When you are preparing to leave for vacation, you should have a chore checklist. Returning from vacation with a clean environment will make the transition much less daunting. It is common to get wrapped up in packing and preparing for the vacation to forget your home needs to get ready. When you clean before you leave, you will be thanking yourself later.
Here are 8 things you should clean before your next trip.
1. Wash Dishes or Run the Dishwasher
The last thing you want is to leave dirty dishes in the sink or dishwasher that attract unwanted guests like bugs. It is best to avoid leaving anything with leftover food on it. The night before you leave, run the dishwasher to put clean dishes away and they are ready for use when you return. If you use any dishes in the morning or only have a few in the sink, hand wash them before you head out the door.
2. Take Out the Trash
This should be the most important thing you do before vacation. If you go away for an extended time, you will be greeted by your home’s disgusting smell and various pests. Trash attracts bugs and rodents into your home to feast on whatever is in the garbage. This chore takes a little time and you will thank yourself later, otherwise you’ll be Googling ‘rat exterminator near me‘!
3. Clean Out Your Refrigerator
Like the trash, fresh items in your fridge can go rotten after a short amount of time. If you have a lot of fruits, vegetables and leftovers, try to eat them or throw them away, so you don’t come back to a moldy mess. Certain items last longer in the fridge than others. For example, apples last more than seven days, while raspberries should be eaten within one to three days of getting them.
If you are unsure how long you had an item, try labeling them with the date they were purchased. This way you know if something will be good to stay while you are gone or should get thrown away.
4. Freshen the Garbage Disposal
Freshening up the garbage disposal is something that can easily get overlooked. Many food items get thrown down there and can eventually start to smell. If it doesn’t get used for a while, remnants can sit and cause it to stink. A stinky garbage disposal can attract flies which are hard to get out of the house.
To freshen it up before you leave, pour distilled white vinegar down the disposal and flush it with water for a minute. You can even add citrus peels to give it a fresh scent.
5. Wash and Organize Your Car
You may use your car for your vacation or leave it at the airport for a while. If you are taking your vehicle on vacation, you want to clean the inside and the outside. If you don’t have time for the car wash, you can do a quick wash at home. Pressure washers are a great tool because they eliminate dust and grime from your car in seconds and are environmentally friendly since they use less water than a standard hose. This creates a clean surface so you can see clearly when traveling.
For the inside of your car, you can vacuum it and clear it of any trash sitting around. If the vehicle is a part of your trip, it is nice to have a clean area so you can pack all your bags without unnecessary things in the way. Even if your drive only consists of going to the airport, it is still beneficial to leave a clean car.
6. Clean the Toilet
Give your toilet a quick clean before you leave to eliminate any lingering debris and germs in the bowl or pipes. You can use a dash of baking soda to clean all the aspects before going on your trip.
7. Pick Up Clutter and Make Your Bed
A lot of the time, clutter can happen while packing or because it has already accumulated for a while. Clutter can tell a personal story about what is going on in your life. Maybe you have been stressed about the trip or other life road bumps. Taking care of the miscellaneous stuff before you can let you come back to a new mindset after a refreshing vacation.
You should also wash your sheets and make your bed. Traveling can make your body extremely tired. Coming home to a cleanly made bed will allow you to get the rest you need.
8. Do Laundry
After a trip, you will already come home with loads of laundry. Leaving a pile before you leave will just create more chores for you to take care of when you’re back. Do yourself a favor and take care of the laundry you have built up before dreading the responsibilities of doing it after a relaxing vacation.
Take Care of Things Before You Leave
When returning home, you should feel refreshed and relaxed. Leaving many responsibilities for yourself to come home will make you feel like you never want to return home. Make preparing your home for your departure a priority, so it feels good coming back.
See some more of my home organisation posts here!
