Ventilating your home

Poor air quality has long been known to have a significant impact on people living with respiratory conditions. Below are a few tips for ventilating your home:

Air your home regularly (even overnight)

Open doors and windows for 10-15 minutes each morning, or use a ventilation system. This will quickly replace stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air, and remove moisture from your home.

Ventilating your bedroom overnight is also important for better sleep by maintaining air quality, reducing excessive moisture and the risk of mould growth. If you don't have a ventilation system, keep a window slightly ajar - a finger’s width should be enough in winter. Use security stays, bolts or latches for your peace of mind. During cold winter nights, use an electric heater on a low thermostat setting in your bedroom.

Use an extractor fan

Use extractor fans that vent to the outside in your bathroom, kitchen and laundry. Fans should not vent into your ceiling space. Make sure extractor fans are:

• Properly sized and located for the type of room. Undersized fans or ducting will be noisy but ineffective. Ask your supplier for advice.
• Turned on before having a shower or bath - and shut the bathroom door. Leaving the bathroom window open slightly allows air flow into the bathroom and will improve the extractor fan's effectiveness.
• Left running for a few minutes after a shower or bath - until most of the moisture has cleared, with the bathroom door shut and the bathroom window open.
• Cleaned regularly - to maintain their performance.

Install a home ventilation systems

A well-functioning home ventilation system can make a significant difference in maintaining healthy indoor air quality. Research highlights that excess moisture in homes contributes to condensation, which can lead to mould growth and worsen respiratory conditions like asthma.

An in-roof ventilation system helps by continuously replacing damp, stale air with fresh, drier air. This reduces condensation levels, which in turn lowers the presence of mould spores, dust, pollen, and other airborne allergens before they enter your home.

Other tips

• Put lids on pots when cooking
• Dry clothes outside
• Vent your clothes dryer to the outside
• Air your house on fine days
• Air clothes, shoes and wardrobes regularly
• Remove mould or mildew from walls, shower curtains, etc. with a fungicide e.g. very diluted household bleach
• Check for water leaks from guttering, plumbing etc, and have them repaired
• Ensure that there is adequate drainage around your house
• Black plastic on the ground under the house will keep it drier and easier to heat
• Consider double glazing if you are building or replacing windows

For further advice on improving energy efficiency to create a warm, dry home, visit Genless.