A family trip is an exciting event, but it can also be quite hectic. Given all the fuss while preparing for your family vacation, it’s easy to forget to do some household chores.
But one thing you don’t want to forget is to clean critical parts of your home before you go on that family trip. As a reminder, here are seven things that you should clean before going on a vacation:
1. Fridge
If you’ll have at least a week-long vacation, it’s probably a good idea to clean your fridge and empty it with any of its contents. The food inside your refrigerator might expire before you come back. Therefore, if you leave without getting rid of those food items, it might spread the stench of rotting food.
It can stick to the interior of your fridge, which is challenging to get rid of. That’s why, before you go on a family trip, you should consider eating every food item that’s in your fridge or giving it away.
Aside from making sure that there are no food items left inside your fridge, you should also unplug it and clean it. The essence of food might have remained inside the refrigerator, so it will still attract pests, so you should clean it.
2. Trash bins
Once you’re done with the fridge, the next thing you should tackle would be your trash bins. You wouldn’t want to leave your trash bins full of garbage before going for a long journey.
For one, it is filled with garbage that can attract pests if left unattended. This also explains why at Cleaning Exec House Cleaning NYC, we tell our clients to empty and clean the trash bins before they go for the family trip.
Make sure to check all of the trash bins inside the house and don’t leave anything.
Aside from getting rid of the trash in the bin, it would help if you also washed them while you’re at it. That way, any debris or essence left inside will be wiped clean so as not to attract any pests.
3. Laundry
A vital step to take before you go on a family trip would be packing. While you’re thinking about what clothes to bring, it’s best that you also remember to clean your laundry room or your washing machine and dryer.
Taking the time to do your laundry while also cleaning the laundry room after using it is something you wouldn’t want to forget. Doing your laundry allows you to have more clothing options to choose from while you’re packing.
For example, swimwear is part of the travel essentials for the summer. If you haven’t been using your swimwear for a while before the trip, then it’s probably a good idea to wash them so that you can bring them with you.
That’s why it’s a good idea to remember to wash your clothes and to remove the laundry that you put in from the washing machine or the dryer.
4. Lawn
A poorly maintained lawn can signal to criminals that nobody is home to take care of the lawn. That’s why you should consider cutting your grass before leaving for a family trip.
When cutting your grass to prepare for your family trip, consider cutting it a little lower than you usually would. By cutting it lower than usual, you won’t risk having an overgrown lawn before you come back.
5. Dishes
Before leaving, make sure that there are no dirty dishes inside your dishwasher or on your kitchen sink. Again, what you’re trying to avoid would be food debris that can attract pests.
Ensure that you wash your dishes and put them in the right place, specifically outside your dishwasher. Once the plates are out of your dishwasher, rerun your dishwasher and leave it open for air circulation.
6. Kitchen sink
Aside from your dishwasher, make sure that you also keep your kitchen sink clean before leaving.
Your kitchen sink might also have food particles on it that you wouldn’t notice, but bugs and other pests most likely would. Therefore, you should thoroughly wash your kitchen sink and the part of the kitchen counter around it.
Don’t forget to leave it to dry and make sure not to leave any dirty dishes unwashed before doing this.
7. Garbage disposal
Before you clean your kitchen sink, it would be worthwhile to clean your garbage disposal, as well. If you leave the garbage disposal without cleaning it, you might come back to a stinky garbage disposal that can attract flies.
You can quickly deodorize and clean your garbage disposal by pouring distilled white vinegar and flushing it with water. Let that run for a minute. If you want it to smell pleasant, you can peel a lemon, throw the peels down the garbage disposal, and run it.
You wouldn’t want to do some house chores as soon as you got back from a trip. By following the checklist above, you ensure that you can come back to a clean and organized home. So, don’t forget to do the items on this list before you leave.
