"Tickets are booked, bags are packed, and you’re ready to jet off for some much-needed OOO time. But before you load your suitcase into the car and lock up, there are a few things you need to do first. Whether you’re hitting the road for a cross-country trip or hopping on a plane to a faraway locale, you’ve got to make sure your house is in order (both literally and figuratively) before you leave. This vacation checklist lays out all of the details you might forget about in your pre-trip excitement. Before you step into full-on vacation mode, make sure to cross these last-minute things off your to-do list first.
1. Give your house a quick clean
You don’t need to tackle a major cleaning project before your vacation, but a quick tidy-up can make a big difference. Pick up any trash or stray clothes, vacuum and mop the floors, and wipe down the counters. Spending an hour on these tasks will ensure you come home to a fresh and welcoming space rather than a mess and a to-do list.
2. Clean out your fridge and take out the trash.
That leftover Thai food isn’t going to smell quite so tasty a week from now. Ahead of your trip, aim to eat up as much of your perishable food as possible. For whatever’s left, toss anything that will have expired by the time you get back. Then, take out the trash so it doesn’t stink up the place while you’re gone. Once you have emptied all your perishable food and taken out the trash, add a few things to your fridge or pantry for when you get back. Grab a box of mac and cheese, a frozen pizza, or your favorite sweet treat, anything that won’t expire before your vacay ends. There’s nothing like coming home with something to look forward to, and you won’t have to cook when you return from your vacation.
3. Make sure your sink isn’t full of dishes
Similarly to sitting trashbags or spoiled food in the fridge, dishes left abandoned in the sink while you’re gone can start to smell a little…funky. As someone whose least favorite chore is dishes, I know how easy it is to procrastinate washing them. However, tackling them before leaving town is a must. If you have a dishwasher, that means not just running it and leaving the clean dishes in there but actually emptying it. This way, it will be ready for dirty dishes when you get back.
4. Change your sheets
After a few days of sleeping in luxe hotel sheets, you’re definitely going to want to come home to fresh sheets on your bed. Before taking off, swap out your sheets for a clean set and throw the dirty ones in the laundry. Your bed may not be quite as comfy as a hotel bed, but it will come much closer.
5. Make sure your laundry basket is empty
While running a load of sheets, follow up with the rest of your laundry loads. After a vacation, you’re guaranteed to have a suitcase full of dirty clothes, and it’s much more manageable when you don’t already have a hamper full of clothes waiting for you. Put on a podcast or audiobook and knock out a few loads before you leave.
6. Unplug appliances and electronics
There’s no need for appliances and electronics you won’t be using to waste energy while plugged in, and they can pose a fire risk while you’re gone. Before you leave, quickly sweep your apartment and unplug anything non-essential. I also like to plug in a wall diffuser before heading out so my home smells nice and fresh when I get back.
7. Set out fresh towels
When I get home from a trip, I immediately go straight to the bathroom to wash off the plane germs with an everything shower. I like to do my future self a favor and put clean towels in my bathroom so that my shower feels even more relaxing. It’s a simple thing to add to your to-do list, making coming home a little easier.
8. Adjust your thermostat by a few degrees.
There’s no need to blast the AC if no one will be around to feel it. Bump up the temperature on your thermostat by a few degrees so it doesn’t run unnecessarily while you’re away. You can also keep cooling costs under control by closing your curtains or blinds before you leave. However, don’t turn off your HVAC system altogether or you risk returning home to a sauna (or causing bigger maintenance issues).
9. Free up storage space on your phone.
While you’re snapping pics of all your fabulous adventures, you don’t want to get hit with that “storage full” notification. If you’re near capacity on your phone’s storage, take some time to delete old photos or apps you never use to free up space. After you tick this off your vacation checklist, you can feel free to take as many photos and videos as you’d like.
10. Screenshot important travel information.
Nothing kicks my anxiety into high gear quite like standing in line at an international airport trying to get my boarding pass to load using the shoddy public WiFi. Gone are the days when you would print out physical copies of all your travel information, but you can still make sure that info is easily accessible. I always make sure to save screenshots of all the important details (for flights, train tickets, Airbnbs, etc.) on my phone so I’m not left scrambling if connection issues strike. If you have an iPhone, you can also add your boarding pass to your Apple Wallet, which you can access even without WiFi or cell service.
11. Let your bank know of your travel plans.
Especially if you’re headed out of the country, it’s important to alert your bank or credit card company of your travel plans. That way, when you start swiping your card all over Europe, they’ll know it’s you instead of a thief who got their hands on your info. If you forget to do this ahead of time, the bank may place your card on hold until they can verify it’s you. And that’s the last thing you want in the middle of your vacation shopping spree.
12. Give a spare key to someone nearby.
This vacation checklist step is optional, but I always feel better if someone I trust has a spare key in their safekeeping while I’m traveling. It’s obviously crucial if you need someone to water your plants or feed your cat while you’re gone, but it can also come in handy if a package gets delivered that you don’t want to be left out on the stoop. And if a household emergency happens while you’re gone—or you happen to lose your keys on the trip—you know someone has your back.
13. Share your itinerary with a loved one.
Whether it’s a family member or a close friend, ensure someone is familiar with the details of your trip. That includes the destinations you plan to visit and when you expect to return. Of course, you hope they never need to use this information, but in case something goes amiss during your trip, it’s important that someone knows your whereabouts.
14. Allow yourself some rest time
Remember that not all these tasks must be done in one day. Space them out over a few days before your vacation so you’re not overwhelmed. It feels fantastic to get all these things done, and they make coming home so much easier, but with a busy vacation, you will want to get your relaxation time in. Schedule time for yourself to rest up, charge your social battery, and fuel your body so it can keep up on vacation. It will also help you not feel less exhausted when you come home.
