6 Simple Ways to Ventilate a Room in Winter

This article lists various options to ventilate a room in winter

Ventilation is very important in enclosed spaces. The air tends to get polluted faster inside buildings because of particles breaking off from almost everything like furniture, paint, fabrics and odors from air fresheners, detergents and other perfumed substances. 

That is why it is important to ventilate a room despite the weather. People often forget to ventilate their houses during winter. This is because they are afraid of letting the cold draft, they are trying to escape from getting into the house. They forget that during winter their houses tend to get polluted easily. This s because you spend more time indoors meaning that the air available inside tends to get used up faster and get replaced with stale, polluted air. In this article, we will talk about some of the ways you can ventilate your house during winter and the benefits of it. 

A room in winter

1. Open a window

This is by far the simplest way to ventilate your room. Sure, it will let in some of the chilly air that you are trying to avoid but it will also let out all the dirty air that has built up in the house. Opening the windows for a short period will surely make a difference like lets say for five minutes, at least thrice a day. Just be sure not to open them when there are activities outside your house that might produce pollutants like snow blowing, landscaping or a lot of traffic. 

2. Have house plants

Another great way to clean the air in your room is using house plants. They are stylish and very beneficial. Plants take in carbon products in the air to use in photosynthesis and produce oxygen as a by-product which we then use for respiration. This means that plants are great at getting rid of all the carbon that might build up when cooking. 

Some of the best plants to have in your house include: Aloe Vera, Spider Plant, Jade Plant, Dracaena, Pothos, devil’s ivy, peace lily and Gerbera Daisy

3. Using essential oils diffusers

These not only make the air in your house smell good, but they are also great for getting rid of bacteria and dust mites in the air. Try oils from eucalyptus, clove, rosemary, lavender, basil, and Peppermint

4. Use air purifiers

These are great to use during those long cold winters because they get rid of all the dust and impurities in the air. One of the major issues that come up during winter is the accumulation of dust which means that cleaning can often get hectic. The dust raises and contaminates the air and considering most of the times the windows are closed, it has no place to escape. Air filters suck in the air, pass it through filters where all the dust is filtered off and clean air is produced. This is especially helpful for people with dust and pollen allergies. 

5. Cook with high smoke point oils

Low smoke point oils like extra virgin olive oil burn faster meaning that they produce smoke faster. This is a problem in an enclosed room especially during winter when most windows and doors are closed. This means that the smoke won’t escape faster which will lead to the build-up of smoke and odors in the air that ends up sticking to fabrics. Substitute these for high heat oils like sunflower, avocado and corn oil which produces less smoke.

6. Check and change filters regularly

Air purifiers and conditioners often have filters in their systems that clean dust from the air. Dust particles build up over time and block the filter meaning that it won’t be able to clean the air but instead circulate dirty air in the room. Regularly clean the filters to prevent this from happening.

How often should you ventilate your room during winter?

As discussed above, stale air tends to build up faster in a room during winter. This is because you spend more time indoors and your body uses up a lot of energy trying to build up heat to maintain your temperature. This means that you will often use up the air in the room faster. 

Opening a window, even a small crack will bring a notable difference in the air around. The hot humid and polluted air will escape from the room and fresh air will circulate around. This will make the conditions in the room more pleasant. Leaving the window open for five minutes at least thrice a day will surely help better the conditions in the room despite the cold outside

Benefits of ventilating a room during winter

With the chances of contaminant build-up higher during winter, ventilating your room should be a priority. This lets out all the polluted air in the room and allows cleaner, fresher outdoor air inside your house. This makes the conditions more comfortable as we all know nobody likes breathing hot stale air. It is also beneficial for your air conditioners and purifiers. This is because all the dust in the house gets to escape through the windows which reduce the stress on the systems making them last longer. They are also used for shorter periods of time increasing energy efficiency. 

Conclusion

Ventilation is important in a house. Even during cold weather like winter, ensure the room is well ventilated to increase comfort and ensure that you breathe healthy air free of contaminants. Be sure to try out the above ways of ventilating a room to ensure this. Also, check out the following video to see the various methods and benefits of ventilating a room.

Charles John

Experienced HVAC technician with 8 years of experience in the industry. Capable of handling all sorts of heating and cooling equipment as well as proficient in operational management, construction-related techniques such as preventative maintenance, electrical troubleshooting and AutoCAD

Latest Posts