If you’re planning a big holiday, you’re probably wracking your brain, trying to make sure you’ve done everything you need to make for a smooth vacation.
So your bags are packed, your trip is planned, and you’ve got someone to stop by and water the plants. But what else do you need to do before you head off to paradise?
One big thing you’ll want to accomplish before heading out on holiday is to make sure everything is squared away at home. This includes making sure everything is tidy and clean.
If you’re looking for a little help in cleaning up before you head out of town, hiring a house cleaner in Melbourne might be a great option. Not only will it save you time, but it also helps ensure that your house is in tip-top shape for when you get back.
And to help you be sure you’re tackling all the chores necessary, we’ve compiled 8 of the most important things to clean before a holiday! Here they are.
1. Clear Out the Fridge
Perhaps one of the worst things to come home to after a long holiday is a fridge full of old, expired groceries.
Take a few minutes the night before you leave on holiday to toss anything that’ll go bad over the course of your trip. If you’re a planner, you’ve probably taken care to cut down on stocking the fridge in the days prior to leaving anyway, but now is your chance to toss whatever is leftover.
Throw out fruits and vegetables, restaurant leftovers, milk, and anything else that has the potential to become stinky over the coming days. When you come home to a crisp, clean-smelling refrigerator, you’ll be glad you did!
2. Wash Those Dishes
One of the only things more unpleasant than coming home to rotten food in your refrigerator is coming home to a huge, rotting stench filling your entire kitchen, wafting throughout the whole house.
The culprit? Those dirty dishes left to sour in the sink.
Doing dishes is a time-consuming chore, especially if you haven’t got a dishwasher to fall back on. But if you’re planning to leave your house behind for longer than a few hours, you’ll want to get a headstart and take the time to wash your dishes.
Dirty pots and pans left for an extended time are enough to create a smell so terrible not even the strongest candles will mask it!
3. Wipe Down the Counters
Once you’ve cleared out the refrigerator and scrubbed every last dish, you might notice your counters suffering from stray messes. If you’re headed out of the house on holiday, it’s a good idea to take a minute to wipe down your counters, leaving no wet or sticky or crumby messes behind.
The best part about this task may be how quick and easy it is–but another huge plus to wiping counters off is how much more clean it can make your space as a whole feel.
Even if you’re on your way out the door, take a second to snag a wet cloth and skim your counters. Your future self will thank you!
4. Scrub the Bathrooms
While you’ve got your counter-scrubbing-pants on, head down the hall to your home’s bathrooms. Although you know full well that it’s one of the most mess-prone areas of your home, you just hate cleaning your bathroom. We all do.
But if you’re planning on skipping town for a few days, there may be no better peace of mind than to know that, when you’re home again, there won’t be a toilet or tub or sink waiting there to be scrubbed.
So strap on some rubber gloves, grab a cocktail, put on some tunes, and get scrubbing!
5. Finish the Laundry
Your bags are all packed for your trip, but there’s still a laundry basket full of last week’s work clothes waiting in the laundry room, huh?
The good thing about laundry is that, although it can take hours to get through a few loads, it’s a great multitasking activity. Throw in a load of laundry before you start washing dishes, then switch it over when the machine’s buzzer sounds and you head to clean the bathrooms.
Getting your laundry folded up and squared away means your machines will be free for washing all your holiday outfits whenever you’re ready to empty your suitcase!
6. Leave Nothing Behind
On the floor, that is.
This is another simple, but high-impact task you should do each time you head out on holiday. Take a look around–is there anything strewn across the floor that doesn’t belong there? Pick it up!
One way to ensure you’re leaving your house as picked-up as possible is to run the vacuum cleaner or broom across the floors of every room in your home. If you need to bend to move it out of the way of your cleaning, it should be stored somewhere besides the middle of your floor!
7. Make Your Bed
Ever come home from a long holiday, desperately missing your own bed–only to find that your sheets are rumpled, your pillows are missing, and your comforter is still hanging up to dry?
There may be no better feeling than coming home from a long holiday to be welcomed by your very own bed. But no one wants to find that cozy, happy place to be a total mess when they finally make it there.
Taking the time to make your bed can be a super-quick process. Just shake out your sheets, straighten the pillows, and drape your quilt on top. Having a neatly-made bed on return from holiday will make your reunion that much sweeter.
8. Take Out the Trash
You can accomplish this task as you’re heading out to the airport! Tie up the trash from every room in your house. Throw out whatever paper towel you used in other cleaning tasks, double-bag the rubbish from your refrigerator, and pick up any loose pieces of garbage there may be floating around your house.
This is a task no one likes doing, but it’s also a task that’ll make your home feel much neater and smell much, much better when you make it home.
Want More Reminders on Things to Clean Before a Holiday?
Whether you go on holiday twice each year, or you’re planning your first one since the kids were born, it’s nice to have one last reminder of things to clean before a holiday.
For more tips on how to prepare your home before your trip and other handy cleaning content, check out our blog. And if it all becomes too much for one person to handle, don’t forget that the professionals are just a short call away.
