Iowa, Illinois Join Growing Trend Of “House Burping”

Winter weather is bringing along some odd practices.

We know that over the next several days we're about to get smacked with cold weather. It's not a fun time. Sub-zero temps and wind chills, snow, all the stuff that makes us wish for spring.

As this weather moves in around the country, "house burping" is becoming more of a trend.

According to NBC Chicago, it's part of a German practice called "lüften", which translates to 'airing out'. Basically, "house burping" is just opening the windows in your house to allow some fresh air in to ventilate.

Lüften is a heavy practice in Germany, where there are even some leases that require tenants to open their windows several times a day. The idea is to open all windows in a room (better yet, the whole house).

And the 'house burping' trend isn't a bad idea. Chief Technology Officer for AtmosAir Solutions Tony Abate told the outlet that it can help prevent mold, contaminants, and carbon dioxide build-up.

There are ideal times to 'burp' your house, like first thing in the morning, after you've taken a shower, after you've cooked, or after people come over to visit. And you don't have to leave windows open for long: 10 minutes max.

As we go into particularly cold temperatures, be careful about when/how long you open the windows to 'burp' the house. Meanwhile, the social media trend isn't only picking up steam in the U.S. but abroad too, with U.K. countries starting to do it this winter.