What do you bother to do before a holiday?

[HappydaysArehere]

Do you defrost and turn off fridge freezers? What do you do? Fed up with sorting things out. Am I sensible or OTT?

Never turned the freezer off. It's always got loads of food in it.

Isn't turning your freezer off an overhang from when we used to get power cuts a lot? Unless you're going away for 6 months or are seriously prone to power cuts - you don't need to do that surely?

Take the cats to the cattery, vacuum, chuck any food/bread out that wont last, empty bins, leave

Clear fridge of anything that will be out of date, empty bins, wash up, general tidy

Clean the house thoroughly.
Empty all bins.
Flush toilets and leave them with loo cleaner in.
Shut and lock windows.
Empty fridge of perishables but I don't switch off the fridge or freezer.
I don't turn off the TV and Sky box as I usually have it set to record! But I do switch off kettle, computers, laptops etc at the wall.

I always change the bed sheets and make sure the beds are made before we leave as there's nothing nicer than sliding into a freshly made bed when you return.

I change bedding I also did all the laundry so I didn't have to do it when I got. I don't turn off the fridgefreezer but my parents do when they are away for longer and my dad turns off the water

Empty fridge and clean it out
Change all beds
Make sure there's no washing
Bleach down the Loo
And put washing machine on a 95c wash with nothing in it

The aim is always to have the place spotless. Never happens. Usually it's passably tidy with bins out loos clean etc but it's always a mad scramble so floors never get mopped or anything and beds usually stay as is.

Thanks a lot. Everything you mention is really what I do usually. The obsession with the fridge freezer started when our dishwasher burst into flame one evening, We would have been toast if it hadn't been for the smoke alarm Also the fridge freezer is about 14 years old. it is a Miele and they are supposed to last but so long as it breaks down and doesn't set fire to the home I wouldn't worry., I have almost run it down but would love to stock up again in order that we have something to come home to. Rather fancy a couple of nice things from the Cook store - straight from the freezer and into the oven while we enjoy a nice glass of wine.
you have reminded me of a couple of things, changing the sheets,etc. I always used to turn off the water but haven't done this recently as it was nice to come in and not to have to scramble under the sink and fiddle about.

Thank you again everybody. You have now supplied me with my check list.

Clean the house from top to bottom
Change the beds, do all the washing/ironing, put away
Put loo cleaner down loo
Empty the fridge, empty bins
Leave dishwasher/washing machine doors open
Give key to neighbour who checks the fish pond/removes post from hallway/puts wheelie bins out etc
Remind DH not to switch off electricity/water (wtf would you? 😡) he wrecked contents of very big freezer years ago doing just that

I always buy one of those air freshener defusers, with the liquid in the bottle and sticks. you know what I mean! The smell is usually too strong when it's new, but after 2 weeks in a locked up house, it's just right for a nice smell when you get back.

Change all the bedding.
Stock up on cat food/litter for neighbour who lives next door to keep an eye on cats & get her chocolates/treat for kids & give her all the food that will go to waste plus whatever I've baked to say thank you.

Empty bins, I do turn off the boiler, try to tidy up & Hoover etc but usually run out of time.

Tidy house top to bottom
Bleach in loo
Lemon in kettle (to descale)
Hot wash in washing machine
Set timers on lamps in bedroom and living room
Key to neighbour
Throw out any food that will be out of date by return
Empty bins
Water all house plants
Lock windows

If you are going away in winter and have houseplants near the windows
put them in the middle of the floor to stop them freezing.
In fact in a hot summer I might do the same or at least put them
somewhere away from strong sunlight.
If keeping fridge on a bottle of chilled water/juice is nice as often dehydrated after a journey.
Put central heating/ water timer on frost setting

All house cleaned, bed changed, toilets with bleach in. All perishable stuff thrown away, fridge cleaned but not switched off, usually lots of stuff left in. All laundry done so not mountains of washing when we return. Lamps on timers, dog to kennels, central heating set at 12C and hot water off. Key to neighbours in case of problems, wine in fridge for return.

Makes me need a holiday just thinking about all that!

Leave money for our cleaner and a list of extra jobs to do as there won't be the usual ironing and recluttering!

Love coming back to clean sheets and shiny floors but would never manage that if our cleaner couldn't do it for us.

Oh, and my parents and I have a reciprocal agreement whereby we pick up post, feed cats, turn the heating on the day before we are due home, and buy a loaf of bread, pint of milk and something easy and instant like fresh pasta and sauce for the first evening home.

All I do is pour the milk down the sink, put the bins out and lock the door. We're all working till the day before we leave, will pack in the evening and then leave for the airport at 4am. No time to tidy or change beds.

We turn off the heating / hot water. Anything else is a bonus.