To ask your pre holiday house preps?

[7yo7yo]

Can I ask what you do to prepare your house for holiday?
My DH thinks I’m strange but I like all the beds changed, bins emptied, house cleaned generally etc.
I like to be the last one out of the house so I can put toilet cleaner down the toilets and plump my sofas for the 5 days we are away.

To me this is normal but he thinks I’m strange!
Aibu to ask what you do?

Ps none of us are packed

I do the same! Except this time, I went to get the toilet cleaner out of the cupboard & discovered the boiler was leaking , 5 minutes before we were due to leave

And when I get back, the first thing I like to do is hoover up all the dust that will have settled while we’ve been away. Anyone else?

I’m similar. Always have to clean the fridge out before we go away!

Definitely with you on this. Love to know I’ll be coming back to a tidy and clean house! Fresh beds to get into, just unpacking to be done. I’d hate to know I was coming back to housework.

@PrettyShiningPeople what did you do?? How lucky you checked!

I’m stressing so much. We go next week and have a house sitter for the first time for the keys so I need to really deep clean!

House is tidied within an inch of its life. Not a thing out of place. But that's because I don't cancel my cleaner when we're away so it has to be left as it always is for her. It's absolutely heaven to come back to! And it makes unpacking easier somehow because I'm motivated to unpack in an organised way so I don't ruin the tidyness.

I'm turning into my mother

@Theseptemberissues oh definitely. The last 2 days before we go on holiday are the randomest meals ever while I empty the fridge.

I do exactly the same. We were due back really late from our holiday so clean Pjs were also left out on the bed and new toothbrushes in the bathroom so nothing had to be unpacked before going to bed.

And yes, fridge emptied and cleaned before we go, and bins emptied too.

I panicked a bit at first, thinking we wouldn’t be able to go, but once we turned the water off & drained the system it stopped leaking, so we just left it & sorted it out when we got back.

@CocoLoco87 it’s like another mini holiday to me, getting into a clean bed.
And all we need to do is our holiday laundry because we did all the other laundry is done!

@blibblibs that’s a really good idea!

My quest is to be like you. Sadly I have a dread of packing (I think it’s due to the choosing what to take issues) and so am always miles behind on my prep. This means that I exit to an unhoovered, untidy house, with rejected clothing all over the place (I do at least empty the bins though, and occasionally if I’m leaving late in the day I manage to change my bed as coming back to clean sheets is the best thing ever).

I console myself with the fact that if a burglar peers in at the window there is no way he’ll think I’ve gone on holiday.

@MrsFezziwig I still haven’t packed and leave at stupid o clock.
I have started a thread on mumsnet and will procrastinate for hours and do everything in a rush job.
The family will all do their jobs throughout the day.
I have also just realised that I haven’t finished the school uniforms and haven’t bought their shoes or PE kits so will have to get them today as I’m at work as soon as I get back.

This used to be me back in the day. Big holidays were a once a year thing and it used to be sort of a deadline to spring clean to. Now we go away much more often and the house just carries on with its normal routine. I do like to put stuff down the sinks and toilets last minute, but gone are the days of last minute hoovering and perfection. It's tidy anyway now as it's just the 2 of us, but looking back, I wish I had put more energy into looking forward to the holiday rather than cleaning for it.

Our cleaners will still come while we are away, so beds are generally stripped before we leave and fresh bedding left out.

All laundry baskets emptied and put away ready for the holiday laundry to go straight in as a priority.

Fridge totally emptied of anything that may go off while we are away.

Valuables locked in the loft.

Before we had cleaners, DH would always insist on fast food takeaway that you can eat out of the box, usually McDonald's so no plates needed washing up. That tradition has stuck now.

switch of all electricity (apart from fridge/freezer and timed lights)
switch off water
water all plants
close all windows
take bins out

It’s as much as I can do to pack everything needed and sort kids out. I could only dream of the house being sparkling before I go. I aim for no disasters - like leaving taps on and coming back to a flood etc.

Yep, I do the same. It's just nice to come back to a clean house

I wash my slippers. Then they're lovely and clean and dry for coming home to. When I'm stressed at the airport on the return journey, I imagine in so many hours I'll be home, in my pyjamas and baffies. It helps get me through the thought of going home.

I wish I could be like you lot! Did manage it a bit better than usual this time as had friends cat sitting. However in the past it’s been total chaos (but as a bonus had we been burgled whilst away I’m sure they would have got in then not bothered as they would probably presume that had already happened!!)..

I do this, as well as double check the freezers are all closed properly and mow the lawns.

Clean from top to bottom over the previous week.

Steradent down the toilets at the last minute.

Change beds.

Spray deflea spray into all the skirting boards and away like a robbers dog. Pardon the pun.

I am on day one of reality and it was really helped last night by getting into a clean bed.

Oh and I brought a glass of wine to bed last night, and it was still there this morning, so I have had that for breakfast.

The act of rebellion helped.

For any pearl clutchers out there, we are child free today.