Status: 13.10.2023, 12:30 p.m.
By: Andrea Stettner
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Living spaces should be ventilated several times a day to prevent mold growth. Does this also apply on rainy days?
It's raining and the apartment needs fresh air, but for fear of mold, many are reluctant to ventilate. After all, high humidity in the living spaces promotes mold to spread on the walls and in the corners. According to experts, this concern is unjustified.
Ventilation is also important when it rains
Even when it rains, it makes sense to open the windows several times a day for ventilation. © Eva Blanco/Imago
Even in rainy weather, you are allowed to open the windows wide, reassures the German Tenants' Association (DMB) and advises regular ventilation even when it rains. And for good reason: "When it's not raining through the window, the cold outside air is still drier than the warm room air," it says in a statement. This is because warm air absorbs more moisture than cold air. The assumption that rain air brings a lot of moisture into living spaces is therefore wrong. Instead, the warm but moist indoor air should be transported outside by regular ventilation.
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Tips on how to ventilate properly on rainy days
It is not rain that increases the humidity indoors, but water vapour that we release into the indoor air when we breathe, sweat, cook or shower. The moisture can then in turn settle on the walls and promote the formation of mold there. That's why you shouldn't miss out on providing fresh air regularly, even on rainy days.
The following tips from the DMB and Stiftung Warentest show how to ventilate properly:
- Open the windows wide for a short time for five to ten minutes (intermittent ventilation). This way, the rooms do not cool down too much and the air heats up quickly.
- Ventilate several times a day, about three to five times.
- The best thing to do in the morning and evening is to ensure a complete air exchange: In rooms opposite, open the windows and doors at the same time.
- Tilting windows does not help, as there is too little air exchange here and instead the walls cool down and heating energy is lost.
- In autumn and winter, it is important to heat constantly, as the heated air absorbs more humidity and can therefore be better transported outside. Especially in winter, you should pay attention to the right humidity: more than 60 percent are at risk of mold. With the help of a hygrometer, the humidity can be monitored.
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As a general rule, the cooler the room temperature, the more often it needs to be ventilated. Especially after showering, cooking and baking, ironing or drying laundry in the apartment, the windows must also be opened so that the moisture can escape quickly. In the heat, pay attention to the most important tips when ventilating so that the apartment does not get too hot.
Ventilation: What to do when no one is at home?
Frequent ventilation, up to five times a day, can therefore effectively prevent mould growth in the home. But what do you do when no one is at home? There is also a solution for this: "If the windows of an apartment cannot be opened several times a day due to the absence of the residents, at least the interior doors should be kept open so that any moisture from the bathroom and kitchen can be distributed evenly over all rooms," advises the Federal Environment Agency.