How tidy/clean do you leave the house before going away ?

[fumpster]

I always try to make beds, bins emptied, Bleach in loo after last person has used it, house spotlessly tidy, washing up to date so machine is free for holiday laundry when we get back, heating timer off, bleach in sink, fridge emptied of anything that will go off while away, Food delivery booked for the next day

Reasonably tidy, dishwasher and bins emptied. Throw away anything in the fridge that won't last until I'm back. That's about it.

Surely that is just normal. ??

It's always fully cleaned before we go anywhere, it's nice to come back, knowing there is absolutely nothing to do.

I even put the hoover over downstairs before we go out the door.

I am a bit of a clean and tidy freak though, as my family keep telling me.

It's usually me that leaves a bit of chaos behind but DH has been cleaning before we leave last couple of years and to be fair ...he's right ..it is nice coming back to a clean and tidy house

Our home is frequently an absolute tip but I always make a particular effort to have a good clean and tidy before we go away because otherwise I feel so down when we get back.

I also try to come home with clean clothes if self catering for a similar reason.

No - my BIL & SIL have been known to leave their house as if they were in the middle of cooking or eating dinner when they simply went on holiday for 2 weeks. Think knives left out with butter on as they were making toast, half the eaten toast left out, crumbs. Sink full of washing up

That doesn't mean that what you do isn't normal though, your description to me is what I'd expect to be pretty standard

Do you think you need to change your routine? It sounds fine to me

I leave our house as you do op but I fantasise about being able to leave it as your bil and sil do… just to walk out and not care about the washing up.

@VisionsOfSplendour don't think i need to change my routine. TBH, I wondered if it was slightly ott and if I was making too much work for myself, on top of the packing and other holiday prep

This is what I have found hardest about having adult children no longer coming on holiday with us. I like to leave the house spotless, freshly made beds, loos bleached, fridge cleaned out etc.

Now I return and feel the need to deep clean 😞.

Try to have it really clean and tidy.
All beds changed.
Bathrooms cleaned.

I love coming home to clean and tidy home after holiday and getting into freshly made beds.

If you think youre putting too much pressure on yourself then dont do it, ain't no housework inspector going to be looking through the windows while you're away 😀

Life's too short for unnecessary -ness like that

We are somewhere inbetween so normally bins emptied, fridge emptied, washing up done and kitchen surfaces clean. After that just depends if we have time.

I was advised by a Crime Prevention Officer to leave my house like this, particularly downstairs rooms that could be seen into.
Opportunistic burglars would avoid a house that looks occupied.

Spotless, same as you op and shopping ordered too.

@AnotherDayAnotherUsernameForMe Same here. We've just got back from a week abroad but adult DS was still at home. Although he'd left the kitchen reasonably tidy watered my plants and put the wheely bin out on time as requested, he definitely hadn't wiped down the hob, run the hoover round or cleaned the bathroom.

We went away for just a day to drop the eldest back to University, youngest (16) stayed home.

We got back, he'd washed all the bedding and dried it and hoovered the house. No way the eldest (21) would have done that. He'd have been in bed all day!!

When I started a temp role I told the office manager I had a week in France booked, she agreed. We went off, and when I went in on the Monday after, they were all 'Where were you last week?'. I said 'in Bordeaux, like I told you two months ago'. Manager said 'Oh God, I forgot to put it in the diary'. Deputy manager said he had gone to our house and peeped through the letterbox and seen how tidy it was, and knew at once we had gone away. I said, 'It's always like that, now the kids have moved out'. Went and bought a letterbox that you can't use to peep in.

I won’t leave any washing up and if I have time I’ll clear the fridge out but I don’t do anything else specific. Beds would be made anyway.

Our cleaner comes as usual (twice a week) when we’re away so the place gets a thorough clean anyway.

As someone who frequently visits peoples homes when they are away on holiday (I'm a pet sitter) I can confirm that there is indeed a full spectrum from OP's standard through to her SIL's. Surprisingly more than you would expect leave washing up in the sink and bins full. If it's just a couple of days it's fair enough but some do it when they're away for a whole week or more.