Open windows and doors against the flu
When the wind howls around the house and the rain beats against the windows, it is tempting to close doors and windows. Bad idea! Mold and dust mites can cause all kinds of health problems.
In homes that are insufficiently ventilated – and there are millions of them in the Netherlands – fungi and house mites thrive, partly because of the ten (!) liters of moisture that residents, pets and plants collectively produce per day. Molds and dust mites can cause health problems such as stuffiness, headache or chronic nose cold.
Therefore leave at least two windows ajar day and night (or open the ventilation grilles) so that the air can circulate well; the air in the house is then less humid. Just airing for an hour a day is not enough.
Cold and flu
“Walking in the rain gives you a cold”, you often hear. But none of that is true. Disease-causing bacteria and viruses spread through the air (talking, sneezing, coughing) or through hands or objects, such as a doorknob. Contamination mainly occurs in areas where people sit close to each other and where there is poor ventilation.
Good ventilation is also important to prevent autumn flu. Incidentally, it is true that the flu virus thrives better at lower temperatures, so that it remains active longer in the autumn and winter.
Tips
Other tips for avoiding the flu: Wash your hands several times a day and dry them with a paper towel (which you throw away afterwards). Touch your mouth, nose and eyes as little as possible. Cough or sneeze? Do that in the hollow of the elbow instead of in the hand; then the chance that you infect others is smaller. Use paper tissues for blowing your nose and throw them away immediately.
How much moisture does that produce in the house?
• Cooking at a time: 2 litres
• Wash dishes at a time: ½ liter
• Mopping the floor at a time: 1½ liter
• Breathing, perspiring per family per day: 2 to 5 liters
• Plant emissions per day: ½ to 2 liters
• Shower at a time: 0.2 to 2 liters
Sources):
- Plus Magazine
