Before leaving for your vacation, you will have to undertake one crucial task to ensure your trip back is relaxed. You absolutely have to clean the messy house, or else it will stink or reek when you get back.

Most of the time our friends with the anxiety and excitement to start the trip, tend to forget some crucial part of their home routine. We have received and made several calls to people back home to check if everything is in order.

So, to ensure you have a safe place to come back to, and that your house remains in one piece we have compiled a comprehensive checklist. So the next time you leave home for a peaceful vacation, you can do so without worrying about home, as you would have crossed all the items of this list when you started.

Must-Do Last Minute Errands At Home Before A Trip

Pre-Departure Checklist

1. If you are leaving your pets at home, do not forget to leave food and water for your pets, or better yet, ensure you have a sitter or at least a trustworthy neighbor to check in and walk your pets.
2. Water the plants before you leave. If you are going for a long trip, ensure you have a friend water them at their scheduled time.
3. If you are road-tripping, wash the car and check the fundamentals like the pressure on the tires, fuel level, oil, etc. before leaving. If you have not serviced your car in 11 months or more, it is highly recommended that you do so and change the engine oil of your car, right before your trip.
4. For toddlers, have a readymade meal in stow for them at all times. A diaper, water bottle, spare clothes, and a toy to play (or distract them) with among other essential children’s items.
5. Take a reusable water bottle and some snacks in your carry-on luggage.
6. Get rid of the old food that will most certainly go bad if left too long in the refrigerator. Also, defrost the freezer.
7. Dispose of the trash or garbage, and make sure you are leaving an empty trash can.
8. Seal all the boxes of dry food items left in the kitchen.
9. Empty the unused water in the bathroom to prevent bacteria growth.
10. Use a mattress cover or a tarp to cover your bed. If you are going on a trip that is longer than a week, the cover ensures that it is ready to use when you are back home.
11. Close the tap water.
12. Wash the dishes, do the laundry, and ensure that the dried clothes are folded and stored accordingly.
13. Switch off the heater, cooking gas, AC, and other electric appliances.
14. Get your home cleaned and organized; you will be truly relieved to see it all sorted and ready for you to occupy when you are back home.
15. Take a credit card, or cash, and exchange the foreign currency beforehand, if you are traveling internationally.
16. Check the airline or train status. Do the web check-in if needed.
17. Save a copy of all the necessary documents —Vaccination certificates, medical prescriptions, driving license, to name a few, on your personal Drive, and in your preferred cloud storage.
18. Look at the weather forecasts and download offline maps of the destination location.
19. Download offline movies/ songs or carry a book to engage yourself during transit.
20. Pay the bills in advance which might be due while you are away.
21. Secure your home. Turn the security alarm or camera on before you start.
22. Close all the doors and windows. Lock the door.
23. Give a spare key to someone whom you trust.
24. Hide your valuables somewhere safe. Also, make sure your vehicles are safely parked.
25. Inform your neighbor that you’ll be away and when you’ll be back. Ask them to keep an eye out for you. Make sure to leave your contact number for them to call in case of emergencies.

Take a deep breath, it’s time to head out and have an exciting and relaxing vacation.

If you find this useful, share this with your caring family and absent-minded friends and comment on the things that you forget often. For more travel hacks, lifestyle tips, and anything adventure-centric, stay tuned with us and our journey through our newsletter.