Open those windows

I'm currently trying to hermetically seal my house closed, after a spider the size of a small dog ran across the carpet last night! I'm phobic about eight-legged creatures, unfortunately.

When my windows are open, you can't really see from outside due to the 'stops' on them to prevent children falling out, (and in our case, our rescue cats escaping) so it may be that neighbours are opening windows but unless you're close up, you cannot see it.

At one point this house had eight or maybe nine doors to the outside ( architect designed ) it took time and money to cut the number to five so it's very ( too) easy to have a cross current and slamming doors but I do love a blast of air through to freshen up .

Bedroom window is flung wide during the day if it's nice and closed too but not shut at night. Bathroom and downstairs loo are open during the day. When I get up for my trip to the bathroom in the morning the second thing I do is open the window. Back to the bedroom fold back duvet and open the window wider.
I'm currently sitting looking at the garden with the patio door slid right back. The back (side actuaĺly) door is ajar. H says I'm a fresh air fiend

Worth a few spiders to have a fresh home though?

Nope. Nothing is worth a spider in the house. Not even a crock of gold. I do have a chimney which allows in plenty of fresh air and probably spiders as well!

I'm fairly sure that we have never slept with our bedroom window closed during the last thirty three years!
Right now the windows are wide open in all three bedrooms, the bathroom, on the landing, in the dining room, kitchen, and living room has both side window and french doors open!
It is a glorious afternoon here though ?
The young couple next door to us have two children, aged nine and five, and they never, ever, open any windows! Their house must be stinking,

I hate those hotels where the window opening is limited to about 2cm "for your safety". For heaven's sake, I'm a grown-up and not about to take flight from some Travelodge/DaysInn/Wetherlodge window!
Shouldn't the onus be on anyone with small children who might be tempted to do something foolish to ask for the windows to be secured?

Shysal re kamikaze cats: we once saw this beige object tumble past the sitting room window. On looking out we saw our elderly female birman delicately shaking out her paws and pretending everything was fine and her accidental descent was entirely under control.

Jane10! I once saw my Bengal hanging by her front claws from next door's upstairs outside window sill. She managed to haul herself back up, upon which she leapt to their shed roof about 10 metres away. My heart was in my mouth! Since then I have never opened upstairs windows beyond the first stop.

Our solution, the cat dosen't go upstairs.

I only open windows in winter, scared of insects and creepy crawlies. They are left open in summer when we have visitors, as long as they agree to kill anything undesirable that comes in!

Windows opened every day
It gets rid of the germs and hopefully the aroma of last nights tea!

Jane10 every day one of my inherited Norwegian forest cats who can no longer climb since suffering a stroke,
takes a run at our apple tree scrambles about 4ft up and then slides down cartoon style.
Sits down. licks one paw and tries not look too embarrassed.

Sorry, but I don't share everyone else's obsession with Fresh Air.

Occasionally I'll open a window or two, but more often than not I won't!

Awww cherrytree. Poor old thing. We had a lovely Norwegian forest cat once. She was such a climber. It seems an obsession with that breed.

I open downstairs windows when its warm and I'm in. We have the bedroom window open all year but not too wide otherwise one of our cats will try to climb out and he's already had a serious fall from a window when he was with his previous owner!

Shysal, we also have a kamikaze cat. Since we had the loft converted, which gets very hot, we have fitted window restrainers. This means we can have the windows open all the time but he cannot get his head through the gap. It doesn't matter so much on the next floor down as he jumps onto the conservatory roof then the water butt. Very easy to fit and not too obvious. Got them from Amazon, other places probably sell them.

Lived here 10 years, no idea if neighbours open their windows or not. What business is it of mine?

It's funny, my neighbours are the same in that I have never seen any of their windows open. I don't think it is good for the building if it is not aired.

wordy17 our neighbours are the same, my husband only commented on this the other day. We have our back door open all day in the fine weather and bathroom window opened first thing in morning, it is ground floor otherwise would be opened all the time. Bedroom windows opened wide each day with top window open all night. We couldnt bear to be in a house with no fresh air.

I sleep with a window open but my neighbours have started entertaining most weekends. They can never say their goodbyes in the house but take 15 minutes saying them on the drive with lots of loud chat and car engines running.
This morning it was 12.30 am which of course woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep so it will be windows closed at the weekend.

I'm a window opener - love fresh air, but DH has serious true hay fever and can't breathe from March to September. He would love to be able to enjoy the summer, but as soon as the first strimmers appear in spring he becomes truly impossible!

My daughter never opens her doors or windows, I despair! With a large, often sweating husband and a baby in nappies, their home never smells of fresh air, which as they live just a mile from the sea is a great pity. Now my flat windows only get closed if it's really cold or if I think I might snore loudly during my afternoon nap!

When my dog is out with his dog walker I have the front door open too, just love the feeling of airing through and sort of freedom..........

I've no idea whether my neighbour's windows are open or shut, never really looked. I like to keep mine closed except on the hottest of days as I feel cold most of the time due to MS. If my OH leaves them open I will go round shutting them! lol

I got a rescue cat last Thursday I am having to keep my patio doors firmly closed (in all this wonderful hot weather), also the kitchen door at present, and the large windows in the sitting room. Do open the small windows at the top - but am so missing the wonderful feel of garden into the house that I normally have. I have put a pet gate across my bedroom door as I like to have that wide open at night and it does mean I can still keep my bedroom windows open.
With regards to spiders, etc. I am also quite phobic about these. In my bedroom I have full length net curtains for the purpose to prevent flying insects from coming in. Have also found that putting conkers around my window sills, etc has helped to strongly discourage 8 leg things from coming in. Evidently they very much dislike their smell.