As a general rule, 15–30 minutes are enough to air out a house properly. But the actual time can vary depending on the house size, weather conditions, ventilation, and indoor air pollutants. If you want to find out how long to air out your house for the best results, keep reading.
In this article, you’ll find all the details you need for airing out your house — how long to do it, how often, and tips to make it effective and remove air pollutants.
Benefits of Airing Out Your House
If you want to improve your health and your environment, airing out the house is one of the best and easiest ways to do so. Here are all the benefits of getting that sweet fresh air inside:
- Improved Indoor Air Quality: The quality of the air you breathe can have a serious impact on your health. Stale indoor air is a breeding ground for pollutants, allergens, and all kinds of unpleasant odors. Airing out your house is just one of the many ways to improve your indoor air quality.
- Less Humidity: Excess humidity can lead to mold growth and mildew, which can in turn trigger allergic symptoms and reactions. Fresh air can help you control all that and create a pleasant living space.
- Odor Removal: Airing out your house can remove unpleasant smells and replace them with refreshingly clean air.
- Improved Mental Well-Being: More fresh air means more oxygen, which can help with feelings of depression, lack of focus, and energy levels. If you want a quick mood booster, open those windows.
- Saving Energy: Sometimes airing the house is enough to feel cool on a warm sunny day. And the less you turn on your air conditioning, the more energy you’ll save. Plus, lowering your electricity bill is always a good idea.
- Natural Sunlight and Vitamin D: Did you know that vitamin D deficiency is a global problem? Getting some extra sunlight will help your body produce more of it and that can benefit your bone function, immunity, and overall mood.
- Better Living Environment: Whether you like to go out or stay home, you need to establish a pleasant living environment. Your body and your guests will thank you.
Hopefully, you now understand the importance of airing out your room a lot better. But the main question remains — how much time is necessary to get all the benefits above? We’ll solve that one in the next section.
How Long Does It Take to Air Out a House?
Generally, 15–30 minutes are enough to air out a house, but you should first consider the size of your living space. Here are some recommendations based on the most common house and apartment sizes in the US:
- 2,500 square feet house — Airing out a house of this size typically takes longer compared to smaller spaces. It may take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours to effectively air out a 2,500 square feet house.
- 1,200 square feet apartment — It may take around 20-40 minutes to effectively air out the space, but this can vary based on the number of windows, layout, and outdoor conditions.
- 700 square feet apartment — You can air out an apartment like that relatively quickly. Opening windows and inviting fresh air in for 15-30 minutes should be enough to notice an improvement in air quality.
Keep in mind that these are just general guidelines that vary depending on the layout, indoor pollutants, temperature, humidity, and the general environment of your home.
Other Factors Influencing Airing Out Time
You should also consider the following factors that might impact the airing out:
- Temperature & Humidity: If it’s hot outside or if you live in an area with lots of humidity, it will take longer to air out your house. That’s because warm or humid air retains moisture, which slows down the process of replacing stale air with fresh air. If that’s your case, you can speed up the process by using fans or airing out your house at night when the temperature drops.
- Outdoor Air Quality: Did you know that over 90% of the urban population is exposed to unsafe outdoor air? Think about this before you open those windows to air out your home. It’s best to check online platforms for air quality in your city before you open your windows wide.
- Indoor Air Pollution: If someone in your home smokes or if you just finished cooking a delicious meal, it might take longer to get rid of those lingering smells.
Don’t underestimate the importance of these factors in airing out your apartment.
How Often Should You Air Out Your House?
Ideally, you should air out your house for at least a few minutes every day, even when it’s cold outside. This will help you get fresh air inside and prevent stale air. But like everything else, this advice also depends on the following factors:
- Season: You can open the windows more frequently when the temperature outside is pleasant, like in spring or fall.
- Activities: You may want to air out your home a bit more when you cook, clean, or shower as that will remove odors and maintain good air quality.
- Pets: As much as we love our four-legged friends, they are a major source of air pollutants. If you have a pet, it’s best to open the windows a bit more often.
Finally, consider your mood and your own sense of the air inside to assess whether you need to air out more often. If it feels bad, it probably is.
Tips on How to Air Out a House Properly
If you want to get the maximum benefits of natural ventilation, follow these tips:
- Choose the Right Time: It’s best to open the windows when the air outside is fresh and less polluted, which is usually in the early mornings or late evenings. Also, if it’s too hot or too cold, maybe skip the airing out for the day.
- Open Multiple Windows: It’s best to open windows on opposite sides of the house to create a natural airflow. Also, it speeds up the process.
- Utilize Fans Strategically: Place them near the open windows so that they blow towards the inside of your home, which helps to bring in the fresh air faster.
- Check the Wind Direction: Open windows that can help you catch the breeze. That will optimize the natural flow of air.
Adapt these tips based on your living area and preferences. The more effectively you air out your home, the healthier environment you’ll live in.
How to Ventilate a Room Without Windows
It can be challenging to ventilate a room with no windows, but you can still achieve wonders with the following methods:
- Use an Air Purifier: There are smaller, portable air purifiers that help you improve indoor air quality. Make sure to pick one with a HEPA filter as it will be more effective at capturing pollutants.
- Use Fans: Place them near the doorway to create better airflow.
- Open Doors to Adjacent Rooms: This way, you can fresh air from other rooms and create a better flow throughout your living space.
- Get a Dehumidifier: That will remove extra moisture from the room and promote better air quality.
While these methods won’t provide the same natural ventilation that windows can, they’ll still help you prevent stale air and establish good indoor air quality.
FAQ
Is stale air bad for you?
Yes, stale air can have negative effects on your health and well-being. It’s usually a result of bad indoor air quality with a high amount of pollutants. It might also contain less oxygen, which can lead to fatigue and concentration problems.
Is airing out the house when sick a good idea?
It can be a good idea in some cases, but you should consider the specific illness before airing out the house. If it’s contagious or if it’s really cold outside, it’s best to avoid it or at least do it for a shorter period of time. The most important thing to consider is how you feel — if airing out the house makes you uncomfortable, don’t do it.
Does opening windows help with smell?
Yes, opening windows helps to reduce unpleasant smells by promoting air exchange. Also, fresh air acts as a natural deodorant against personal, cooking, or cleaning odors. It helps to dissipate smells and refreshes your home air.
Does opening windows help with germs?
Opening windows can help with germs to some extent, but it won’t eliminate them entirely. The exchange of fresh air will reduce the concentration of germs and remove parts of them from your indoor environment. Also, the natural sunlight that will hopefully come in has antimicrobial properties, too!
How to air out a room quickly?
If you need to air out a room quickly, open multiple windows and doors, create a draft, and utilize fans strategically to promote faster air exchange.
