I Put My Pillows Outside Every Week — Here’s Why

I had never heard of the German tradition of “burping the house” until a few years ago — but as it turns out, I’ve been doing it my entire life. My MawMaw (grandma) and mom used to air out (aka burp) their houses regularly when I was a kid, and I never knew it had a name. But more than just opening the windows every day (which I do!), I take “airing out” my house a step further by refreshing my linens and bedding. It’s a weekly wellness ritual that pays dividends. 

In addition to opening my windows, I air out my pillows when I wash the bed linens every week, and I shake out my inherited quilts (some dating to the 1800s) on occasion. There’s nothing like lying my head down at night to the smell of fresh air and sunshine.

To air out my pillows, I remove the outdoor cushions from my wrought iron patio set to create proper airflow between the chairs’ frames and put my indoor pillows on them instead. The pillows fit perfectly on the bare chairs while standing on their ends. Weather-permitting, I let them bake in the sun all day each Saturday. 

My heirloom quilts are a different story: I hang them on the patio fence with oversized clips to air them out at the turn of each equinox. (I don’t let the print side face up for too long in order to avoid fading the fabric.)

The sun’s rays are known to naturally reduce bacteria and odors. With all the skin cells we shed nightly, as reported by the Cleveland Clinic, it makes sense that I’d want to shake them off my bedding. And letting fresh air waft through my linens that are too delicate to be washed biweekly, like my vintage quilts, also gives them a cleaner scent than being trapped indoors or in my bed every day. 

In both instances, I help the sanitizing process by spraying all items with my homemade linen spray which consists of equal parts water and alcohol with a generous amount of essential oil drops. At the moment, I’m using jasmine which is said to help reduce menopausal symptoms. (I’m still waiting for that claim to kick in.) But, when I get a good whiff of its seductive scent, thoughts of an old trellis crawling with jasmine outside my window flood my imagination, which is grounding and lovely — even if it doesn’t help with menopause.

And then there’s the best reason to do it of all: the mental benefits. Airing out the house is simple, yes. I simply open up all my windows and even doors, if safe to do so, a few times a week for a period of time to get fresh air in and stale air out. I am “of a certain age” now, and I like to keep the room temperature around 65 degrees. Even still, I open my windows at night when I can. The soothing breeze through an open window at night lures me to sleep best, and is especially wonderful during the winter months when the indoor air can get dry and stuffy. 

I absolutely love to wake up to my open windows in the morning. Those hours remain the dearest part of this habit for me and Miss Pertie (my angel of a Russian Blue kitty.) We take a few minutes each morning to listen to the birds sing their morning songs while pondering the day ahead before our feet have even touched the floor. That, combined with quilts, pillows, and bedding refreshed with the jasmine scent and heated by the sun once a week, makes every night I lie down on my pillow feel like a dream. It’s a way to let out yesterday’s energy to make room for today’s.