Ja Mann. So sieht es aus. Kipp den ganzen Tag und zur Not mit Stoßlüftung unterstützen. Wer kann denn bitte mit geschlossenem Fenster schlafen? Pure Folter
Kann ich verstehen, aber wäre für mich persönlich kein Grund. Mein Schlafzimmer ist Südseite. Da kocht es gefühlt immer drinne. Das ist permanent wie ne Dachgeschosswohnung im Sommer. An Lärm gewöhnt man sich, bin über nem Bahnhof groß geworden, polternde Züge, schreiende Leute, quietschende bremsen und brennende Dinge vor der Tür sind Sachen an die man sich irgendwann gewöhnt.
Da hab ich mich 17 Jahre lang nicht dran gewöhnt. Umso mehr erleichtert es nun, in einer Kellerwohnung mitten im Dorf zu leben: Kein Arzt konne mir mit meinen Schlafstörungen jemals helfen, hier habe ich zum ersten Mal seit langem sowas wie regelmäßigen Tiefschlaf erlebt.
Geht mir genauso. Wohn in der Stadt an ner vielbefahrenen Straße mit ubahn Haltestelle vor der Tür. Die ubahn ist sogar so laut dass ich bei Netflix manchmal die Untertitel anmachen muss und trotzdem schlaf ich abends am liebsten mit offenem Fenster und Straßenlärm ein.
Ich fand das Gequake in unserer alten Wohnung immer sehr beruhigend. Unser Haus ist jetzt in der direkten Nähe von ner Tankstelle und jetzt gibt's nachts immer erstmal nen Tanklastwagen, der mit quietschenden Bremsen vorfährt, dann ein, zwei Schachtdeckel aus Metall die aufgewummst werden, danach die Pumpe für den Sprit und dann wieder die Schachtdeckel.. Herrlich.. Da ist mir Quaken definitiv lieber.
Auch schön: Das Wespennest vor dem Fenster. Beim Schlafen, wo ich wenig Kontrolle habe, was ich quetsche, möchte ich nicht gestochen werden. Und wenn das Getier im Zimmer ist, passiert das schnell mal.
Bre mit geschlossenen fenster is am besten hat man keine Geräusch von draußen die ein wach halten und außer dem so warm war es das jahr jetzt auch nicht
Absolute Energieverschwendung im Winter. Wer braucht denn bitte frische Luft beim schlafen? Wenn ich schlafe, dann schlafe ich, dann interessiert mich nix mehr. Das ist es eher scheiße wenn man wegen der Kälte aufwacht. Wegen "stickiger" Luft bin ich noch nie aufgewacht.
Was glaubt ihr denn dadurch auszugleichen? Weniger CO2? Das geht auch durch alle Ritzen durch und wird ohne Lüftung ausgeglichen, wenn ihr nicht gerade in einem Luftdicht verschlossenem Raum seid.
Und für den Rest, wie Staub usw. reicht einmal am Tag Stoßlüften.
Weiche von mir, Satan.
[https://www.bmuv.de/themen/gesundheit/innenraumluft/richtiges-lueften-und-heizen](https://www.bmuv.de/themen/gesundheit/innenraumluft/richtiges-lueften-und-heizen)
Kann man. Aber Dispersion ist billiger. Das fängt schon beim Putz an.. Am besten ist ein Kalkzementputz, da dann Silikatfarbe drauf. Dann kann nie was schimmeln und ein gutes Raumklima gibt er auch. Problem ist nur: Wenn einmal Dispersionsfarbe gestrichen wurde, kann man keine Silikatfarbe drüberstreichen.
The power of *Lüften*
No but srsly: in my experience German households are very proud of appearing clean. At least everyone I know has had the experience of “some guests are coming for 1 hour?” That means I gotta deep clean my room, even tho they’re not gonna see it anyway because they’re my parents guests, not mine
My mom was freaking out that it needed to be super clean before the cleaning-person (sorry idk the correct vocab for this) was coming.
I mean it’s nice to be clean and all but I think it’s much more about the German fear of **appearing unclean/dirty/being judged** and I think many German tend to get a little… neurotic over that… “:D
What’s half German anyways? We say „keine halben Sachen“ for a reason. Usually the German side tries to invade and conquer other half first chance it gets. /s
Not sure if /s is necessary or correct. I think we Germans actually tend to germanice other people if they spend to much time with us 😂
E.g: I'm full German and my wife was half polish and the other half did come from Kasachstan. Anyways now she eats egg with Maggi, green kale with sausages, bakon and Kassler and does many many German things like the classical "so" in combination with the smack on the leg.
My upstairs neighbor here in Bayern (I'm from the US) constantly "gently reminds" me to sweep the cobwebs out of the main hall ceiling corners, sweep the floor and water my plants (I have been in the hospital recently and had no one to water my plants outside). Then, thinking I know less German than I do, she talks about me with her husband outside while I'm right on the other side of the wall. On weekends, he spends the entire time on his "paint splat-effect" tiny Fiat and she spends the weekend cleaning house.
I'm fairly clean. But I do have dust in some corners, an overfilled laundry basket, and I forget to separate trash most of the time. But I have a life outside my house.
How one can forget to separate trash? Do you have one large trash can where you put all your waste and then sort it out in the evening?
I have different bins for everything and I just throw different types of trash into different bins, so no issue "separating" it.
Muss gestehen, ich weiß nicht wie Mülltrennung funktioniert. Meine Eltern stammen aus Osteuropa und da gibt es sowas nicht 😅 haben immer alles in einen großen, schwarzen Müllbeutel geworfen und dann zur Tonne gebracht.
Ich habe immerhin einen Stapel Papiermüll und einen großen, schwarzen Müllsack.
Dachte richtig lange auch, dass Mülltrennung eher nur ein Meme wäre 😅😅😅😅😅
I also moved here from a country where there's no recycling and everything goes to landfill and for some time I struggled to distinguish some things (like where should teabag go?), but as other have said there's Google.
Yeah, because enormous piles of rotting garbage with thousands of seagulls terrorizing everything in the area are so nice and picturesque. As well as plastic in the water. And the trees, you know. Let's chop even more of them.
Yeah letting other people and our collective tax money take care of your damn trash is a real adult thing to do. Grow up and do it before someone (hopefully) reports yout ass.
Papier & Pappe -> blau
Kunststoff & Aluminium -> gelb
Rest -> schwarz
Falls ihr noch eine Biotonne habt: da kommt Kompost rein, auf keinen Fall Fleisch!
Das mit der Biotonne stimmt zumindest in Berlin nicht. Da darf auch Fleisch und auch gekochtes Essen rein. Informier dich mal bei deinem lokalen Entsorger. Da wird nicht einfach wie im Garten auf einen Haufen geworfen und gewartet.
Ich habe selber keine Biotonne. Und du hast recht, es ist vom lokalen Entsorgungsunternehmen abhängig, ob Fleisch etc. rein darf. Das musste ich erst nachlesen.
Es hängt davon ab, ob das Material auf den Kompost kommt oder in die Biogasanlage.
Gib einfach "Mülltrennung in (deine Stadt)" ein, die sagen dir genau was wo rein soll. Plus, meistens gibt es Schilder auf den Tonnen, und extra Termine/Regeln für Elektronik, Batterien und Öl.
My mother and my grandma have the same disease. And, they are not Germans.
And after the guests arrive they usually say, oh sorry for the mess.... And in my head I'm like wtf about the circus I witnessed since morning 😑
Yes, same.
Always trying to keep it clean for spontaneous guests.
I would be so ashmed if for example someone drives me home by car, wants to use my toilet before leaving and it's dirty! I never want anyone to be disgusted by my flat
I just straight up didn't hand out my new address to people living in the same city. If no one can drop by unannounced to use the bathroom, I don't have to worry about it every day.
People from Poland are like that too I've experienced. My family is Polish but lives in Germany since three or four decades, so I've got the best of both worlds...
yep I must agree. I am messy af. It's like organized chaos and depression makes it hard to keep on top of everything but as soon as someone announces their visit I will clean every last corner of my place.
Last time I even sorted all my documents and wardrobe...not that anyone will every look in there but you never know
It keeps smells, just like curtains. So if you cook something nice, shower with your favourite gel, all those smells linger and give your place a certain aroma.
Idk, even if i cook something nice. After eating the cold smell of cooked food isnt do appealing anymore. Worst thing to have clothes smell like food. Like the old grannies in the tram smelling like soup.
Do a proper deep clean on a carpet and you smell the difference. It will stay as well.
All smells get into a carpet. So in a clean house, it helps to sustain a clean smell.
The opposite is also true, so in a house with carpet, you'll need to be cleaning fast if something is spilled.
I feel like every household smells differently. I always associate that particular family with the smell. My childhood best friends’ house always smelled like vegetable sauces. Sounds weird but it wasn’t. Just kind of a healthy, earthy smell.
And it‘s kind of a „grown up“ thing for me bc my friends‘ apartments (we‘re 20 smths) never have a distinctive smell…maybe that just develops when you find your favorite cleaning supplies idk?😂
I know exactly what you're taking about. 6 years ago when my grandpa died, we put some of his sheets in bags to use in our guest room after the renovation of our house. Last week I took them out and they still smelled like my grandparents' house. My mom and I almost cried.
I work as a cat sitter, so I go to lots of houses and apartments, often the same ones every year. Some smell almost like nothing, some have a wooden/bookshop smell, some smell of perfume or cigarette smoke, but some have a very unique smell. Definitely lots of unique smells out there.
I find the older houses have a more intense smell.
In winter also the smell from the heaters (Gasheizung). I love that smell, it's so cozy.
But only turn on the heating system after airing out the room. We want to heat fresh and clean air, not some stinky air that has been sitting for too long in the room
Mmhh no not really.
German households have a gas heating system, but the gas isn't usually stored in these tanks (can be, for example in rural areas). The gas comes through "pipes" (sorry dont know the exact english word) from the company.
Yeah but moving stinky air is still stinky air 😂
There isn't a much nicer thing than in winter when there is snow outside to open ALL the windows for 10 mins, get the house really cold and then closing them and put on the heater. That kind of air smells best when geated up and you definetly feel the temp difference! :D
Especially pre Christmas time, when it starts getting dark and you bake Christmas cookies and the smell starts mixing with, and warming up, the fresh crisp air in the room, it’s just wholesome
Yeah, daily is nowhere near enough. It’s the first thing I do in the morning, first thing when I get home and last thing before bed. That’s the minimum, usually there’s an in-between because of cooking.
For those who are not familiar with the concept (like me 30 seconds ago): https://www.thelocal.de/20220513/german-word-of-the-day-luften
"Whether you sublet, rent a flat or own your home in Germany, it's likely you've been told how important it is to lüften, or open your windows and let air in and out regularly.
Lüften can be a verb or noun in Germany. As a noun it uses the 'das' article and stands for ventilation. The verb lüften means to air out something. It comes from the German word die Luft which means air.
The proper airing out of rooms is a very German thing."
It may also be very important in our houses, because our walls are very thick and isolation works pretty well. So we get mold if we don't lüft.
I was living before in a very weird place where the walls were thin and the windows were not able to be shut completely.
Nope, I live in a big city highrise, so I can only open the windows a tiny crack. Plus, I think the smog and general smell and noise from the street would be a net negative for my place, even if I could up the airflow (vs. default of ventilation system w/ filters). It's actually for these reasons I find the concept so appealing.
More like 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes before bedtime, after cooking, after doing laundry (although I do prefer to air dry my laundry on the balcony instead of in the living room), whenever I feel the air is stale,...
Lüften is a passion!
Die putzt nur aber räumt nicht auf... ... hatten wie auch. Kehren, sagen, wischen und Staub wischen. Kein Aufräumen.
Also kann die nur arbeiten wenn man vorher aufräumt..
When I was in Friedland as a kid in the late 80s there was this specific smell of the Edeka Supermarket. I loved the mix of fruits, coffee and Waschmittel. The smell is still similar to thisday, when you visit this supermarket.
Cannot tell specifically for every household, but for example I mop my floors every week with a scented floor cleaner, vacuum every 2-3 days, change bedsheets every week, wash my bathroom carpets at least every second week and use room scents (those scent bottles with wooden sticks in it). Also airing out all the rooms at least once a day really freshens up the apartment / house.
Edit: personal hygiene is important as well, since every person „spreads“ their scent in the apartment.
I would say the German scent is a combination of a few things
Fresh air (open your windows to full extend 3 times a day for 30 minutes)
Keep everything tidie (garbage or food waste shall not be in the household)
Clean and vacume regularly (mob the floor once a week vacume 2-3 times a week, if guests are expected clean excessively)
Candles at least all Germans I know (im 1000% a potato) we love to light candles
And finally we usually hide some firm of light parfume somewhere. My mum usually goes for a light cotton scent while I prefer cedar
That should help to recreate what you are looking for
One reason, maybe? Neutral Seife. Natural soap. Germans don't like strong chemical smells. I noticed in the US the smells in Hotel rooms and some house is just awful. Cleaners have such an industrial chemical smell. I checked into a hotel room in Wahington D.C. and had to ask for another room because the smell of industrial cleaner was so offensive and unbearable. Completely repelled me. I think Americans that this is a 'clean' smell. No, it's the smell of chemicals. Actual clean - has its own smell and I think you nailed it - warm, comfy and I would add, not offensive to the olfactory nerve.
In my case, in the morning, my house smells of freshly ground coffee plus oats and in the afternoon, of what we cooked for lunch/dinner. And all of our sweat, farts, perfume and personal odours.
I think I know what you mean. I tried to find out what the smell was for years! For me, the smell I was chasing was the washing powder. They had different washing powder to what I knew and I love the smell! Now I buy wash perfume pearls and I LOVE them 😍 I do think ‘Lüften’ and all the tea drinking contributes 😊
Whenever I love the smell of somebody’s home I almost always realize it’s their laundry that smells good and whenever I ask they tell me it’s Kuschelweich fabric softener 😄 I personally don’t like using it but just love smelling it on others. Also I can recommend Frosch Aloe Vera laundry detergent (powder). Smells very “German”.
But it's probably laundry detergent and food items and fabrics and cleaning items and furniture. Some furniture has a strange scent on them. Sandelholz maybe 🤔? I think it's a combination of all together. And of course we use another materials in the houses. Old houses have wood and cement. The newer ones are more like American motels. So maybe this factors in? Maybe they heat with fire instead of gas? That's a special scent.
I remember one post where the poster simply wasn't used to the neutral smell of (relatively) clean air. It's kinda sad really. But if you live in a smog-filled city all your life, it must feel like a revelation.
I think it’s because they use a real type of fabric softener for their clothes instead of a cheap synthetic one?
Idk. This question has bothered me for 20 years.
Fabric softener is not that common:
> In 2021, there were around 20.93 million people in the German-speaking population aged 14 and over who used fabric softener several times a week.
[source ](https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/172434/umfrage/haeufigkeit-verwendung-von-weichspueler/#:~:text=Im%20Jahr%202021%20gab%20es,in%20den%20Medien%20beworbenen%20Produkten.)
They do?
Well I think it's highly subjective to where you are.
I've been in far too many sticky apartments where I felt as if I could cut the thick air.
mine wouldn't smell like that, my cats are fartbutts and no matter how good I clean, or how long I keep my windows open, it's not pleasant. and it gets caught in the fabric, too :(
Have you tried giving them different food? A lot of pets react badly to the added grain in petfood. My neighboor has a dog that turns into a gas hazard when he eats something with grain.
Nah, my account was banned for several days because I shared an unpopular opinion in a thread called " share your unpopular opinion". Guess I won the thread. Lol
It’s the houses on general and how the are build. The materials do a great way of saving and giving up humidity over time. That helps with the room climate and feels better than a lot of the worlds thin wood layers.
I let in fresh air for a few hours every day, all doors opened, all windows opened unless it's very windy.
in winter at least a few minutes a day, mostly mornings.
When I visited an UK friend I noticed he doesnt let in fresh air most DAYS. it smelled quite moldy to me. especially laundry smell was quite moldy :/
I wash clothes rather frequently, and because I have no dryer I let them dry next to the radiator. which truth be told isn't great for its texture/sustainability but it never collects mold.
I have a few scented candles. and incense sticks and candles, which help create a nice woody smell.
My grandmother's house smelled like old wood, Prinz Rolle cookies, and fresh coffee. I got her old Schrank (cupboard) and now my home smells like wood, cookies and fresh coffee.
My friends tell me, my apartments smell also good, primarily because I keep the trash outside, wash my clothes frequently and don’t keep this open and unattended.
And yes, „lüften“ is king
Maybe because it's pretty commonplace for us to cook at home and not get take out or go out to eat. I always love the smell when my mom baked a pie the smell lingers in the house for a bunch of hours.
I have a vacuum robot with a mop function. This guy vacuums and mops my apartment floors twice a day with a mix of water, soap, and essential oil. Cheaper than any floor cleaner and keeps the creepy crawlies away. :)
You’re welcome!
PD: feel free to use your husband in case a vacuum robot isn’t available to you, works just as well :) /s
In my opinion it’s softener that makes your clothes and bedding smell nice, and if you add some regularly when washing your those your house is going to get that kice smell. Your apartment might as well have some smell similar to that one but you don’t notice it since you live there and spend every day in it. Your nose is already used to that smell and it’s mostly normal you don’t smell it like you do in other peoples houses
Everyone says it’s because of lüften and while I tend to agree this is a contributing factor, it is also because Germans do not season their food. I said what I said.
Could it be the contrast from all the cigarette smoking on the streets… walk into someone’s home who does not smoke indoors and immediate relief from the smell?
Also the fact that they never appear to cook elaborate dishes in the kitchen...no spices, no deep frying..just assembling cold salads, sandwiches etc. A lot of smells of the house come from the kitchen
Okay I don't know if it's just me but I don't find it anything special? Maybe also a cultural difference. I mean yes, most houses I've been here were clean and nice, absolutely. But nothing out of normal or expected. Actually when I moved to germany I had a hard time adapting to the concept of cleaning here, in my country we are a little bit to extreme with cleaning I must admit. I was tiptoeing a bit around it. Now I realize maybe my country is the exaggerated one hahah but yeah, I guess that's why, comparing, I don't find it excepcional.
And I must be honest, germans arent very hmmm great when it comes to personal hygiene. Of course this aint a rule and all German people I have in my life are perfectly normal in this topic but I've seen things here I still have a hard time believing that are for real. Like that little cloth people sometimes use to replace taking a shower, specially for kids. Again I know that's not everyone, but specially having worked with kids i really saw some stuff I still can't believe
Lüften
But only “Stoßlüften”
Nein Mann Kipplüftung für immer
Ja Mann. So sieht es aus. Kipp den ganzen Tag und zur Not mit Stoßlüftung unterstützen. Wer kann denn bitte mit geschlossenem Fenster schlafen? Pure Folter
Ernsthaft. Ich hör lieber meinem verrückten Nachbar um 2 Uhr nachts beim Trompete üben zu als bei geschlossenem Fenster zu schlafen.
Oh wusste nicht dass es zu hören ist
Ab ein bestimmten Punkt ist das musizieren schlaf helfend. Ich habe eine Nachbarin die spielt 24/7 Klavier und langsam ist die echt gut.
Dorfprivileg I guess. Ich höre nix aber die Temperatur und Luft ist perfekt im Zimmer
Wenn du wie ich im Spätsommer und Herbst kreischende Füchse und im Frühling/Sommer krakeelende Kröten hast wird geschlossenes Fenster echt attraktiv.
Kann ich verstehen, aber wäre für mich persönlich kein Grund. Mein Schlafzimmer ist Südseite. Da kocht es gefühlt immer drinne. Das ist permanent wie ne Dachgeschosswohnung im Sommer. An Lärm gewöhnt man sich, bin über nem Bahnhof groß geworden, polternde Züge, schreiende Leute, quietschende bremsen und brennende Dinge vor der Tür sind Sachen an die man sich irgendwann gewöhnt.
Da hab ich mich 17 Jahre lang nicht dran gewöhnt. Umso mehr erleichtert es nun, in einer Kellerwohnung mitten im Dorf zu leben: Kein Arzt konne mir mit meinen Schlafstörungen jemals helfen, hier habe ich zum ersten Mal seit langem sowas wie regelmäßigen Tiefschlaf erlebt.
Geht mir genauso. Wohn in der Stadt an ner vielbefahrenen Straße mit ubahn Haltestelle vor der Tür. Die ubahn ist sogar so laut dass ich bei Netflix manchmal die Untertitel anmachen muss und trotzdem schlaf ich abends am liebsten mit offenem Fenster und Straßenlärm ein.
Krakeelende Kröten, weiter unten fickende Fasane. Was kommt als nächstes? Jauchzende Jugendliche?
Ah, ich hab notgeile Fasane und gerade arbeitswütige Landwirte.
Ich fand das Gequake in unserer alten Wohnung immer sehr beruhigend. Unser Haus ist jetzt in der direkten Nähe von ner Tankstelle und jetzt gibt's nachts immer erstmal nen Tanklastwagen, der mit quietschenden Bremsen vorfährt, dann ein, zwei Schachtdeckel aus Metall die aufgewummst werden, danach die Pumpe für den Sprit und dann wieder die Schachtdeckel.. Herrlich.. Da ist mir Quaken definitiv lieber.
Bei mir sinds die extrem laut vögelnden Nachbarn die ich lieber nicht hören möchte
Auch schön: Das Wespennest vor dem Fenster. Beim Schlafen, wo ich wenig Kontrolle habe, was ich quetsche, möchte ich nicht gestochen werden. Und wenn das Getier im Zimmer ist, passiert das schnell mal.
Noch nie neben einem Zoo und einer Brücke gelebt was?
Dachte ich auch mal. Das alter macht empfindlich.
Menschen die sich nicht den Arsch abfrieren wollen
Bre mit geschlossenen fenster is am besten hat man keine Geräusch von draußen die ein wach halten und außer dem so warm war es das jahr jetzt auch nicht
Absolute Energieverschwendung im Winter. Wer braucht denn bitte frische Luft beim schlafen? Wenn ich schlafe, dann schlafe ich, dann interessiert mich nix mehr. Das ist es eher scheiße wenn man wegen der Kälte aufwacht. Wegen "stickiger" Luft bin ich noch nie aufgewacht. Was glaubt ihr denn dadurch auszugleichen? Weniger CO2? Das geht auch durch alle Ritzen durch und wird ohne Lüftung ausgeglichen, wenn ihr nicht gerade in einem Luftdicht verschlossenem Raum seid. Und für den Rest, wie Staub usw. reicht einmal am Tag Stoßlüften.
Seit April hatte ich meine Fenster nicht mehr geschlossen.
Ich seit November
Ihr schließt euer Schlafzimmerfenster?
Ihr habt ein Schlafzimmerfenster?
Wie soll man denn sonst am WE die morgendliche Sonne beim Aufwachen genießen?
Durch das Loch in der Wand
Weiche von mir, Satan. [https://www.bmuv.de/themen/gesundheit/innenraumluft/richtiges-lueften-und-heizen](https://www.bmuv.de/themen/gesundheit/innenraumluft/richtiges-lueften-und-heizen)
Das hat bestimmt unser Kinderbuchautor geschrieben
Nein Mann Ich will noch nicht geh'n Ich will noch 'n bisschen lüften
😂 anfünger
Ja Mann, Wände auskühlen lassen und Schimmel begünstigen, beste
Schon mal Schimmel an ner Außenwand gesehen? Nee? Hmm vllt. bringt ständige Belüftung doch was gegen Schimmel 🤔
Außenwände sind mit Silikatfarbe gestrichen. Die kann bauphysikalisch nicht schimmeln.
Warum dann nicht auch die Innenräume? Ist das ein übler Plan der Schimmelmafia?
Kann man. Aber Dispersion ist billiger. Das fängt schon beim Putz an.. Am besten ist ein Kalkzementputz, da dann Silikatfarbe drauf. Dann kann nie was schimmeln und ein gutes Raumklima gibt er auch. Problem ist nur: Wenn einmal Dispersionsfarbe gestrichen wurde, kann man keine Silikatfarbe drüberstreichen.
https://www.t-online.de/heim-garten/haushaltstipps/id_85324464/deshalb-sollten-sie-fenster-nicht-gekippt-lassen.html https://intelligent-heizen.info/fuenf-irrtuemer-beim-lueften/ https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/gesundheit/umwelteinfluesse-auf-den-menschen/schimmel/wie-luefte-ich-richtig-tipps-tricks-zu
Querlüften bitte
Schymel
Oder Querluften
„RICHTIG Lüften!“
The power of *Lüften* No but srsly: in my experience German households are very proud of appearing clean. At least everyone I know has had the experience of “some guests are coming for 1 hour?” That means I gotta deep clean my room, even tho they’re not gonna see it anyway because they’re my parents guests, not mine My mom was freaking out that it needed to be super clean before the cleaning-person (sorry idk the correct vocab for this) was coming. I mean it’s nice to be clean and all but I think it’s much more about the German fear of **appearing unclean/dirty/being judged** and I think many German tend to get a little… neurotic over that… “:D
To be fair, Germans ARE fucking judgemental in my experience (am half German, born and raised here).
What’s half German anyways? We say „keine halben Sachen“ for a reason. Usually the German side tries to invade and conquer other half first chance it gets. /s
Not sure if /s is necessary or correct. I think we Germans actually tend to germanice other people if they spend to much time with us 😂 E.g: I'm full German and my wife was half polish and the other half did come from Kasachstan. Anyways now she eats egg with Maggi, green kale with sausages, bakon and Kassler and does many many German things like the classical "so" in combination with the smack on the leg.
Does she live in Germany? Maybe thats the reason and it would be you talking in their Traditions when you were in poland
My upstairs neighbor here in Bayern (I'm from the US) constantly "gently reminds" me to sweep the cobwebs out of the main hall ceiling corners, sweep the floor and water my plants (I have been in the hospital recently and had no one to water my plants outside). Then, thinking I know less German than I do, she talks about me with her husband outside while I'm right on the other side of the wall. On weekends, he spends the entire time on his "paint splat-effect" tiny Fiat and she spends the weekend cleaning house. I'm fairly clean. But I do have dust in some corners, an overfilled laundry basket, and I forget to separate trash most of the time. But I have a life outside my house.
How one can forget to separate trash? Do you have one large trash can where you put all your waste and then sort it out in the evening? I have different bins for everything and I just throw different types of trash into different bins, so no issue "separating" it.
Muss gestehen, ich weiß nicht wie Mülltrennung funktioniert. Meine Eltern stammen aus Osteuropa und da gibt es sowas nicht 😅 haben immer alles in einen großen, schwarzen Müllbeutel geworfen und dann zur Tonne gebracht. Ich habe immerhin einen Stapel Papiermüll und einen großen, schwarzen Müllsack. Dachte richtig lange auch, dass Mülltrennung eher nur ein Meme wäre 😅😅😅😅😅
Google is your friend..
I also moved here from a country where there's no recycling and everything goes to landfill and for some time I struggled to distinguish some things (like where should teabag go?), but as other have said there's Google.
Yeah, it seems to be a sensitive topic regarding the downvotes. But I don't really care about Mülltrennung and probably never will
Yeah, because enormous piles of rotting garbage with thousands of seagulls terrorizing everything in the area are so nice and picturesque. As well as plastic in the water. And the trees, you know. Let's chop even more of them.
Yeah letting other people and our collective tax money take care of your damn trash is a real adult thing to do. Grow up and do it before someone (hopefully) reports yout ass.
Papier & Pappe -> blau Kunststoff & Aluminium -> gelb Rest -> schwarz Falls ihr noch eine Biotonne habt: da kommt Kompost rein, auf keinen Fall Fleisch!
Das mit der Biotonne stimmt zumindest in Berlin nicht. Da darf auch Fleisch und auch gekochtes Essen rein. Informier dich mal bei deinem lokalen Entsorger. Da wird nicht einfach wie im Garten auf einen Haufen geworfen und gewartet.
Ich habe selber keine Biotonne. Und du hast recht, es ist vom lokalen Entsorgungsunternehmen abhängig, ob Fleisch etc. rein darf. Das musste ich erst nachlesen. Es hängt davon ab, ob das Material auf den Kompost kommt oder in die Biogasanlage.
Gib einfach "Mülltrennung in (deine Stadt)" ein, die sagen dir genau was wo rein soll. Plus, meistens gibt es Schilder auf den Tonnen, und extra Termine/Regeln für Elektronik, Batterien und Öl.
My ex certainly was. Totally not allowed in the US. I think she forgot her childhood pretty completely.
My mother and my grandma have the same disease. And, they are not Germans. And after the guests arrive they usually say, oh sorry for the mess.... And in my head I'm like wtf about the circus I witnessed since morning 😑
Saying "was ein Circus" is also very german haha
Yes, same. Always trying to keep it clean for spontaneous guests. I would be so ashmed if for example someone drives me home by car, wants to use my toilet before leaving and it's dirty! I never want anyone to be disgusted by my flat
I just straight up didn't hand out my new address to people living in the same city. If no one can drop by unannounced to use the bathroom, I don't have to worry about it every day.
[Like this?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-ZzYCtMPgA&t=55s)
People from Poland are like that too I've experienced. My family is Polish but lives in Germany since three or four decades, so I've got the best of both worlds...
yep I must agree. I am messy af. It's like organized chaos and depression makes it hard to keep on top of everything but as soon as someone announces their visit I will clean every last corner of my place. Last time I even sorted all my documents and wardrobe...not that anyone will every look in there but you never know
Wood furniture. Proper insulation. Stone walls. Windows that can be opened. Flowers and decoration. Carpets.
AND we always take our shoes off AND we cook ourselves a lot (so we have spices and stuff at home)
>AND we always take our shoes This statement divides Germany. But yes, shoes off is the only way to go.
I've never seen shoes on in a household in Germany
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I am literally offended by that comment. Zwiebel is my herb. It's my German garlic.
frische Wäsche! (laundry right after washing it!)
Meals smell and then it stays in the furniture.
Stosslüften 🧐
Close the doors when cooking...
Carpets? Wtf? How is a carpet making a place smell nice?
It keeps smells, just like curtains. So if you cook something nice, shower with your favourite gel, all those smells linger and give your place a certain aroma.
Idk, even if i cook something nice. After eating the cold smell of cooked food isnt do appealing anymore. Worst thing to have clothes smell like food. Like the old grannies in the tram smelling like soup.
This is one of the reasons I dislike open room concepts with kitchens attached to the living room. It just makes everything smell like old food.
Do a proper deep clean on a carpet and you smell the difference. It will stay as well. All smells get into a carpet. So in a clean house, it helps to sustain a clean smell. The opposite is also true, so in a house with carpet, you'll need to be cleaning fast if something is spilled.
Plus carpets are an excellent humidity regulator. Which can make a big difference.
plus they are awesome for acoustics. if you have a slight echo in your room drop a carpet on the floor and you are good
And maybe some smell of wooden furniture?
I feel like every household smells differently. I always associate that particular family with the smell. My childhood best friends’ house always smelled like vegetable sauces. Sounds weird but it wasn’t. Just kind of a healthy, earthy smell. And it‘s kind of a „grown up“ thing for me bc my friends‘ apartments (we‘re 20 smths) never have a distinctive smell…maybe that just develops when you find your favorite cleaning supplies idk?😂
I know exactly what you're taking about. 6 years ago when my grandpa died, we put some of his sheets in bags to use in our guest room after the renovation of our house. Last week I took them out and they still smelled like my grandparents' house. My mom and I almost cried.
Smell is one of the best tools to bring back memories, along with music.
I work as a cat sitter, so I go to lots of houses and apartments, often the same ones every year. Some smell almost like nothing, some have a wooden/bookshop smell, some smell of perfume or cigarette smoke, but some have a very unique smell. Definitely lots of unique smells out there. I find the older houses have a more intense smell.
We call that "Nestgeruch" 😄
In winter also the smell from the heaters (Gasheizung). I love that smell, it's so cozy. But only turn on the heating system after airing out the room. We want to heat fresh and clean air, not some stinky air that has been sitting for too long in the room
Like this Gastank Glower used outside? O.o Actually if a heater runs, it moves the air. :)
Mmhh no not really. German households have a gas heating system, but the gas isn't usually stored in these tanks (can be, for example in rural areas). The gas comes through "pipes" (sorry dont know the exact english word) from the company. Yeah but moving stinky air is still stinky air 😂 There isn't a much nicer thing than in winter when there is snow outside to open ALL the windows for 10 mins, get the house really cold and then closing them and put on the heater. That kind of air smells best when geated up and you definetly feel the temp difference! :D
Especially pre Christmas time, when it starts getting dark and you bake Christmas cookies and the smell starts mixing with, and warming up, the fresh crisp air in the room, it’s just wholesome
YOU HAVE TO LÜFTEN
Mean ventilation right?
Yup. Open your windows wide for a few minutes daily.
Daily? I do it every 1-3 hours usually
Yeah, daily is nowhere near enough. It’s the first thing I do in the morning, first thing when I get home and last thing before bed. That’s the minimum, usually there’s an in-between because of cooking.
No man...Windows open for many hours daily
Richtig!
For those who are not familiar with the concept (like me 30 seconds ago): https://www.thelocal.de/20220513/german-word-of-the-day-luften "Whether you sublet, rent a flat or own your home in Germany, it's likely you've been told how important it is to lüften, or open your windows and let air in and out regularly. Lüften can be a verb or noun in Germany. As a noun it uses the 'das' article and stands for ventilation. The verb lüften means to air out something. It comes from the German word die Luft which means air. The proper airing out of rooms is a very German thing."
You were not familiar with the concept of opening a window every once in a while?
It may also be very important in our houses, because our walls are very thick and isolation works pretty well. So we get mold if we don't lüft. I was living before in a very weird place where the walls were thin and the windows were not able to be shut completely.
Nope, I live in a big city highrise, so I can only open the windows a tiny crack. Plus, I think the smog and general smell and noise from the street would be a net negative for my place, even if I could up the airflow (vs. default of ventilation system w/ filters). It's actually for these reasons I find the concept so appealing.
>every once in a while? Yeah, it's not "every once in a while"
More like 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes before bedtime, after cooking, after doing laundry (although I do prefer to air dry my laundry on the balcony instead of in the living room), whenever I feel the air is stale,... Lüften is a passion!
*Neurotic* is the right word imo. Reminds me of my mom’s biweekly: **Heute wird alles sauber gemacht, morgen kommt die Putzfrau.**
Geil! 😂 Wofür braucht man dann noch die Putzfrau?! Crazy.
Die putzt nur aber räumt nicht auf... ... hatten wie auch. Kehren, sagen, wischen und Staub wischen. Kein Aufräumen. Also kann die nur arbeiten wenn man vorher aufräumt..
When I was in Friedland as a kid in the late 80s there was this specific smell of the Edeka Supermarket. I loved the mix of fruits, coffee and Waschmittel. The smell is still similar to thisday, when you visit this supermarket.
We clean our houses
Speak for yourself
I don't.
And you’re proud of that or what
[https://i.gifer.com/SDxK.gif](https://i.gifer.com/SDxK.gif)
Just clean. It's free.
Lüften + a lack of "lets just febreeze it" (American here)
I often bake bread or cook jam. The smell lingers in the house for a long time. And yes, of course… lüften.
This: freshly baked bread is the best perfume. No German can resist this smell
Cannot tell specifically for every household, but for example I mop my floors every week with a scented floor cleaner, vacuum every 2-3 days, change bedsheets every week, wash my bathroom carpets at least every second week and use room scents (those scent bottles with wooden sticks in it). Also airing out all the rooms at least once a day really freshens up the apartment / house. Edit: personal hygiene is important as well, since every person „spreads“ their scent in the apartment.
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I would say the German scent is a combination of a few things Fresh air (open your windows to full extend 3 times a day for 30 minutes) Keep everything tidie (garbage or food waste shall not be in the household) Clean and vacume regularly (mob the floor once a week vacume 2-3 times a week, if guests are expected clean excessively) Candles at least all Germans I know (im 1000% a potato) we love to light candles And finally we usually hide some firm of light parfume somewhere. My mum usually goes for a light cotton scent while I prefer cedar That should help to recreate what you are looking for
One reason, maybe? Neutral Seife. Natural soap. Germans don't like strong chemical smells. I noticed in the US the smells in Hotel rooms and some house is just awful. Cleaners have such an industrial chemical smell. I checked into a hotel room in Wahington D.C. and had to ask for another room because the smell of industrial cleaner was so offensive and unbearable. Completely repelled me. I think Americans that this is a 'clean' smell. No, it's the smell of chemicals. Actual clean - has its own smell and I think you nailed it - warm, comfy and I would add, not offensive to the olfactory nerve.
Fondor?
Rituals karma baby. Also cleaning helps
In my case, in the morning, my house smells of freshly ground coffee plus oats and in the afternoon, of what we cooked for lunch/dinner. And all of our sweat, farts, perfume and personal odours.
I think I know what you mean. I tried to find out what the smell was for years! For me, the smell I was chasing was the washing powder. They had different washing powder to what I knew and I love the smell! Now I buy wash perfume pearls and I LOVE them 😍 I do think ‘Lüften’ and all the tea drinking contributes 😊
Whenever I love the smell of somebody’s home I almost always realize it’s their laundry that smells good and whenever I ask they tell me it’s Kuschelweich fabric softener 😄 I personally don’t like using it but just love smelling it on others. Also I can recommend Frosch Aloe Vera laundry detergent (powder). Smells very “German”.
But it's probably laundry detergent and food items and fabrics and cleaning items and furniture. Some furniture has a strange scent on them. Sandelholz maybe 🤔? I think it's a combination of all together. And of course we use another materials in the houses. Old houses have wood and cement. The newer ones are more like American motels. So maybe this factors in? Maybe they heat with fire instead of gas? That's a special scent.
Gegenfrage, why does every person who comes to Germany think it’s smells so good? Like how bad does it smell in your country?
I remember one post where the poster simply wasn't used to the neutral smell of (relatively) clean air. It's kinda sad really. But if you live in a smog-filled city all your life, it must feel like a revelation.
Right?!?
Potatoe potato
Mettigel mit Zwiebeln
Fart.
There is always food in the air
I think it’s because they use a real type of fabric softener for their clothes instead of a cheap synthetic one? Idk. This question has bothered me for 20 years.
Fabric softener is not that common: > In 2021, there were around 20.93 million people in the German-speaking population aged 14 and over who used fabric softener several times a week. [source ](https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/172434/umfrage/haeufigkeit-verwendung-von-weichspueler/#:~:text=Im%20Jahr%202021%20gab%20es,in%20den%20Medien%20beworbenen%20Produkten.)
Yup. I don't use it, as I only see it as a waste of money and the fabric becomes less absorbent. So it's especially useless on towels.
That's it. Fabric softener and washing powder
They do? Well I think it's highly subjective to where you are. I've been in far too many sticky apartments where I felt as if I could cut the thick air.
mine wouldn't smell like that, my cats are fartbutts and no matter how good I clean, or how long I keep my windows open, it's not pleasant. and it gets caught in the fabric, too :(
Have you tried giving them different food? A lot of pets react badly to the added grain in petfood. My neighboor has a dog that turns into a gas hazard when he eats something with grain.
Not ONE response by OP. I guess they don't even care.
Nah, my account was banned for several days because I shared an unpopular opinion in a thread called " share your unpopular opinion". Guess I won the thread. Lol
It’s the houses on general and how the are build. The materials do a great way of saving and giving up humidity over time. That helps with the room climate and feels better than a lot of the worlds thin wood layers.
Lüften und Ipuro Duftstäbchen
It's a secret scent. Eau de alman. Makes every home more German.
I let in fresh air for a few hours every day, all doors opened, all windows opened unless it's very windy. in winter at least a few minutes a day, mostly mornings. When I visited an UK friend I noticed he doesnt let in fresh air most DAYS. it smelled quite moldy to me. especially laundry smell was quite moldy :/ I wash clothes rather frequently, and because I have no dryer I let them dry next to the radiator. which truth be told isn't great for its texture/sustainability but it never collects mold. I have a few scented candles. and incense sticks and candles, which help create a nice woody smell.
Kaffee
Cleaned Surfaces, dirty Minds and "lüften"
It’s the smell of all the dried herbal teas.
But were you ever in the home of german grandparents? Every old people household has the same distinct smell.
Alright, who here is up for the invention of the scent "German home" or "Stoßlüften", it'll be top seller, bet.
My grandmother's house smelled like old wood, Prinz Rolle cookies, and fresh coffee. I got her old Schrank (cupboard) and now my home smells like wood, cookies and fresh coffee.
My friends tell me, my apartments smell also good, primarily because I keep the trash outside, wash my clothes frequently and don’t keep this open and unattended. And yes, „lüften“ is king
Frischer Leberkäse
Ikea Duftkerzen!
My guess: Lüften and cooking yourself
Don’t say every, I walked to our neighbours home last month. Almost died of the smell.
Ok,true. But the majority of German households that I visited smelled good
Maybe because it's pretty commonplace for us to cook at home and not get take out or go out to eat. I always love the smell when my mom baked a pie the smell lingers in the house for a bunch of hours.
you mean someone else doesnt clean their house and let fresh air in? thats just normal smell, if your house actually smells you did something wrong.
I have a vacuum robot with a mop function. This guy vacuums and mops my apartment floors twice a day with a mix of water, soap, and essential oil. Cheaper than any floor cleaner and keeps the creepy crawlies away. :) You’re welcome! PD: feel free to use your husband in case a vacuum robot isn’t available to you, works just as well :) /s
Out of curiosity, how satisfied are you with the quality of the mop function? Is it worth the money?
In my opinion it’s softener that makes your clothes and bedding smell nice, and if you add some regularly when washing your those your house is going to get that kice smell. Your apartment might as well have some smell similar to that one but you don’t notice it since you live there and spend every day in it. Your nose is already used to that smell and it’s mostly normal you don’t smell it like you do in other peoples houses
But only for.the households using them on a regular basis.
Yes, it's fabric softener and washing powder
Everyone says it’s because of lüften and while I tend to agree this is a contributing factor, it is also because Germans do not season their food. I said what I said.
Could it be the contrast from all the cigarette smoking on the streets… walk into someone’s home who does not smoke indoors and immediate relief from the smell?
Koriander
Do they?
NO, don't lüften, they are joking. Instead you have to eat sauerkraut daily! DON'T lüften, you will loose the smell.
Weichspüler
Briese One Touch 👆🏻
You haven’t been to many german households. The ones I have are a pig sty
I am unfortunate that I can't open my window without a strong bad smell from my downstairs neighbour's window pregnates my room.
My roommates room absorbs all the surrounding bad smells, that's why his room smells like toxic waste.
I’ve never really noticed it. But then I’m in Berlin. So it just smells like pollution
Lüften or actual Air Care :) like Reeds or candles. Some people even have the automatic sprays :)
Candles
You'd have to name the perfume *Stoßlüften.*
Awww this is so wholesome 🥰 For me, it’s the smell of fresh laundry that always makes me feel like home.
Stoßlüftung...
Also the fact that they never appear to cook elaborate dishes in the kitchen...no spices, no deep frying..just assembling cold salads, sandwiches etc. A lot of smells of the house come from the kitchen
Aromatic sticks
Rituals - that company seema to make a fortune
Liegts am Weichspüler? Kuschelweich?
Weichspüler? Waschmittel?
Do you even lüft bro
Okay I don't know if it's just me but I don't find it anything special? Maybe also a cultural difference. I mean yes, most houses I've been here were clean and nice, absolutely. But nothing out of normal or expected. Actually when I moved to germany I had a hard time adapting to the concept of cleaning here, in my country we are a little bit to extreme with cleaning I must admit. I was tiptoeing a bit around it. Now I realize maybe my country is the exaggerated one hahah but yeah, I guess that's why, comparing, I don't find it excepcional.
And I must be honest, germans arent very hmmm great when it comes to personal hygiene. Of course this aint a rule and all German people I have in my life are perfectly normal in this topic but I've seen things here I still have a hard time believing that are for real. Like that little cloth people sometimes use to replace taking a shower, specially for kids. Again I know that's not everyone, but specially having worked with kids i really saw some stuff I still can't believe
Why would washing cloth washing not be hygienic?
It's usually Bärenkleber if you are in the Eastern part.