Fresh air – made in Germany

What do you do when a room is stuffy? The Germans are experts: give it a good airing! And in all weathers, too. +30 degrees and the humidity is oppressive? Open the windows! -10 degrees and there’s a snowstorm raging outside? Open the windows! The German word “Stoßlüften” denotes a form of rapid room ventilation: it actually means opening the windows completely on opposite sides of a room for a few minutes – and in Germany it’s something of a mindset! The more draught, the better – may the doors bang and the crockery clatter. After all, this is the only way to replace the bad old air with good fresh air in a short space of time. And if your living room is transformed into a deep-freeze cabinet? No problem: an electric blanket, a hot water bottle or something similar will do the trick!

What seems perfectly logical to Germans is now causing something of a sensation elsewhere around the globe, too: room airing is spreading as a wellness trend on TikTok. But few people are aware that the Germans are not only masters of room airing, they’re experts when it comes to ventilation fittings, too. Let’s be honest: opening windows to let the air in is for beginners. On social media, the land of engineers (as Germany sometimes likes to style itself) is showcasing its expertise with intricately conceived tilting windows and ventilation slits in roller shutters. Tilting windows come from Germany – how could it be otherwise? They can either be opened completely or tilted inwards. Tilting windows are an absolute must-have for fans of precisely controlled airing down to the last molecule! Roller shutters are available in a number of highly innovative variants. But have you ever seen a roller shutter with fully integrated ventilation slits? These allow air to pass through even when the shutters are (almost) closed. A dream for every room airing enthusiast: after all, air is not just life, it’s a way of life, too!