If you've ever heard of the term 'house burping' you could be mistaken for thinking it might be related to your bathrooms or kitchens, and the noises that sometimes emanate from our drainage systems, when sinks and drains gurgle after use.
The good news is that house burping is actually a lot less noisy and, unlike human burping, you won't need to apologise for it happening. Intrigued?
Read on to find out more about the trend of house burping and how it plays a part in your home ventilation.
What is house burping?
"House burping is the process of opening the windows in your home for short bursts, usually for around 10 minutes at a time," explains Helen O’Connor, product manager at 247 Blinds.
“There are many European countries known for their practice of airing out the home, but the idea of house burping came from a particular tradition in Germany. ‘Stoßlüften’ which translates to ‘shock ventilation’ in English, is the act of opening windows for short periods of time, even during the cold winter months, in order to circulate fresh air into the home and prevent mould.
“We know this time of the year is usually when people start to worry about mould in a house and damp , particularly how it can start affecting window sills, walls and window dressings," says Helen. "To replicate the German practice of ‘shock ventilation’ the phrase ‘house burping’ was coined as it helps to summarise the tip in a way that is easy to understand and is easy for people to remember - the word ‘burping’ in itself is a bit tongue in cheek, that just means it’s much more likely to stick in your head and it’s a great visualisation.
Helen O’Connor is the product manager at the Yorkshire-based company 247 Blinds and 247 Curtains. Helen is a self-confessed ‘blind nerd’ who has over 10 years experience in the window dressing industry
What are the benefits?
"Burping your home basically encourages the circulation of fresh air and prevents condensation" explains Helen O'Connor. "No window is exempt from condensation, especially in the winter months when we experience a lot of cold weather," she adds.
"So, if you’re not letting your home burp," warns Helen, "you are cultivating an environment for mould to grow." This could mean you end up with not only visible signs of mould, but also hidden mould hotspots that can take longer to find and resolve.
Which rooms should you burp the most?
Although every room in your home can benefit from house burping, some rooms are naturally more prone to moisture than others, but that doesn't make other rooms exempt from the daily task.
"Cooking, showering and drying laundry indoors all create humidity during the winter months," explains Phil Wood, UK country manager at Contura. "This is bad news for allergy sufferers and makes us more susceptible to airborne winter illnesses such as coughs, colds and flu. This can affect every room in your home, so ensure your whole home is well ventilated and ensure good air circulation daily."
“Single-glazed or draughty windows are also a key problem area for mould and mildew growth," adds Helen O'Connor, meaning if you live in a listed building for example and double glazing isn't permitted, you may find window condensation a re-occurring problem.
And, while it can be easy to assume having draughty windows means you don't need to house burp with air already flowing through your home, I can speak from experience and tell you that you still need to do it.
I have single glazed sash windows and still regularly undertake house burping. It's one of the most effective ways of improving my home's health and it always makes the house feel cleaner and fresher immediately.
"I'm a big fan of having our windows open for periods of time, even on really cold days in the middle of winter," says Beth Murton, editor of Homebuilding & Renovating.
"My bedroom windows are always open overnight, whatever the weather, as I find the fresh air guarantees a more comfortable sleeping environment. In the morning before the heating goes on, the bathroom windows are also opened to encourage natural cross ventilation upstairs and help remove stale air from the bedrooms and moisture from the bathroom.
"I might only have several windows open at the same time for 15-20 minutes in winter," says Beth, "but I find it makes the house feel fresher. I also have a dehumidifier to keep on top of any excess moisture in the house, which can often be caused by drying laundry indoors at this time of year."
Beth became editor of Homebuilding & Renovating in 2023 with a wealth of experience, having been a homes journalist and editor for more than 20 years. She has worked for and contributed to a number of leading magazines and websites in the UK, including Grand Designs, Homes & Gardens, Real Homes, Ideal Home and Period Living. She has fully renovated two houses, including her current property, a 1930s house in the Midlands. Her passion for all things homes-related means that she's always planning a new project in the house.
What else can you combine with house burping?
However, while house burping is one way of tackling the issue, it's also important to understand how to stop window condensation. Using additional methods can help prevent it from returning and you'll usually need to take a multi-layered approach to the problem.
Buying the best dehumidifier for example, can be another way of tackling excess moisture, providing extra back up for when it's simply too cold to leave your windows open for extended periods of time.
Likewise, trying out the best window vacs, such as this Karcher WV 5 Plus Window Vacuum Cleaner in White, that's currently reduced by £30 at Currys, can help remove moisture immediately and give your house burping an extra boost.
Other tried and tested methods include making sure you have the best bathroom extractor fans working hard behind the scenes to help alleviate the issue, as well as taking steps to extract moisture from your kitchen.
And of course, with vast quantities of water droplets expelled in bedrooms each night as we sleep, we should all be keen to know how to prevent mould in bedrooms.
As the saying goes, 'it's better out than in'. Letting the moisture and humidity out on a regular basis makes for a far more comfortable environment, and prevents more serious problems from developing in the future.
Shop for dehumidifiers
A compact dehumidifier that's far more powerful than its compact size suggests
A larger model with laundry mode, and app controllable settings
A dessicant model more suited to use in colder spaces such as basements
Don't make these mistakes with windows and house burping
As well as opening our windows, dressing them with the wrong coverings can also exacerbate issues with moisture, so it's essential we use the right coverings to reduce the risk of mould and damp, says Helen O'Connor.
“Limit the places where mould can thrive by opting for anti-fungal roller blinds, which are specially coated to resist mould as well as other common bacteria," she says. “Alternatively, faux wooden blinds are water, warp and crack-resistant, meaning frequent cleaning won’t damage them.
"Fitting blinds further forward of the window pane also ensures that moisture won’t become trapped between the glass and the fabric,” she adds.
However, for the full effect of house burping don't assume that just because you have the right covering, you can leave it in situ.
Steven Dempsey, interior stylist expert at Shutterly Fabulous, explains this is a mistake that could make your condensation worse.
“Make sure to open your shutters and blinds fully during your daily house burp. If they stay closed, cold air can become trapped between the window and the blind, increasing the risk of condensation. Opening both the window and the blinds allows proper airflow and helps reduce moisture buildup around the glass.
“When done correctly, this burst of ventilation pushes out the stale indoor air and replaces it with fresh outdoor air, helping to reduce pollutants and allergens. It also naturally removes lingering odours," he adds, "leaving your home feeling cleaner and smelling fresher – without relying on fragranced products.”
How often should you house burp?
Although the recommended time for house burping is 10 minutes, it's worth weighing up the implications of opening your windows.
“Effective ventilation should be done in short bursts," recommends Helen O'Conner. "Anything too long can start to cause problems, such as heat loss – which makes the home less energy efficient, in turn increasing the cost of bills – and moisture problems.”
While summer is less of an issue (although particularly humid days could be best avoided), opening windows on rainy days will only serve to add more moisture into your home, as it equally will on dew laden mornings. And if you live in a city location, you could be letting unnecessary pollution circulate around your home.
As with any other method of removing moisture from your home, it's always better to make sure you tackle the root of the problem first and use preventative measures wisely.
While we don't suggest for one minute that you now insist on using this term every time you open your windows, or even pat yourself on the back for doing so, it should serve as a reminder that letting fresh air circulate around your home is the best form of natural ventilation you can adopt. And of course, it's also free.
However, if it's also made you sit back and think a little more about how you could improve your home ventilation in general, follow our guides to bathroom ventilation and loft ventilation to help ensure your home is functioning well.
