The most anticipated time of the year has arrived: you've finished work, you're on vacation, and it's time to leave for a while to relax and forget about the daily grind and stress. To avoid any worries, it's a good idea to make sure your home is in the best possible condition before you leave. It may be a bit tiring to do this while you're packing your bags and packing your essentials, but it's worth it because it prevents unpleasant surprises while you're away or when you return. From food scraps to appliances, from plants to laundry: here's everything you can do to leave your home clean and safe before you leave.
1. Check and Clean the Fridge
Before leaving and thinking about nothing but your vacation, it's essential to thoroughly check your refrigerator. First, make sure you don't leave anything that might spoil or expire, such as fruit, vegetables, yogurt, fresh pasta, but also cured meats, sausages, or cheeses that aren't vacuum-packed. Try to consume as much as possible, and if you have any leftovers, avoid waste and give them to neighbors or relatives: it's better to donate than to let them spoil or throw them away. If you have enough time before leaving, it's also a good idea to clean the inside of your refrigerator and freezer to prevent mold and unpleasant odors from forming.
The coin trick: Want to know if there were any power surges while you were away? Fill a cup with water, freeze it in the freezer, and then place a coin on top. If you find it at the bottom when you return, it means the freezer lost its cold and then froze again: it's best not to trust the contents.
2. Examine Long-Term Supplies
Fresh food isn't the only thing you should check before leaving: the same rule applies to the cupboard as to the refrigerator: you should go through the packages you have as a reserve, whether dry or with a long shelf life, such as flour, pasta, rice, or various canned goods. First of all, check for any products that have already been opened or are close to expiring, and try to consume them before leaving. You could even take any that are close to their expiration date but not yet expired with you on your trip, if, for example, you're traveling by car and staying in an apartment. Pay particular attention to flour, pasta, and rice, especially if they've already been opened: check that they're still intact and then store them in tightly sealed jars to avoid unwanted insect infestations. Also, clean the pantry shelves thoroughly to remove any food residue, even small ones, which could lead to ant infestations.
3. Turn Off Gas, Water and Electricity
It might seem like a trivial piece of advice, but it's never that obvious, especially when you're busy with preparations: before leaving home, just before you step out the door and set off, be sure to turn off the gas system, the main water valve (unless you have a sprinkler system), and unplug all electrical outlets. Remember that simply turning off appliances isn't enough, because even then, as long as they're plugged in, they still use energy. Unplugging them also helps prevent them from being damaged in the event of storms or power outages. The refrigerator is a different story: it generally shouldn't be unplugged, so that the long-life products inside stay fresh and, especially, the freezer continues to function, especially since new-generation refrigerators minimize electricity consumption. Unless you're going away for a very long time, more than a month, or you have a very old refrigerator that consumes a lot of energy, there's no need to unplug this appliance.
4. Throw Garbage Away
This may seem like obvious advice, but it's precisely the little things we tend to forget most often. One of the last things to do before closing up shop and leaving is to throw out all the garbage, for an easy reason: leaving it behind means finding a veritable ecosystem of mold and insects upon your return, as well as a terrible odor throughout the house.
5. Don't Leave Dirty Dishes
Were you leaving late and ate beforehand? Don't leave dirty dishes, cutlery, and pots and pans in the kitchen. Wash everything by hand, dry, and put away. If you use the dishwasher, run it and then empty it to avoid unpleasant odors. Also, make sure you've cleaned the sink, stovetop, and countertops, not only to avoid unpleasant odors but also, and more importantly, ant and insect infestations.
6. Check Drains and Taps
Before turning off the water, it's best to do a quick check of the faucets and tub or shower to ensure there are no leaks and, above all, that the drains aren't clogged. Also remember not to completely block the sink, shower, and bathtub drains, because a leak could cause water to accumulate and cause a small flood.
7. Take Care of Your Plants
During the entire vacation period, your plants will be left alone, so it's essential to plan ahead so they'll be healthy and thriving upon your return. Unless you have neighbors or relatives who can help care for them, get small dispensers to place in their pots: they'll dispense water little by little, and your plants won't suffer from thirst or even your absence. Also remember to move plants that normally enjoy full sun to a more shaded area, or, if they're houseplants, leave them a small opening for air and light when you close the windows.
8. Put Away All Laundry
Before going on vacation, don't forget to sort out your laundry: wash all your dirty clothes and don't leave anything in the washing machine or in the laundry basket. When you return, you'll undoubtedly have a considerable amount of clothes to wash, so this will prevent them from piling up and allow you to do your laundry with peace of mind. Furthermore, dirty clothes left in the washing machine or laundry basket for too long can smell bad, and stains, if not removed promptly, may be difficult to remove.
9. Leave The House Tidy and Clean
In addition to all these important precautions, it is a good habit to leave the house clean and tidy in every room, from the bathroom to the bedroom: the cleaner it is, the more you will avoid finding "unpleasant surprises" such as insects or various small animals, furthermore, since you will not take care of it for several days, you will avoid the accumulation of dirt, resulting in a great effort to clean when you return from vacation.
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