There is nothing nicer than coming home from a wonderful holiday to a clean home and that is where this pre-holiday cleaning checklist comes into its own. I am in no way suggesting that as a mum you take full responsibility for everything on this list, but with the help of your family you can experience the joy of coming home to a fabulous clean home.
I really have come to know that a clean home for me means a clear head. I like to have a tidy(ish) home and would much prefer to do the work before we go on holiday to make sure I have a nice home to come back to.
I am certainly not a martyr when it comes to cleaning and tidying and I am lucky that my husband is an equal partner and he and our kids take on some of the role too. I am not suggesting that this is in any way woman’s work or that it is something that one person should take on alone. Nor should you try to do it all in one day. I have a weekly clean schedule and I just adjust it the week before we go on vacation to accommodate.
To make my life easier I created a pre-holiday cleaning checklist and seeing as I had done it, I thought I would share it with you too. At least it helps me stop working that I have unplugged the iron!
I split the chores into rooms and then general and each person is responsible for their own room. So they have to ensure that all their dirty clothes are in the laundry basket (including changing their beds) and that their bins are emptied. I also expect them to vacuum too. I would like to say that I trusted them with the windows and such, but I do still check that they are all shut and locked!
Pre Cleaning Holiday Checklist by Room
By using the pre cleaning holiday checklist you can make sure that the week before that you tick off most of the items and not have a last-minute rush.
Laundry
let’s start with what I think is one of the most challenging things. Laundry – I mean how often have you seen the bottom of the laundry pile?
- Start with changing the beds a couple of days before you travel so you can come home to clean bed linen.
- Make sure all towels are clean (nothing worse than leaving damp towels and coming home to that smell).
- Clothes – I insist that my family put their dirty clothes into the laundry and I am lucky that my husband and eldest are both great at running the washing machine!
- I like to make sure that I leave the washing machine clean and open whilst I am away to air.
- I make sure that I have enough laundry products to do all the washing when we get home.
- If I have time I will wash and dry the door mats, it is great to have a nice welcome when you come in that front door.
Bedrooms
In this house both my children are old enough to do their own rooms. When they were you ger we used to do this together. I would help one and my husband the other.
- I have talked about changing the bedding some you come home to a nice clean bed. If you don’t have time, then turn down the bedding so it can air when you are away.
- Generally, tidy the room and make sure all the clothes are away and the bin is empty.
- Vacuum
- Unplug electrical devices.
Bathrooms
The bathrooms do take a little more work, but I do really appreciate coming home to sweet-smelling rooms and ones that do have limescale, water spots (or spiders in the bath)!
- Start by cleaning the toilet and popping in your cleaning products and putting the seat down. I am a fan of green bleach (Sodium Percarbonate) and eco products.
- Then wipe down the bath and sink making sure the taps are not dripping and pop the plugs in and that any soaps are not sitting in water.
- Empty the bin and vacuum or sweep the room.
- If you have a shower curtain then open it out to air.
Kitchen
The kitchen might seem like a long list, but you can do it over a few days.
- Wipe down kitchen countertops.
- Remove any perishable items from the refrigerator and give them to a friend and clean the fridge whilst it has less in it or transfer them to the freezer if they are freezable.
- Make sure the dishwasher is empty and you don’t have any dirty dishes and clean (I run a cleaning cycle as there is nothing worse than a smelly dishwasher) and leave the door ajar to air.
- Unplug kitchen appliances. I also switch off the oven at the electric point.
- Empty the bin.
- sweep and mop the floor (if time to mop).
- Clean and dry sink and pop some green beach down the drain.
- Empty the bin.
General Living Areas
I think that most of the time our living room and dining are pretty clean and need the least work.
- General tidy. I just go around the rooms in a clockwise motion.
- Wipe the dining table and coffee table.
- Vacuum the rugs and carpet and sweep the floor.
- Mop floors.
- Fluff pillows and tidy the blankets.
- Unplug electric appliances.
Final Sweep
- Water all plants.
- close and lock windows and internal doors.
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