this post was submitted on 24 Feb 2026
89 points (94.9% liked)

Ask Lemmy

38146 readers
1203 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions


Rules: (interactive)


1) Be nice and; have funDoxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them


2) All posts must end with a '?'This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?


3) No spamPlease do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.


4) NSFW is okay, within reasonJust remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either !asklemmyafterdark@lemmy.world or !asklemmynsfw@lemmynsfw.com. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].


5) This is not a support community.
It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email info@lemmy.world. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.


6) No US Politics.
Please don't post about current US Politics. If you need to do this, try !politicaldiscussion@lemmy.world or !askusa@discuss.online


Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.

Partnered Communities:

Tech Support

No Stupid Questions

You Should Know

Reddit

Jokes

Ask Ouija


Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu


founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Edit: Context behind this question is because my parents always tell me to shut the windows all the way and I kinda feel like I'm suffocating... literally... (it's Winter here)

Like I just struggle to breathe with windows closed...

So I'm just curious, how do y'all not suffocate while trying to keep house warm and spend less on heating?

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Horsey@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Live in a hot weather climate here in Tucson; windows are never open because of the effort required to open them shut them. The AC does its job just fine

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 2 days ago

During winter, having them open for any significant time would risk plumbing freezing. During summer, it's usually a matter of opening them at night so the coolness lasts through the day.

[–] shai_hulud@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I open at least one door so that my cat , bitches can watch "Bird TV" through the screen door, usually in the mornings while the outside temperature is nice.

I unfortunately live in Texas, so we'll reach fusion temps outside in April or May.

Yes, my cat's name is , bitches.

Must be weird to be calling for your cat if they ever escape 👀

[–] jagermo@feddit.org 63 points 3 days ago (11 children)

Daily, all year roun,for a short time.

Let me introduce you to Stoßlüften.

[–] gothic_lemons@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh wise German Airbender, what do I do if I live in a small apartment with no windows across from each other to create a cross draft? My windows in are in two rooms on the same side of the apartment. Save me from ventilation sin!

For real tho if you have any ideas I love fresh air and would love to hear them!

[–] jagermo@feddit.org 1 points 1 day ago

Open them both and then the door, would that help?

Fans are fine, actually, we are not the koreans! You might get a stiff neck from the Zug, but no fan death, probably.

[–] emigu@lemmy.world 17 points 3 days ago (1 children)

As a foreigner living in Germany, I just knew this would be the main response. Germans LOVE to air out rooms

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Strider@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Stoßlüften!!

(aside from rooms having ac, those don't need it)

[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 6 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Stale air contains high levels of CO₂, which can make you feel tired

Oh... no wonder why my circadian rhythm is fucked up... I feel so tired in the day and now its 1AM and I'm wide awake... 🫠

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 6 points 3 days ago

isnt also the lack of sunlight too during winter makes you depressed, less VITAMIN D more depression.

load more comments (3 replies)
load more comments (7 replies)
[–] underscores@lemmy.zip 6 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I open the windows during winter even when it's like -30c, at some point the air gets stale and circulation is needed. The stuffy air also makes my headspace feel weird, like something is irritating me but I can't tell what it is.

Then at some point I open the windows, I also run a huge fan to circulate air around.

[–] Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)
[–] abecede@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

Austrian here: STOSSLÜFTEN!

[–] Washedupcynic@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 days ago

In the winter I have no control over the heat. My radiator has a direct line to the pits of hell. So the windows are open all winter long. They are open in the spring and fall as long as the temp inside will be comfortable. Closed in the summer because AC.

[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago

When we taste the air is a bit a stale, we open the all the windows and sliding doors to exchange the air during all seasons.

[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 day ago

Antarctican lumberjack, don't open the windows or doors in winter, check out the window in summer if any trees have sprouted (none so far).

[–] Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org 24 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Still too much! I haven't migrated everything to Linux yet (poor me).

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] scoobford@piefed.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

My building is on an old chiller system, so my AC is off ~5 months out of the year. My windows are open the entire time, and I usually have fans set up too to try and keep things cool.

When my AC is on, absolutely never. It is hot here like 7 months out of the year. 

[–] kSPvhmTOlwvMd7Y7E@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Paris here, we sleep usually windows (slightly) open, yes even now in winter

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 days ago

Windows open just a bit in winter is wonderful. Such good sleep!

[–] Ryanmiller70@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I rarely ever open windows unless someone asks me to. I get a lot of complaints during the summer of how hot it is indoors, but I adore the heat.

[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I adore the heat

Satan is that you?

[–] Ryanmiller70@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 days ago

I've been called a great many things over the millenia and that is one yes

[–] M137@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

A lot less than I want and need to. My social anxiety is ridiculous with small stuff like this, just opening the windows easily gives me anxiety because I hear people outside. It sucks but I often manage to do it for a while before I have visitors, just so the air fresher.

[–] BladeFederation@piefed.social 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Almost never. I lived in a bad neighborhood for too long, so I doubt that habit will change.

[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago

bad neighborhood

I remember when I was in China we used to have 防盗网 ("Anti-Theft Nets") all over our windows... I mean it also prevents us kids from falling out of windows I guess.

I remember my old apartment in Guangzhou, there was a sofa next the the window, the TV is on the opposide of the sofa. And behind the sofa was the window, that looked down straight to the alleyway (not a street, cars can't get in, the main road is like 10-20 minutes of walking distance away)...

Like sometimes as kids you play around and climb the sofa and then the top of the sofa (like the thing where you lean you back against) is the same height of the window.

So you could accidentally play around and if the window was open, you could, you know how kids be, peek out the window out of curiousity and fall out and die.

Like the only thing standing in the way is the Anti-Theft Net thingy.

This is what it looks like (random image found online):

I was always told to "be careful or you can fall out of there and DIE" and jeez... kid-me got so terrified of heights.

The stairs also have a bare-minimum concrete/cement barrier, you can get drunk, accidentally hop over it, and fall down to your death...

Come to think of it you could literally murder someone and pretend they accidentally fell. (Russian Dissidents have joined the chat 👀)

I remember when I visited one of my aunts apartment... it was like 16 floors high in the middle of Manhattan... OMG I got so scared... but I wanna look outside the window but I immediately just feel like I have a panic attack like "OMG what if I fall out?"...

I remember having a sleepover there with my family and literally every moment awake I was like Window = Scary

But yea I asked my parents "why not install those like we had in China", but apparantly most cities in the US have city ordinances against these things, you need a permit for it... and then since it's not the norm in the US, you'd just get targeted since people would think: "Ooh they must be rich / hiding a lot of valuables" so yea we don't have those anti-theft nets here in the US.

[–] Junkers_Klunker@feddit.dk 14 points 3 days ago

Dane here. I open all windows for five minutes two times a day, also in the winter.

[–] MysteriousB@piefed.social 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Spain, in winter at least 15 minutes in the morning after waking up and 15 minutes in the evening. In Summer I try not to open the windows during the day only at night because I will be naked alive otherwise

[–] oopsgodisdeadmybad@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Better than being naked dead I guess.

[–] MysteriousB@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago

Autocorrect from burned alive, naked alive is already the reality in summer lol

[–] exaybachae@startrek.website 12 points 3 days ago

Southern US, windows are only open in winter, basically whenever it's comfortable outside. Never in the summer. The A/C runs basically 24hrs a day during the hottest 2 months of the year.

Windows on the car are basically left cracked for the opposite time. Rain deflector are installed to allow for this without rain getting in.

[–] urheber@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 3 days ago

I use linux

[–] karasu_sue@pf.korako.me 8 points 3 days ago

I basically never open my windows. This winter, I don’t think I opened them at all except maybe during a big cleaning day.

In Japan, ventilation is required by law, and most modern houses are equipped with a 24-hour ventilation system. Because of that, we don’t really need to open the windows to get fresh air — the system continuously circulates air for us.

At the same time, it doesn’t make the house noticeably colder in winter or hotter in summer. The air also goes through filters, which is especially nice during pollen season.

So I don’t really feel suffocated even with the windows closed, since the air is still being exchanged constantly.

[–] AstroLightz@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I never open Windows regardless of season.

I like the fresh scent of Mint in my house instead.

[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 days ago

fresh scent of Mint

Oh you...

xD this is the best Linux joke by far.

(You did make a Linux joke and it's not a coincidence right?)

[–] VibeSurgeon@piefed.social 9 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Spring: Never, my partner is allergic to tree pollen released during the spring, nor does the indoor temperature warrant opening the windows

Summer: Sometimes in late summer - I am allergic to grass pollen highly prevalent in early summer. Once they clear, I open the windows when it's warmer inside than outside, to cool down my apartment slightly

Autumn: Rarely. The temperature usually does not warrant opening the windows

Winter: Never. It's far too cold to let heat intentionally escape

How I avoid suffocation: my apartment is well-ventilated, this is not an issue whatsoever

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] sturmblast@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Whenever it's vomfy

[–] Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I got a Technoline WL1030 meter for my room and whenever it reaches 1500 ppm CO2 I open the window until its back down below about 600-700, then I close it to not waste more heat than necessary

Edit: To give some more context, my room is 14 m^2 and about 2.50m high so roughly 35 m^3 of air minus some occupied by furniture call it 30 m^3 maybe. It is a modern house with good insulation and energy retention rating (built to the "Minergie" standard we have here in Switzerland), but without forced air, so not much air is exchanged when the windows are closed. With this I end up roughly having to exchange the air every three hours or so.

[–] Kissaki@feddit.org 4 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HNq-De_wCx0

In the winter, Stoßlüften, especially to get moisture out in winter, to reduce and clear out condensed water on windows and prevent mold. I guess bathroom after a shower more than other rooms either way. In the summer, full night, none during the day.

Sometimes not for a few days, sometimes multiple times a day, sometimes open all day. Depends on the season and a few other things.

[–] 87Six@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 days ago

I find that I need to open them 2-3 times a day.

I open them when humidity goes above 60% in my room, and keep it open until it reaches under 50.

This usually means opening them 2-3 times daily.

Otherwise I get the same suffocating feeling.

This definitely varies by region.

[–] somenonewho@feddit.org 3 points 3 days ago

Honestly. I used to always keep my window open* over the night. This winter was the first I have regularly not opened my window and just opened it for a bit during the day (yes stoßlüften), which I of course did before as well, since I'm German 😅

* when I say "open" I mean my window would usually be tilted open ("gekippt") not fully opened wide

[–] YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 2 points 2 days ago

Only when it's cold. Windows are open most of the year.

load more comments
view more: next ›