How to prep your home before leaving on vacation

Whether you are planning to go on a vacation for a week or a month, if you leave your house unprepared, you may not like it when you come back. Leaving your trash can full or keeping your electronics on can result in disaster. But there are a multitude of other things that can go wrong at home if you don’t maintain them properly. Also, a fun-filled vacation can turn into a shameful realization of Only-If-I-Took-Care-of-It-Earlier if you have to come back home to problems that could have been avoided in the first place. So don’t let your excitement get on your nerves; just make sure to take care of some essential things before you leave. Having that said, here are the 5 tips to prep your home before leaving on vacation.

Tidy up your space

After coming back home from a relaxing vacation, the last thing you want to do is to walk into a dirty home and clean up the mess. Cleaning may be boring, but leaving your home neat and tidy can rid you out of the pressure of going through it once you get back home. Besides, in some cases, it can become a huge problem. For example, if you forget to take out the trash, your house will reek of garbage.

So don’t forget to throw the garbage into the disposal and while you are at it, clean the trash can properly so that there is no residual food. Otherwise, there is a high possibility of paste build-up. Try to keep your home clean and tidy as much as possible if you want to keep your sanity intact. We have an amazing article explaining kitchen cleaning tips on our blog, you can check that out for more detailed explanations. Or you can read how to make kitchen cleaning solutions at home if you want to go healthy and chemical-free.

Empty your refrigerator

Honestly speaking, this is a part of the cleaning. However, if you clean out your garbage, it’s worth reiterating that you should definitely make sure to take a peek at your refrigerator. For perishable food, you have two choices. Either you eat the food or toss it in the trash.

Nobody wants to see rotten and skinny food inside the refrigerator after a relaxing vacation. Also, make sure all open containers are shut and the tops to all your jars are screwed on tightly so ants don’t make dinner out of your leftover food. This is one of the most useful tips to prep your home before leaving on vacation.

Unplug your electronics

One of the most important tips to prep your home before leaving on vacation is to make sure you unplug all your electronics. Start with the most important ones. Turn off the air conditioner and then unplug it. If you have a geyser, unplug it. Do the same for washing machines too. If you are not at home, there is no need for them to be plugged in. Besides, you can never be 100% sure of your electronics. Anything can happen while you are away from home. That is why it is important to take electrical safety precautions before you leave on vacation. Unplug all your electronics in your home just to be safe. It is always better safe than sorry.

Check all the windows and doors

It is always wise to double-check the windows and doors before you leave your home vacant for a long time. Make sure you haven’t left any doors or windows open or unlocked, especially those seldomly used ones. Because it might also be the one that a thief would likely check. Aside from that, a sudden cloudburst or storm can ruin the entire house if you keep your windows open. Also, your home can collect dust through a not properly shut window.

Cover your furniture

Always cover your furniture with clothes before leaving them unused for a prolonged period of time. First developed by the butlers and housekeepers of England long ago, this protective technique is the reason why the great collections of British Stately Homes still exist today! Sunlight and dust particles can harm wooden furniture and upholstery in multiple ways. The penetrating rays of the sun can permanently discolor the furniture and dust particles expand and contract with humidity and harden. Their sharp edges create tears in the fabric. So to keep your belongings safe, cover them with clothes.

Vacations are meant to help you relax and unwind, but if you don’t prepare for the fun, you can end up having a hard time instead. Don’t let a lack of preparation spoil your much-awaited long holiday. Just follow these tips to prep your home before leaving on vacation.