Brits have been left scratching their heads over a morning routine that Germans swear by. Everyone has their own way of kick-starting their day - be it brewing a cup of coffee, going for a brisk walk, taking a refreshing shower, or rushing to prepare breakfast. These routines can vary based on factors such as occupation, parenthood, and geographical location, as one individual recently discovered.

Earlier this week, model scout Juliette was puzzled by her German flatmate's peculiar habit. She noticed that the large windows in their shared living and kitchen space were flung wide open early in the morning, regardless of the chilly weather.

Perplexed, Juliette took to TikTok to ask: "Is this a German thing? My model roommate is opening all the windows in the morning, even when it's freezing."

One user responded: "Yes. German here sitting having coffee at 6:30am with windows open before I head to work in a bit." Another chimed in: "I'm with the Germans on this one, I need fresh air."

A third added: "Yes! It's much needed in the winter because we need air circulation and fresh air. German homes don't have circulating air, especially in winter when it just blows heat."

Others pointed out that this practice is known as Luften. "Luften - I usually do it in the morning to freshen the house," commented one German. Another penned: "Love to Luften, I like to make my bed slowly so each layer gets some of the air."

One more observed: "Probably because the homes are so old the ventilation may not be great. you have to let the fresh air in and stale air out."

Property care and preservation businessTimberwise explained the ritual and said: "Luften is the concept and practise of letting out old, stale, and humid air from a property, whilst letting in fresh air. It's a big deal in Germany, and it can even crop up within tenant agreements when people are looking to rent a property."

The notion is that replacing the stale and humid air in a home has a few benefits; it reduces the chance of condensation and mould occurring, and the second is that it improves the quality of air within the home. Although, it is a practice in Germany, other nations have also followed suit.

One US individual commented: "American here and that's how I was raised...if you don't allow air and light in, you are trapping in stale air and germs making your house musty."

Another wrote: "It's very common. Not in just Germany, all over Europe. I love, during the winter, just open up for a couple of minutes. Fresh and crisp air all over the house."

A further person agreed, adding: "It's an European thing I guess, I'm Italian and Italian parents open all the windows in the morning because 'we need to let fresh air in'."

One individual added their thoughts, stating: "I'm not German but I need fresh air no matter how cold it is. During good weather the balcony door is always open, during bad weather I keep it open for a little while and then close it, and repeat whenever needed."

A fellow Brit also chimed in: "I do this in the UK so I don't think it's a German thing. Morning air is so stale and stuffy. Especially if the heating has been on. Need a blast of cool, fresh air to blow the cobwebs away."

These comments follow advice from an expert who recommended everyone in the UK to keep their windows open, regardless of the chilly temperatures, to allow moisture to escape and maintain a clean home environment.