Have you ever felt stuffy in your own home? That might be because of the smell of mold or humidity forming inside its walls. In Germany, this problem is long gone with the creation and implementation of the concept called Lüften “to air out something” which is the oldest German concept of home ventilation. It consists of opening your windows multiple times a day as it is considered to be a key measure for good respiratory hygiene.
Germany’s architecture is historically air tight, preventing the air from outside to penetrate. While trying to come up with alternative ways to ventilate their homes they quickly discovered that the natural flow of fresh air from the outside to the inside will help cleanse buildings. Germans have incorporated this practice in their lifestyle giving the name of Lüften to this form of air flow. Since then, lüften is mandatory when renting a living space in Germany, The concept is often found written as a binding rule in lease contracts. The more people live at your house, the more they have to practice Luften; an average household generates 4 to 6 liters of moisture a day! This is a clear correlation of bad ventilation and sickness; the stuffier your space gets the stuffier the air becomes resulting in many health problems. (source) .
Within the Luften concept, there are two existing practices that Germans are both well accustomed to: Stoblüfen and Querlüften. Stoblüfen, which means impact ventilation consists of opening the windows of your house so that the air can impactfully penetrate, this practice is needed at least twice a day; 5 minutes in the Winter, 10 to 15 minutes in the Autumn or Spring and 30 minutes in the Summer. On the other hand, Querlüften, which means cross ventilation, defines the act of opening all the windows of a house or building to let the fresh air circulate through as a sort of “air-wash” for a long period. These methods help air out humidity, prevent mold, get rid of smells, stop rooms from getting too humid and, In the long run, increase heating efficiency during the winter.
Turning off the heat while opening your windows will also help you save the planet and money! It might sound a little crazy to open all the windows in the cold weather while the heat is off, however the benefits are proven. For the skeptical, BEDI Studios offers Canadian-made items which could warm you up while practicing Lüften during chillier days. Our heavyweight knits made of 100% cotton such as the TXAI zip hoodie, SUZUKI hoodie or R.B.G joggers are the perfect cozy layer while waiting for the cold air to circulate through your home.
During covid, all public spaces such as schools, hospitals and offices were strongly encouraged to Luften at multiple intervals an hour in Germany. The concept of airing-out living spaces became very important for its health benefits and ascended internationally. In 2020 Luften was taught and learnt around the world, becoming mandatory for other countries to practice Luften to help reduce the spread of sickness. Now, in an era deemed almost post-pandemic Luften has sparked a global new interest toward the benefits of fresh air that should not stop where the pandemic began. We encourage our community to research more about this concept as a ventilation system; cleansing your environment is fundamental for healthy living.