Do This To Your Home Every Morning

As winter drags on, you may notice the air in your house getting a little stale. That is completely normal, especially in newer homes. Modern builders and designers are focused on creating airtight envelopes to maximize HVAC efficiency. While that's great for your utility bill, it's terrible for air circulation. Social media has embraced a solution to this stagnant air, with influencers and health experts touting a practice that is as simple as its name is colorful: house burping.

Related: Air Purifier vs Humidifier: Pros, Cons, and Health Benefits Explained

What is House Burping?

House burping is simply the short term rapid ventilation of your home. Instead of leaving a window cracked to allow a small draft of air to flow through your home, you perform a pressure release in your house by strategically opening windows and doors in your house to create a large amount of airflow over a short period of time. 

The practice might be trending now, but it originates from the German practice of “stoslüften,” which means “shock ventilation.” In Germany, stoslüften is a daily ritual to air out homes. In fact, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel famously said it was one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of Covid. 

How to Burp Your House. 

1. Create a Cross Breeze. Open windows and doors that are on opposite ends of your home, such as a back door and front windows. This allows air to enter one side of the house, travel through the living space, and exit the other side. 
2. Turn on Exhaust Fans: Turn on your bathroom exhaust fans and range hood while you burp the house. These fans help to circulate air, pulling in fresh air from the outdoors more quickly. 
3. Set a 10-minute time. This is the amount of time it takes to replace all the air in your home with fresh air from the outside, yet short enough that the floors and furniture in your home won’t lose their thermal temperature. Since these items stay warm, they radiate heat to help warm your home back up once the windows are closed.
4. Repeat Daily. Do this once a day, preferably in the morning. Outdoor pollutants created by traffic, human activity, and work drop over the night, meaning the outdoor air is freshest in the morning. 

What are the Real Benefits?

While this may just seem like an Internet fad, there is science behind it: 

• Improved AIr Quality
  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that indoor air can be between two and five times more polluted than outdoor air. It recommends opening windows periodically to reduce the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), gases released by mattresses, furniture, paint, cleaning products, and carpeting. 
• Moisture and Mold Control
  Burping your house also flushes out humidity created from showers, cooking, and breathing, helping to prevent the damp conditions that allow mold to grow.
• That Fresh Feeling
  Burping your home removes cooking smells, pet odors, and various other smells that have built up in the home, giving the house a fresh feeling. 
• Low Energy Impact
  Since you’re only burping your home for 10 minutes, it doesn’t have a huge negative impact on the efficiency of your home’s HVAC system. 
• Reduces illnesses: 
  Opening your windows and doors also flushes out airborne toxins and viruses. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) cites ventilation as one of the best defenses against the spread of respiratory infections, including flu and cold viruses.