below a defined outside temperature, so it is almost a no brainer from april till late september.
Our bedroom is usually 2-3°C below the other rooms, while the bathroom (and wc) temperature is usually 1-2°C above, since you often use these rooms without or with less clothing.
As a German I can confirm. I vent daily, at least once, but depending on cirumstances more often. During summer just short to keep the heat out. In winter short too, but if the temperature is fine I love to keep windows open. At work venting is usually the first thing I do every day.
But it changes. Modern houses that are more energy efficient also have central air and venting is discouraged as the energy loss is too big. Same as you described in the USA, just for different reasons. Better isolation instead of worse mixed with climate control. Even without cooling or heating unit.
I am very German in this respect. It definitely is a ritual to open the windows in the morning and when I come home in the evening. Often, before going to bed, too. In the summer, I will leave the windows open overnight to get some coolness in, otherwise I do the "Stoßlüften" 2-3 per day, never "Kipp" as the cats might hang themselves in the windows like that.
I’m living in Sweden. In summer we have a bedroom window open from may to september and only close it when no one is at home. The rest of the year the heat recovery ventilation swaps all air about once every two hours around the clock.
I always open my kitchen windows every morning , not only to get some fresh air, I can hear the birds outside while enjoying my morning coffee.
Great overview, thanks! And Aubrey, your ü in Lüften already sounds great!
"Lüften " is not only in Germany but I would say middle Europa because the way how the homes are built is very similar, the conditions are pretty much the same everywhere in middle Europe.
@0:38 LOL, you got me there. The build up of tension was awesome. My mind was crazy what could it be.
I live in an old house, the only heater is in the living room. In winter my bedroom gets really cold but i dont care because i have a warm Bettdecke. i do Stosslüften twice a day.
3:42 Funny animations. 😂10 minutes after getting up I also open all windows regardless of the season. And I live in windy Hamburg.
It is so funny to hear about something so normal for me. Fresh air in the morning the best.
Idk about other countries but this is also a thing in Portugal. There is a direct verb word for it too: "arejar". The window system is usually not the same though. The windows usually slide, but this might be changing in new homes. I've been living in Germany for almost 10 years now, but yes, in Portugal you also do this. There is however this common almost superstition that if you stand on the path of the air you'll catch a cold, lol.
Me at the start of the video:
*Confusion*
Me a few seconds later: SHE TALKS ABOUT OPENING THE WINDOW lol
...And then there's me, who rarely ever has her windows closed at all.
I'm Russian and come from this tradition but to a lesser degree. I think there's nothing better than fresh Winter air. Even if some heat is lost it's worth it and you feel better!
Usually I sleep with one window on "kipp". A lot of us have two sets of blankets (at least in my family). I light summer one and one very thick and warm one for the winter.
we have the same routine in Egypt too
Had been looking at my Saturday notifications: Oh a new video. Adding to my play list, stepping to the window and tilting it before starting up the video. Today's topic: Lüften. Looking at my window, yeah, exactly this.
as long we have good weather i have my windows 24/7 open
Wow this is good yo know! We are moving to southern Germany in February 2021.
Common in Sweden. We call it "vädra".
We germans are Frischluftfanatiker, we're obsessed by any kind of fresh air...literally! In medieval times there was a saying "Stadtluft macht frei", our capital is known for it's "Berliner Luft" (which can mean 1. a special feeling for the Berlin Lifestyle in the beginning of the 20th century, 2. a song from 1904, 3. a dessert, 4. a liquer based on mint), to be "an der frischen Luft" is a kind of all purpose medication (and this term is even part of the biography of german comedian Hape Kerkeling), the existance of "Luftkurorte" was already mentioned and so on...
Lüften is only one part of the importance, that germans give to good/fresh air.
"Stadtluft macht frei" (city air make free) is more about living in a city than the air itself. In medieval era only those who lived in cities were free people and were called citizens (Bürger in german, because a walled city looked like a Burg)
Dutchie here,
We call lüften, luchten. And yes every morning I'm instructing my teens to open their windows. Furthermore I got cats, but no catflap so several times a day I'm opening doors to let them in and or out of the house and so at the same time letting fresh air in😉.
I don't turn off my radiator when "Stoßlüften", i just reduce it to minumum heat: I was told that reduces the energy loss.
As long as i don't use a radiator, most of my windows are tilted 99,9% of the time.
12:13 German moms be like: „Mach’s Fenster zu, wir kühlen hier nicht für draußen!“
In Italy we keep the windows wide open in summer, we close them in the evening in spring and autumn, in winter we open them at least an hour in the morning, usually while we are out shopping. However, it is an operation that for now is very widespread among mothers and not very much among fathers. Children and boys in general are either thrown out of the house or complain of the cold until the mother decides to close the windows :)
I live in an apartment an I haven't closed my balcony door for months already. No matter what weather it is. Only when it gets really cold I'll close it. I'm in the Netherlands.
In summer i open all the windows at night to let the hot air out, that build up during the day. we've instalt an air conditioner Unit a few years before. But it has hart time to cool the house down in summer. In winter i prefer to air the house not so often, for obvious reasons.
Thanks for sharing what you do 😃
I deliver at Sunday Morning a Newspaper in a Small Village and see there often open Windows and sometime Open Frontdoors for "Lüften".
And some People hang their Blanket over the Windowframe to "lüften" it too
Fellow Oklahoma City resident here living in Baden-Württemberg. I just finished one of my language course and we had to open our windows every 20 minutes for five minutes as well because of Corona. But before Corona the teacher opened the windows at the beginning of class and on breaks.
I'm american and I have an airtight stucco house. I open all the windows every morning for 30 minutes in summer and winter but most of the day in spring and fall
Hello..yes airing out the rooms is important. I would never sleep with the heat on at night
Erkältungskrankheiten werden durch Viren übertragen, nicht durch frische Luft. Die Gründe für Schimmelbildung sind im allgemeinen Baumängel und/ oder falsches Lüften. Ein vernünftiges Lüftungs- und Heiz-Management hingegen schützt die Bausubstanz, schafft ein gesundes Raumklima und senkt erheblich den Energieverbrauch. Was ist eigentlich Eure Meinung zum Thema US overshootday?
this is a cool video , thanks for sharing, greetings from Stuttgart-City ♥
Thanks so much! 😊
My old music teacher always said on the subject of open windows: "Es sind schon viele erfroren, aber noch nie jemand erstunken" :)
For AHA + CL you have to resort the acronym, e.g.: LACHA ("Lachen ist die beste Medizin" - "Laughter is the best medicine").
Im Sommer lassen wir die Fenster die ganze Nacht offen damit es schön kühl ist morgens und machen dann vormittags dir Rollläden zu.
Luften looks like it will keep you busy lol. :). I just opened the widow about a minute ago and the wind was blowing the rain in lol lol. Needles to say that my window is now shut lol. :).
I am from Austria, and yes we Lüften every day several times... getting up and opening up windows is a normal thing :)
It happens in other parts as well, grew up in El Salvador and have vivid memories of mom coming into room on a saturday morning to let sun and air inside the room! Now that we have been home so much I find myself needing to open up windows, as more energy efficient homes are more tightly sealed. Also close doors in bedrooms when cooking!
Loved the intro! It took me waaay to long to get what you are talking about. And I'm german 😂
Another rule for Lüften: when you open the window, you''ll see the humidity in the glasscheibe. The windows shall remain open until all the humidity in the glasscheibe is gone. That means that humidity inside and outside are now the same. In Venezuela, where i come frome, i lived at the mountains and we are near the equator so we didnt have any winter and temperatures would stay between 20 and 30 celsius all year long, therefore we didnt need air conditioning or heating. In Vzla we spoke a lot about cross ventilation but not so much for the humidity but for taking the heat out in a natural way
I lived in Germany for 3 yrs while my husband at the time was in the Military
We lived in the the Economy or Germany housing the whole time we were ther. I loved living there. Except for when I was pregnant. I got looks and was called a dirty American when I walked around the market . This was 42 years ago have things chaged? I was the healthiest I had ever been living there. I did open my windows periodically I did so because I seen mine neighbors do this and I tried to blend in and Herr Vogel and his wife like me. They were older than my parents and I wash the hallway floors because they were doing it. It didn't seem right. I lived in Russelshiem and in Mainz.
I was in fact completely unaware that actively, 'manually' airing out one's apartment sometimes is an alien concept to Americans 😮 But yes, it makes sense how you explained the reasons for this difference.
Actually "Richtig Heizen und Lüften" is so important here, that many landlords will give you, as new tenants, an info brochure or some sort of handout along with the lease agreement, that explains how to do it right. We got one just last month. Mind you, that's not out of concern for the tenants, but it's about the building. As you've mentioned it too, mold can become a problem and tenants in Germany are legally allowed to reduce the amount of their rent, if the apartment poses a health risk (eg broken heaters or also mold) and the landlord doesn't fix it. Of course that doesn't apply if the tenant caused this issue themself, but in case of mold it's very hard to prove whose fault it is or what the exact cause is. In any case, mold is every landlord's, and tenant's, nightmare and it's common knowledge here (or common belief, I'm not sure how big or small the influence actually is) that not to Lüften properly would increase the risk of mold growth significantly. That's also why some landlords even put it in the contract, the obligation to regulärem Lüften.
Anyways, interesting point that I've never thought about before, thanks for your efforts 🌸
the intro!!!! :D i am very german in this concern. i have my balcony door sperrangelweit offen the entire night until it's below freezing - then, i switch to "auf kipp" :D yes, i do sleep that way. inside temp at night in winter in my bedroom is 11°C [52°F] and during the day, i do usually open the balcony door at 18°C [64°F] and do not close it any earlier than close to 14°C [57°F]. a friend stores a pair of slippers from airberlin here which have found wide use among friends when they visit me each :D
You are getting more creative with your videos. Love it.
In my experience you open your bedroom windows all the way in the morning, after tidying up, just before guests arrive. And in the summer you have it on Kipp during the night :)
In africa you leave the windows and doors closed in the day to keep out the heat and in the evening you open the windows to let the cool air in. Many sleep with open windows with burgalar bars obviously. I air every morning does''nt matter the weather. Fresh air is a must.
I can relate to everything but also keep my window open throughout the whole night because I like the fresh air when I sleep.
When I studied in Tulsa, OK (Hi guys!) the German exchange students were the only ones opening the apartment windows for "fresh air". The Americans just turned on the AC....
Before Covid when we were all at the office, we had a rule that whoever arrived first in the morning or first back from lunch break would open all the windows for 5 minutes. It was a good way to get the brain cells going!
'Lift and tilt' windows are also common in Britain. I have them as they are good for leaving the window open when out but home remaibs secure as impossible to open further from outside.
Something just occured to me about the "fresh air": When the plague was around the medical explanation of that time of how it spread was "bad air". (It took a while to find out it were actually the fleas on the rats). So lüften may be the easiest way to combat "bad air".
lol, my smart smoke derector even analyses air quality and moisture and will send me a notification when it's time to open the windows
I live in a small apartment in the US. Most of my windows are painted shut, are too damaged to open, or open to right above the dumpster.
I leave the bathroom and kitchen windows open during the day when I'm home, and close them at night because it's too loud to sleep.
I dream of German engineered windows.
You dream of German windows? That dream would turn into a nightmare once you saw what they cost.
@@tempest411 I'm aware they're horrifically expensive. But anything that's high quality is.
Now I feel the need for Lüften. ^^
Oh so true...i'm from Hessen, Germany but been living in the states for 25 plus years. And yes LÜFTEN is a big thing. I do it everyday, and at night my bedroom window stays open. I remember growing up my mom did it all the time,open all the windows...and I do the same! My friends over here-USA don't understand why I open my windows and leave them open,I just tell them it's a German thing.
Our German heating systems do not, in the main, include forced air elements - which, if set to regularly infuse fresh air, bring in fresh air without your having to air the rooms regularly. In Germany, if you don't air the rooms every day, the moisture you or even the objects in the house exude just stays in the rooms, and they start to mold. And THAT is a BIG problem that, eventually, could even leave to the demolition of the house due to mold infestation. During the airing, please turn off the heating! (PS Nights, I sleep with the heating off in my bedroom and the windows closed except for really hot nights in the summer. The next morning, I air the room for about 20 minutes and then turn the heat on to a normal middle level.)
I'm American, but I actually started doing this on my own about a decade ago. I was just "airing things out." Then I learned it was what they mean by "airing the mattresses," because it helps keep the dust mite population down. Then I learned it was a German thing to do this even more often and more religiously than I did it, and I didn't feel like an oddball anymore. :)
Agree. It's not that we don't do it all. It's just not usually as religious and extreme as some Germans.
I "querlüfte" in the morning and before going to bed. As I have a 1-room apartment I additionally open my windows during or right after cooking. With working from home all day during Covid I open my windows once or twice more during the day ... depending on the outside temperatures and air-quality inside.
The radiators in my building automatically turn off at 10 pm and come back on at 5 am ... there is no way to influence that, but I also don't mind. I generally like my flat to be cooler, so my radiator is operational only between about October and March when outside temperatures are below 10 and inside temperatures are below 20.
Would I call lüften 2 to 5 times a day "obsession" ... NO ... I call it "appropriate" 😎
fresh air warms up much faster
While watching your video I started lüften. Good reminder. Thanks.
As we don’t have a/c which not only regulates the temp but also dries the air by regulating the humidity, we have to air out our rooms. Not an obsession. Just necessity.
In our living room the windows are ALWAYS at kipp xD