Home Care Tips leaving for Vacations
Table of Contents
It’s the holiday season so people often plan for long holidays to visit relatives or to go on a trip. How should we prepare the house before leaving on such trips? I’ll share few home care tips here so that the house you come back to is not chaotic.
Complete the laundry:
Before going on a trip your pending laundry should be complete. When you return you’d return with pile and piles of clothes to be laundered so the load would be less if the previous laundry has been taken care of.
Empty the fridge of perishable things:
Remove all the perishable things like milk, fruits, veggies, cooked remains, breads, eggs etc. when you return from a long trip all the old things would be too old to be consumed so it’s better to give all the remaining things to someone or maid, so that you don’t return to a rotting smelly fridge.
If some open packets of spices or biscuits or chips are present then keep them in an air-locked jar or in the freezer it prevents the moisture.
It happened to me once and believe me it’s not good at all I still have nightmares of that rotten smelly episode.
Check all the taps:
Check all the taps and tanks before leaving and keep them full. You might return at odd timings and water supply timings are fixed so you might have to use the remaining water only.
Electrical gadgets:
Unplug the
- TV
- Microwave
- WIFI
- AC
- Washing Machine
Switch off the lights, fans, exhaust fans etc.
Do not switch off the power switch coz it’ll cut the power from your security system, fridge and RO water purifier.
Few Tips:
- Tidy the house: Don’t leave a mess behind because it’ll be yours to clean when you return tired and would be looking for a clean nice bed to sleep.
- Postpone any parcels or orders: it’s difficult to ask people around you to receive the orders when you’re on holidays so postpone or cancel the orders.
- Pay the bills: especially mobile, electricity and water in advance.
- Don’t keep cash or jewelry in-house put it in bank or locker.
- Don’t inform the maid exact dates be vague and tell her you’ll call her when to join.
- Lock the cabinets and lockers
- Lock the main door and put an additional lock on the door.
- Put the security system on.
- Inform the neighbors or known person and ask them to keep a check on the house.
Enjoy your trip and I hope these tips would help you in locking up the house while going on a long trip.
Happy Travelling
Good information Dr Richa. Thank you
THANKS FOR GOING THROUGH MY POST FRAN
I never thought of the water/tap thing. I live in an apartment so not valid really, but for someone in a their own property it’s something to think of.
lucky you to live in an apartment
Great tips, thanks for sharing! I find the one to remove things that may spoil one of the best. Nothing worse than coming up late at night to find spoiled milk or rotting meat in the fridge!
thanks for reading my post
Thats a perfectly do able checklist Important to check everytinh.Happy holidaying Dr Richa
Thanks Dr Amrita
Thank you for the information. I never remember to unplug things, there is a lot of lightning here in Florida so that will be something I should add to my to do list next trip.
I hope my post was useful for you Anita
My hubby and I have been traveling fulltime for a couple of years in our RV – and house/dog sitting for friends and family along the way. The pack-up routine is always important when leaving where you are – we’ve created our own check list to be sure not to miss items!
a checklist list is a lifesaver in such situations
HI there. Great list and suggestions. I am usually so busy getting ready to go and packing that I end up forgetting to do laundry and then come back to two piles 🙁 Not fun. Need to remember to add this to my tod-o list, lol.
I hate coming back to a dirty house too, that’s y i added it to my list
Some good pointers. We usually just unlpug everything. But, I definetly clean everything and change my bed linen before leaving, because there is nothing better than coming to home to a house that smells fresh and clean and requires no cleaning. Makes it easier to sleep and recover from traveling.
so true