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Open those windows

(97 Posts)
Teetime Sat 26-Aug-17 09:54:53

My house overlooks a small close with three houses on one side and two on the other. With the exception of one house they never open their windows including the bathroom and kitchen. Is it me - don't people open their windows to air the house anymore?

Kateykrunch Sat 26-Aug-17 10:01:05

My neighbours have vertical blinds at every window and never open those. There is a small downstairs loo window which they stored all their loo rolls on which bugged me, really lowered the tone lol.

Imperfect27 Sat 26-Aug-17 10:04:06

We do, - love the air to blow through, even on more chilly days. My mum always used to 'air' the house and we sleep with top windows open even in winter.

Your post made me smile this morning because we live on a busy farm site. When we do not have visitors I use our second bedroom as a dressing room. It has windows at both ends and the blinds are usually down, but occasionally a visitor raises the one at the front and I have nearly got caught out a couple of times, coming in from the bathroom with not even a towel covering my modesty.

I congratulated myself on remembering to pull the blind down this morning before bathroom and getting dressed. Realised rather late that someone had raised the blind at the other end! All I can say is that the people across the way in the busy gardening centre might have been put off their cups of tea! grin

GrannyA11i Sat 26-Aug-17 10:04:12

I open mine all the time. On hot nights I open our bedroom casement window for a while to let air in and we sleep with the small windows open all night. I often notice every other house in the road has closed windows! Don't people get hot flushes like me?!!!!

harrigran Sat 26-Aug-17 10:11:08

Double glazing keeps the noise out, if I open windows at night the traffic noise would keep me awake. Bathroom windows are always open.

Day6 Sat 26-Aug-17 10:11:51

I can't bear stuffy houses. I have windows open all year round. I cannot sleep in a room without 'air' so even on coldest nights a top window is open in the bedroom. The man goes around shutting windows as he sees them as entrances for flies to come in!

Our neighbours seem to live in sealed up houses. Rarely do they open windows.

Witzend Sat 26-Aug-17 10:13:20

Same here - I notice that many neighbours hardly ever open any windows, at least not the ones I can see.
I go mad if I can't open windows, and not just a crack either.

Ages ago a double glazing salesman tried to persuade me to have 'tilt and turn' windows, which open just a bit at the top. He banged on about how popular they were 'on the continent' and that you could open them fully inwards for cleaning! As if that was going to influence me!
He assured me that the small top opening was 'sufficient for ventilation' - not for me, it wasn't!

Jane10 Sat 26-Aug-17 10:13:53

I love to get the windows open. Nothing better to freshen up the house. Much nicer and healthier than chemical 'air fresheners'!

MissAdventure Sat 26-Aug-17 10:16:06

My flat has the top windows open constantly, and the back door, which is in the lounge, open almost every day.

GrannyA11i Sat 26-Aug-17 10:23:45

Actually Harrigran that's probably the reason why me neighbours keep their windows closed - traffic noise of people going to work starts around 6.30 and often wakes DH up. He'd keep them closed but I'd internally combust at night without fresh air!

GrannyA11i Sat 26-Aug-17 10:24:05

'My'

tanith Sat 26-Aug-17 10:30:53

I've always got windows open but also have neighbors that don't. Can't abide a stuffy house

lemongrove Sat 26-Aug-17 11:11:37

I like a gale blowing through the house, never mind open windows.Open doors, apart from front door, too.
Makes houses fresher and gives you more energy to do things.A friend always has a stuffy house, unbearable to go there.?

Jalima1108 Sat 26-Aug-17 11:13:07

Open windows and open doors.
But if the wind is in a certain direction the doors bang shut!

shysal Sat 26-Aug-17 11:14:30

I cannot open my upstairs windows beyond 'on the latch', as I have a kamikaze cat, but downstairs the French door is open most days all year round, as well as all windows.

bikergran Sat 26-Aug-17 11:16:57

I do have mine open...but I am always conscious of someone climbing in! I can put them on first lock but it barely lets air in..no way would I sleep with any windows open in case of burglars.. We have been burgled whilst asleep and they got in because I had left a small window in the conservatory slightly ajar! (not at this house, our old house).

Scribbles Sat 26-Aug-17 11:20:12

Windows open whenever possible here. I hate an overheated, stuffy bedroom in particular.
In our old home we had the sort of double glazed units that could be opened just a crack for ventilation and you can't really tell from outside that they are open. Maybe some of those neighbours who appear to never open windows have these units also?

pensionpat Sat 26-Aug-17 11:22:28

My son once bought a newly-built house with bedroom windows which didn't open at all. Their reasoning was that all the doors in the house were fire doors. No consideration to fresh air or ibdeed Fire. They didn't buy it until the builder promised to replace them all. But the rest of the development presumably can't open the upstairs Windows.

Welshwife Sat 26-Aug-17 11:29:16

Open downstairs window and door first thing every morning. When warm I also open door at th e back so we get a cross flow all the time. Bedroom windows open all the time.
The advice here in the heatwave we are having is to keep shutters closed and also windows until the evening. Depending on the heat I do try and have some door or wi Dow open with the shutters closed to keep the sun out.

seacliff Sat 26-Aug-17 11:32:15

We have a lot of spiders here, surrounded by fields. So we've had fly blind fitted on some windows. I love having the window open at night, knowing the spiders and night flying hornets can't get in. We also have our backdoor open most of the summer, when we're in.

Fishpieplease Sat 26-Aug-17 12:16:08

I have the opposite here. One of my neighbours has her bedroom window open,all day,every day. Rain,snow,howling gale!

LadyGracie Sat 26-Aug-17 12:52:06

Our neighbours never open their windows, they have 2 dogs and both smoke (neighbours not the dogs) when they open the back door to let the dogs out first thing in the morning and the wind is in the right direction, the smell wafts across the garden and in through our bedroom window, which is open all the time. They also seem to live on chips and fried food!

grannyqueenie Sat 26-Aug-17 13:05:46

I think I may be your neighbour fishpieplease grin

Franbern Sat 26-Aug-17 13:18:27

Do love open windows. The top windows in my bedroom are kept open April - October, and during the warmer months the large casement window also. Normally, I have both the french windows in my through living room and the kitchen door wide open at this time of year (opened as soon as i go down in the morning. However, at present with my very new rescue cat, cannot do this. Have top windows in living room open and will have to put up with this until she is ready to be let into my garden. I also have noted how seldom my neighbours, in my very quiet Close open their windows, and began to think i was peculiar. Good to know there are others out there like me.

petra Sat 26-Aug-17 13:22:44

I think my neighbors are really odd.
Not only do they never have a window open or a blind drawn, they have a big greenhouse that covers the lounge window ( lounge at back of house)
What's even more wierd is that she is the most wonderful gardener. She can only see the garden from the kitchen.