Dark spots on walls are often a sign of mold. This isn't just a visual flaw; Mold is harmful to your health and has been linked to a variety of illnesses. Fungal infections can also damage structures in the long term. To prevent the formation of mold, reducing humidity is an effective measure. Proper ventilation and heating can often prevent mold in your home. The key is optimal air circulation in the individual rooms and adapting the ventilation behavior to the outside temperature.

How to prevent mold and mildew with proper ventilation

Mold is a type of fungus that requires heat and moisture to grow. Mold is particularly likely to thrive at room temperature and relative humidity above 60%. The more humid the air in a room, the more likely it is that black mold will appear. To reduce the humidity in your home and prevent mold from forming, you need to ventilate your home regularly.

Mold: Danger to your health

The federal Environment Agency has warned in a guide that staying in a room with a mold infestation could have consequences. Mold spores in the air can be particularly harmful to the respiratory tract. People with asthma are particularly susceptible and experience more severe symptoms. But runny noses, coughs, and respiratory infections are also often associated with mold on your walls. It is also suspected that the incidence of allergies will increase if you live under a moldy blanket for a long time. The guidance recommends reducing the humidity in a room to minimize the health risks posed by mold.

Proper ventilation and heating to prevent mold

Lowering humidity is the most effective way to prevent mold growth. Open windows to ventilate and replace humid indoor air with dry air from outside. Frequent ventilation is best so the room doesn't cool down too much. Sloping windows, on the other hand, only allow very slow air exchange and cause the temperature of the wall near the window to drop too much.
The better the air circulation, the faster the indoor air exchange during rapid ventilation. A duration of five to ten minutes is usually optimal. Turn off the heater when ventilating to save on heating costs.

How to effectively reduce humidity through ventilation

Proper ventilation means fresh air outside contains less moisture than stale air indoors. This occurs when the outside temperature is lower than the indoor temperature: because cold air can hold less water than hot air, cold air will be drier given the same relative humidity.
While you can ventilate at any time during the winter to reduce humidity and thereby prevent mold, the warmer the outside temperature is in the summer, the more moisture in the air that enters the apartment when ventilating becomes dangerous. If the fresh air inside the house cools, humidity increases and quickly builds up on walls and window panes. In the summer, ventilate when it's coolest outside (i.e. late at night or early in the morning).

How often do you need to ventilate the air to prevent mold?

Everyone adds humidity through breathing, and household activities such as showering and washing also contribute to increasing air humidity. The Federal Environment Agency calculated in a guide that a household of three people emits approximately 6 to 14 kilograms of water per day. In order to let the moisture out of the room, you must ventilate it about seven times a day.

Proper ventilation starts with room furnishings

Good air circulation is a prerequisite for effective air exchange during impingement ventilation. This is why wide opening windows are preferable to slanted windows. You can further increase the air exchange rate by opening the interior doors and windows of your apartment. If you open the windows on both sides of the house, ventilation will occur especially quickly. Through so-called cross ventilation, a short time is enough to replace the indoor air with fresh air.
However, it is also necessary that the air exchange in the room is not hindered. Therefore, be sure to open the curtains when drying! It is best to place large pieces of furniture a few centimeters from the walls and ceiling so that air can still circulate between them. Since the coldest surfaces in your home are most likely to be affected by moisture and mold growth, you should avoid placing larger cabinets on exterior walls and instead place them on the side of interior rooms in your home.

How to correctly adjust ventilation according to structural characteristics

Condensation often occurs on poorly insulated window panes because they quickly lose heat to the outside. Likewise, louver boxes and other fixtures can also cause thermal bridges, as these areas have the highest humidity in the room and are therefore most susceptible to the effects of mold. If you can't provide better insulation, ventilate it more frequently and warm the interior a little.
If you're moving into a new building, the walls may not be completely dry yet. To prevent mold from settling, you must first increase heating and ventilation. In this case, increased ventilation does not mean opening windows longer, but opening them more frequently during the day. Up to two heating periods may be required until all components are dry and the humidity in the new building returns to normal.

Ventilate during periods of high humidity to prevent mold formation

Certain activities, such as cooking or showering, release large amounts of water into the air in a short period of time. Large amounts of moisture can quickly settle in cooler areas of your home and promote the formation of mold stains. Ventilate immediately after completing activities to allow outdoor moisture to peak. During this time, keep interior doors closed to prevent moist air from spreading to the rest of the apartment.If possible, move clothing outside to dry during the summer. Since damp laundry can cause increased humidity over time, you should increase the room temperature.

Plants carry out photosynthesis and contribute oxygen in this way. But they do much more than that. Some beautiful plants can clear indoor air of pollutants that get mixed into the air we breathe through exhaust fumes, industry, and construction materials. In this way, they ensure better air quality. For your health, you should upgrade your home with the right air-purifying indoor plants.

The air in the room is thick

As modern humans, we spend most of our time indoors – whether at home or at work. It's not uncommon for the air to be thick. Unfortunately, our own four walls do not protect us from environmental pollutants—quite the opposite. The air quality inside a room is often worse than outside due to building materials, paint, mold, dust and last but not least cigarette smoke.
Examples of common toxic chemicals found in rooms include:
Trichlorethylene (TRI): Found in paints, adhesives, cleaners and insect sprays
Formaldehyde: Commonly found in rooms, for example in insulation, furniture, cigarette smoke, cleaning products, etc.
Benzene: from exhaust fumes, plastics and dyes, detergents, cigarette smoke, etc.
Xylene: from solvents, paints, plastics, pesticides, etc.
Ammonia: produced by the breakdown of manure, especially in agriculture, but also found in litter bins
These substances can cause headaches, allergies, and poor concentration. Some can even interfere with the central nervous system and have potential carcinogenic effects.

The indoor air is better and greener!

Luckily, there’s a natural and relatively inexpensive way to ensure better air quality within your own four walls: decorate your living space with lots of greenery! Not only do plants create a friendly atmosphere, they also act as silencers, oxygen distributors, air humidifiers - some selected specimens are even actual air purifiers!

Plants are oxygen donors and air humidifiers

Plants carry out photosynthesis – a metabolic process that makes our existence on Earth possible. Oxygen (O 2 ) and sugar are formed from water, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and light. This happens in chloroplasts, which are located in green leaves. This process is particularly useful for plants to generate energy. For us humans, photosynthesis is the basis of our ability to breathe. Plants improve indoor air quality by removing carbon dioxide from the air and providing oxygen. This is especially important in the bedroom, where more oxygen in the room means: better breathing, better well-being, and maximum performance.
Additionally, plants release large amounts of water through their leaves to water them. This happens in the form of water vapor. This means they also ensure higher humidity. Therefore, adding greenery can offset dry indoor air.
These are two great reasons to add some greenery to your home. But it gets better!

Plants are natural pollutant filters

Some plants have been shown to be able to break down certain pollutants – NASA demonstrated this 30 years ago. In this study, various plants were placed in airtight boxes and exposed to high concentrations of pollutants (trichlorethylene, formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, or ammonia). These were measured at different time intervals. The result: Some plants are effective at breaking down certain pollutants. Toxic substances are absorbed through small openings in the leaves, called stomata, and metabolized by the plant itself or released into the soil, where they are transformed by microorganisms.
Ultimately, these plants purify the air and ensure a healthy indoor climate. The aim of the research at the time was to find ways to improve the climate on the space station - something good for the astronauts that wouldn't do any harm to the living room!
In order for indoor plants to fully exert their effectiveness, we recommend placing at least one air purifying plant every 9 cubic meters. Size also matters: the bigger and more leaves, the better!

Can air purifiers relieve allergies? Pollen, house dust mites, animal hair… allergens don’t stop at your front door. For allergy sufferers, the body's overreaction to harmless substances can become a physical ordeal. Although there are many treatment options, the most effective method is to avoid the allergy-causing substance.
Around 25 million people in Germany suffer from allergies. Seemingly harmless particles like pollen, dust, or animal hair become torments and trigger nasty, threatening overreactions in the body. Exposure to these so-called allergens can cause symptoms such as a runny nose, asthma, or migraines. There are treatment options and methods for treating symptoms. Still, doctors recommend avoiding allergens if possible. It's not always easy. At home, an air purifier can help filter allergy-causing substances from the air.
What allergies can an air purifier help treat? Is there anything I need to pay attention to? What equipment is recommended? You will find answers to your questions here.
Symptoms of allergic reactions include but are not limited to:

In the worst-case scenario, life-threatening anaphylactic shock may occur. Fortunately, medicine is here to help—in the form of treatment options and medications to treat symptoms.
Allergies are very individual. In principle, the body can overreact to any substance. However, some substances can increase the risk of allergies. These include, for example, pollen, house dust, animal hair (or the saliva and sweat on it) and various food allergies.

Air purifiers can help relieve allergies

Many allergens enter our respiratory tract through the air - such as pollen and dust. There's not much we can do about it outside, but there's a solution at home: air purifiers can help solve such allergy problems by cleaning the air indoors.
Now you might think you are safe from allergens in your home? not at all. Allergy-causing substances can seep into every crevice and be carried indoors through clothing. In a closed room, they accumulate this way over time. Many allergens are also present in the home, such as house dust.
Air purifiers effectively remove the smallest particles from the air. For allergies, it is important that it is an air purifier with a HEPA filter.

When do air purifiers make sense for allergy sufferers?

Modern filtration systems make air purifiers very effective against allergies. However, there is a cost to purchasing. In addition, the filter must be replaced regularly. When does it really make sense to consider buying?
If you regularly struggle with allergies in your home, it often makes sense to consider using an air purifier to treat your allergies. However, first you should determine what you are allergic to. Air purifiers can only provide relief if allergens are airborne. This device cannot help treat food or contact allergies (such as detergents).
Air purifiers can help remove the following allergens or sensitizers:

• pollen
• dust in house
• animal hair
• mold spores
• particulates
• Other pollutants, such as chemical fumes

If you have allergies, what should you consider when buying an air purifier?

As an affected person, your goal is to eliminate allergens from the air you breathe. To achieve this goal, an air purifier suitable for allergy sufferers should have the following characteristics:
HEPA Filtration System: This is the most important thing! Devices with HEPA filters pull in air like a vacuum cleaner and pass it through a fine-pore filtration system where allergens are trapped. The air released is therefore free of allergens.
Sufficient performance: The performance of an air purifier is reflected in how much air it can circulate each time. Efficiency depends on the size of the room. Therefore, the air purifier should have an output suitable for the size of the room.
Volume: It is recommended to use low volume devices, especially in bedrooms.
A HEPA filter is an absolute must. Pure ionizers are not suitable. These devices produce negatively charged particles called ions. The ions react with particles in the air or form larger complexes. Materials in the air sink to the ground. This alone is no good for allergies, as allergens also end up on beds and upholstery, in higher concentrations. On the other hand, it is recommended to use an ionizer in conjunction with a HEPA filtration system.