What is ‘house burping’? The German winter habit that’s suddenly all over the internet

Lüften, the German practice of airing homes, gains global attention. (Representational image)

• House burping means airing out homes by opening windows to remove stale air
• Experts say house burping reduces indoor toxins and mould risk
• The practice gained popularity during COVID-19 for its health benefits

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Over the past few weeks, social media users may have come across a German term called “Lüften”, which roughly means airing out or ventilating. It refers to the practice of opening windows once or twice a day to eliminate stale air from the home, no matter the weather outside.

What is house burping?

As Lüften gained attention online, Americans started referring to it as “house burping,” a term likely borrowed from burping infants to expel trapped gas and has since been used casually widely.

The practice is simple and cost-free -- it acts as a daily prevention measure, not a lifestyle preference. Indian households and Germans were following this practice well before it gained online attention.

The habit became more popular during COVID-19 after Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor at the time, called it low-cost and effective to limit the virus’s spread.

Although critics point out that house burping may allow dust and pollen to enter the home, the benefits surpass the cons.

Benefits of house burping

According to experts, house burping is effective. The Environmental Protection Agency advises opening windows to reduce volatile organic compounds in the home. The chemicals are released by everyday items such as furniture, mattresses, cosmetics and cleaning products and can trigger headaches, itchy eyes and breathing problems.

Dr Parham Azimi, a research associate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said there is evidence that regularly airing out homes may help control household mould. His research found that keeping windows closed was linked to higher risks of mould growth.

According to Dr Joshua Nosanchuk, a professor and microbiology researcher at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and an infectious disease physician at Montefiore Health System, better ventilation could remove many airborne toxins that irritate the US. Part of the problem is that we hermetically seal our houses. We don’t want the air conditioning to get out and we don’t want the heat to get it out,” he said.