Can you recall how your typical day as a child looks like? Probably not.
But we bet that you can vividly recall the family vacations you had when you were little.
Going on a trip with your family is an excellent way to spend time together. You can also use this time to relax and relieve your mind of work-related stress and worry.
On the other hand, family vacation gives your kids reasons to be excited. Plus, you are giving them the same chance you had to experience the magic that traveling can bring.
However, there is more to family vacation than packing your bags and booking a hotel. You also need to do these nine tasks before you go on a trip:
Declutter Your Home
At Maid Sailors Commercial Cleaning Services Austin, we emphasize the importance of cleaning your house before you leave for a family vacation. In fact, it is one of the things that you and your family should do.
This may sound like a bummer, but you would appreciate coming home to a clean house.
Some of the quick cleaning tasks that you can do are the following:
- Throwing out the garbage
- Emptying your fridge
- Unplugging your appliances
- Setting your security alarm
- Asking a good neighbor to look after your house.
If you are going away for a long while, consider booking a deep cleaning session a few days before your trip.
Empty Your Fridge
Another thing you should not forget to do before leaving for a family vacation is to empty your fridge. After all, who is going to consume the food you have stored?
Thus, it would be better to find ways on how you can dispose of it.
What you can do is use and consume as many food items in the fridge as possible. Otherwise, you can give them away to your neighbors or compost them.
That way, you will not come back to a house that stinks just because you forgot to dispose of perishable goods.
Set Your Thermostat
If you have the latest thermostat model, you can set it in “Away Mode” before leaving. Doing so allows your thermostat to regulate the temperature in your home while you’re on a family vacation.
If you leave during cold months, your thermostat can help ensure that your pipes will not freeze. On the other hand, setting your thermostat in the summer protects any temperature-sensitive appliances.
But if you will be away for long, we recommend turning off everything, instead. That way, you can conserve energy and minimize the risk of a house fire.
Sanitize Your Garbage Disposal
Do not forget to clean your garbage disposal before leaving for a family vacation.
For one, it will not be in use while you are away. Thus, some debris in your garbage disposal will end up rotting. This can result in a peculiar stink emanating from inside your sink.
Hence, clean out your garbage disposal thoroughly for at least a day for your trip.
Get Your Laundry Out of the Washer
Another thing you should check is whether you still have laundry in the washer. This is to prevent your clothes from smelling sour. Otherwise, you will have to rewash your clothes.
Another thing you should ensure is whether your laundry is dry. Fold and organize them while you are at it.
Here’s the thing: You will be dealing with laundry by the time you come back from your family vacation. Hence, it would be best that your laundry is empty.
Automate Your Lights
An empty house is prone to breaking and entering. That said, you should install outdoor lights. More than that, consider automating when to turn your lights on and off.
PRO TIP: Randomize when you turn on and off your lights.
For instance, turn on the light to one of your bedrooms for the entire night. And then, turn on th lights in the kitchen for an extended hour the following night.
That way, a culprit can find it challenging to figure out whether there is someone at home or not.
Another tip is to set motion lights. That way, a light will turn on immediately when someone moves into your fence. This can startle a culprit and deter him from breaking into your house.
Pause Your Mail and Deliveries
Mails and packages stacking up in your front door indicate that a house is empty. As such, we advise that you pause your mail and deliveries while you are away.
It would be best to give yourself one day each before and after your vacation. So, if you will be gone for five days, pause your mail and deliveries for seven days.
You can pause your mail and deliveries at your nearest post office.
Unplug Unnecessary Appliances
Before you leave for a family vacation, ensure that you unplug almost all your appliances. Doing so minimizes the risk of house fire and damage to your appliances due to electrical surges.
Sure, there are appliances that you can leave plugged in if you will only go for a day or two. Otherwise, unplug them to be safe.
Keep Your Home Secured
Of course, do not leave without ensuring that your doors and windows are locked. If possible, set up a security system. There are now easy-to-install alarm systems that you can buy online.
We suggest that you run through this article before leaving for a family vacation. That way, you can enjoy your trip with peace of mind, knowing that your home is safe and secured.
