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Do you clean before leaving for a trip?

post #1 of 16
6/18/11 at 6:46am
Thread Starter 
I recently read in a magazine that you should clean the house, change the sheets, wash dishes and put them away, and so forth before leaving for a trip so you'll have a nice place to come home to.

I'm a last-minute kind of girl so one part of me thinks this is just another "thing" to add to the list of stuff to do before leaving, and that it would just make me more stressed before leaving. Another part of me visualizes getting home to a clean, comfortable house and being able to drop my stuff, get in the bed, and sleep as long as I want and wants to rewind back to last week before I left to put this principle in practice!

So who all here does this? Is the trouble of cleaning the house before a big trip worth it?

(I'm sure some of you KEEP your house clean instead of being oh-so-lazy like me, lol!!! So this question may not apply. )
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post #2 of 16
6/18/11 at 7:21am
I do...and yes, it's SO worth it. It's so nice to come home late and tired and finding your house nice and tidy, and crawl into a clean bed and sleep knowing you don't have to do anything.

When I don't clean, or forget, or don't have time, I immediately come home to stress...the laundry needs to be washed (what's clean for tomorrow?), there are still dishes in the sink (ick...), I didn't turn on the dishwasher...I hope nothing in there's gained sentience while I was gone.:para:

It also makes the little messes you sometimes come home to more bearable. If the cats knock over a plant, I just have to clean up the plant...as opposed to looking at the plant and having to clean that up, then realizing the entire floor really needs a vaccuum, etc.

It really just extends the relaxation of the holiday for a few more hours for me.
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post #3 of 16
6/18/11 at 7:52am
I love this question!!!!! And, YES, I do clean before leaving on a trip (which are always very short ) But is drives Larry nuts, I am always running around last minute cleaning. And I always have to clean the kitchen sink too. Very strange I guess I want it nice for the pet sitter hoping she will follow suit
Lauren
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post #4 of 16
6/18/11 at 8:44am
Yep. For all of the reasons mentioned. When I get home the last thing I want to have to do is clean or change bedding.
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post #5 of 16
6/18/11 at 9:03am
Yes, I always do - it is so less stressful when you come home. ANd I want to make sure before leaving that there is no cat pee anywhere that I haven't noticed so that my cat sitter has a clean house.
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post #6 of 16
6/18/11 at 9:43am
Yup, me too, always clean the house before leaving, and wash all the laundry that's staying. No way am I up for cleaning after a trip, even if it's a vacation.

When it's just me going away, I also make sure that the house is stocked with plenty of bottled water, and dried, fresh, and frozen foods for my husband and daughter (canned and dry for the kitties) in case of an earthquake while I'm away.
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post #7 of 16
6/18/11 at 9:50am
One of the benefits of living alone after living with a very untidy and messy man is that my house if clean ALL the time. I clean daily as I go along, i.e., when I wash my hands I clean the sink, when I vacuum (usually every second day), I wipe down the baseboards, after a shower I squeegee the walls and wipe out the tub with scrubbing bubbles.

I am one of those people that get very stressed if things are messy or untidy. I am comfortable with anyone dropping by anytime or just making a spur of the moment decision to take a little trip. In fact I have an overnight bag that is packed with extra undies, makeup, shampoo, deodorant, prescription pills, etc. and ready in the closet to go at a moment's notice.
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post #8 of 16
6/18/11 at 10:23am
Yes I clean before leaving. We usually go to Russ's shore home for a few days during the week in the summer and before I leave I change the sheets and make sure all laundry is washed and place dusted. When we come home I just want to relax and do nothing especially not house cleaning. Sometimes I'm more tired after coming home than before I left so just want to be lazy and have to do nothing at all. One pet peeve I have is coming home to an unmade bed whether only for a day or a week. An unmade bed makes the whole house look unkempt.
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post #9 of 16
6/18/11 at 11:57am
Since having a child it's a rare day indeed that my home is clean (completely)....most things are undone before I finish them. Packing is generally a nightmare and takes twice as long because she still needs me to pack things like sippy cups that are in use constantly, diapers and what not. I do not need one more thing to do. Traveling with her means planning the whole prior week around getting ready to go!! It used to take me like no time at all to pack just DH and I.

DH will usually load and run the dishwasher so that is done. We straighten stuff up as best as possible. I do get vacuuming done sometime in the few days before we go because we have a house sitter come stay here while we are gone. I wouldn't want her to come to a dirty house.... As for my sheets; if they were clean enough to sleep in before we left, well they are clean enough to sleep in when we get back! Yeah it's always nice to fall into a clean bed; but just being back in my own bed is plenty for me!
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post #10 of 16
6/18/11 at 12:53pm
Me!!!! This is why i'm not going on any more holidays abroad after my cruise in September.

For one week's holiday it's too much stress and hassle to have to clean the house, change the bedding, stock up on cat food and litter, do a check list of what i'm going to put in the case then actually pack the case wondering if i've missed anything out?, buying my Euro's, toiletries etc...

I'm a fusspot to start with when it comes to my home being clean, but this really stresses me out. Give me an overnight stay in London anyday!!
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post #11 of 16
6/18/11 at 3:33pm
Oh brother, no way... I travel once, sometimes twice a week..... I barely have time to pack let alone do all that! Nah.... Having a bed and my kitties on the way back is awesome enough for me
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post #12 of 16
6/18/11 at 3:50pm
I try to keep our house as clean as possible, but it is difficult with six cats. Before we leave for a vacation or even just a weekend away, I will change the bed clothing and launder everything that needs washing. I vacuum and dust and make sure all the litter boxes are very clean.

When we come home, I still have laundry to do because of the clothing we take with us, but at least, the house is still fairly clean when we return, thank goodness.
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post #13 of 16
6/18/11 at 6:07pm
I do! I cleaned my house top to bottom before I left for Japan, and let me tell you- it was so nice to be able to come home to a clean house that smelled good and I could just fall into bed and rest.
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post #14 of 16
6/18/11 at 8:36pm
Guilty! I love to come home to a clean house. I hate it when I leave then if I didn't have time to clean having to clean before I go back to work.
Weird I know, but I like things orderly and tidy. OCD will do that to you..
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post #15 of 16
6/19/11 at 6:54am
I always insist that the dishes are at least done before we leave, and all the garbage out. It is so much nicer to return to a clean home when you've been away. Although "clean" is a relative term when the cats have had their way while we're gone.
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post #16 of 16
6/19/11 at 12:22pm
We just got back from an 8-day trip, and it was great coming home to a clean house. There's laundry from the trip to be done tomorrow, and the place needs vacuuming since Jamie was here spreading his hair throughout the house, but that's about it.
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