It is intensive ventilation of the interior. People open all the windows wide and let the air escape quickly, causing the interior to “freeze” for a short time. The goal is to get rid of germs swirling in the air. According to scientists, this is not nonsense.
The trend is flooding social media and people are opening their windows wide in the middle of winter to get rid of the pathogen-laden air. According to Dr Vikram Niranjan, Assistant Professor of Public Health at the University of Limerick, this procedure actually works.
“A home that is never intensively ventilated probably has a higher level of air pollution and exhaled air accumulates in it, which is especially disadvantageous during the period of viral infections. Give your home a short refresh at the right time: open all the windows wide, let the stale air fly out and let in a rush of fresh air. Your lungs, brain and pets will thank you.” advises Niranjan in an article for The Conversation magazine.
The principle, known in Germany as Lüften or Stoßlüften, consists in short, intensive ventilation. “Indoor air concentrates moisture from showering and cooking, smoke and particles from stoves and candles, chemicals from cleaning sprays and furniture, as well as tiny particles and viruses that people exhale. When the interior is heavily ventilated, a sudden burst of outside air dilutes this mixture and pushes much of it outside.” explains Niranjana.
However, opening the windows on a busy road during rush hour can be counterproductive – you will let a rush of exhaust gases and dust from tires and brakes into the interior at the very time when pollution is at its peak.
For people with asthma, heart disease, or chronic lung problems, the additional pollution from traffic can completely negate the benefits of ventilation. Therefore, it is recommended ventilate briefly outside of rush hours or after rain, when there are temporarily fewer particles from traffic in the air.
