Ensure A Happy Return By Housecleaning BEFORE You Travel

image by lululemon athletica on Flickr

It is June, and travelling season is well upon me and my husband. One thing we try to do, no matter how much we hustle and bustle to get everything packed and out the door, is to clean the house before we leave. Maybe it's not a full-on housecleaning, but at least get certain things in order. Doing so makes the inevitable return home -- and return to work -- much more bearable.

Coming home to a messy house after a vacation is rather depressing. There's no bigger way to say "your vacation is over" than having to face a ton of mess you need to clean. Assuming you've gone away during a weekend or a predetermined period of time off from work, you may in theory not even have time to really tackle the mess until the next weekend.

Then there's the factor of all the stuff you've schlepped back from your trip. Dirty clothes, souvenirs, business cards (if it was a work-related jaunt), receipts, loose change etc. Exhausted from the journey, you may leave everything in your suitcase, or dumped on a couch or table. If you don't have a set weekly cleaning schedule to begin with, this strata of clutter threatens to remain, untouched, for weeks or even months.

Contrast this with having a neat and orderly house waiting for you when you return. The message such a happy condition for your home brings is: "New beginnings!" It makes it easier to transition out of your vacation and back into "the real world."

Here's what I try to tackle before I leave on a trip:

1) The Kitchen Sink
It's key for me to wash all my dishes and wipe down the sink before I go. I don't like to leave a single dish or cup soaking, a single cat-food stained spoon. Especially in the Summer, that can lead to gross stuff stinking up the house, and leaving a generally unpleasant scene in the sink when I get back. Even one bowl with some water in it can do the trick, slowly simmering into a rotten soup of dishwater and old food. Better to wash everything, scoop out the residue at the bottom of the drain, and leave it ready for my post-vacation life.

2) The Bedroom
I make it a point to change the sheets, make the bed, and sweep the floor. As a finishing touch, I spray some Mrs. Meyer's Lavender Room Freshener. Writing this while I am on vacation, I think to our crisp, clean, and pleasantly-scented bedroom with longing...there's no place like home! A much better state than coming back to chaos, the rumpled bed I flung myself out of early in the morning to prep for the trip facing me.

3) The Clothes
Cleaning and properly putting away our clothes and linens before we leave makes it easier not only to get back to work the next day (my wardrobe already waiting for me), but allows the post-trip sort of dirty (and unworn) clothing to be far more orderly.

4) The Garbage
This one, I guess, is pretty obvious. The worst thing you can do (again, especially in the Summer), is leave a bag of garbage in your house when you go on a trip. Not only will your own home be stinked-up, but think about your neighbors! I would extend this, though, to being diligent about putting out your recycling before you go as well. Even if you rinse out your cans and bottles, these blue and clear bags of refuse can also leave an unpleasant odor.

5) The Pet Areas (if applicable)
I do a full-on cleaning of the cat's eating station and litter box before I go. Even if the litter box was changed only a few days ago, I just make it fresh anyway. Think about it: your cats are mad enough that you are leaving; why compound it with a slightly funky litter? This is just asking for resentful pooping and peeing in places where they're not supposed to go. Organizing the pet feeding station also makes it easier for sitters to find where the food is stored, and get a good sense of who needs what.

6) Sweeping
Lastly, I'd advise a light sweeping of the entire house. Notice I said a "light" sweeping...no need to go crazy the night or minutes before travelling. Like everything else I've recommended, this serves the dual role of keeping your home clean, and preparing yourself psychologically for the return. It leaves everything in a fresh state, giving you a "new start"!

Lastly, having a clean and organized home before your trip makes it TONS simpler to pack and find out what you might have forgotten. Keys, chargers, tickets: check! Plus: your cat can't hide in your suitcase as a stowaway in the midst of all the confusion.

Happy travels! :-)