Do you clean your house before going away?

**monkeywrangler71** · 08-11-2010, 08:14 AM

I remember when I was a kid we used to make fun of my mother for making the house spotless before we left on vacation. Everyone would be packed in the car waiting while she would be inside scrubbing something.

Like most women, I have become my mother.

For me, knowing that my house is clean makes my trip more relaxed, and it has to be completely cleaned, better than it usually is when we are home. I think the reason is because "vacationing" with children is not the slightest bit restful, and I know I will come home exhausted. It's nice to have all my work already done when I get back, that's sort of my real vacation - the first day or two back with no major cleaning.

Do you go on a cleaning frenzy before you go out of town? What are your reasons?

**saver** · 08-11-2010, 08:29 AM

Yes, I do too! We're taking a mini-trip this weekend, and I've already started my pre-trip cleaning assault. I like to have all laundry done, all dishes done and put away, floors done, everything picked up. It makes coming home so much nicer. I'm even thinking of having something ready in the freezer that we could pull out and cook quickly so we don't have to run out to the store first thing.

**monkeywrangler71** · 08-11-2010, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by saver

I'm even thinking of having something ready in the freezer that we could pull out and cook quickly so we don't have to run out to the store first thing.

That's an awesome idea

**Ceashels** · 08-11-2010, 08:45 AM

I try my best to get it all done before we leave. It doesn't always work but I still try. It is so nice to come home to a clean home and not be visually assaulted by the dust bunnies.

**gapeach** · 08-11-2010, 09:04 AM

I try to clean my house before going on trips as well. I don't enjoy coming home to a dirty house.

**Neeley** · 08-11-2010, 09:16 AM

When we take our Christmas trip to Disney every year we always make the house extra clean before we leave for several reasons. First, my FIL comes over for a few hours everyday to feed, water and hold our 17 year old cat. Second, We are gone for a minimum of ten days and that is too long for clothes to be in a laundry basket and dirty dishes to be left in a sink. Third, when we get home, we don't unpack until the next day or so and it would be too messy if the house were not spotless. Finally, we get home the day after Christmas. We do our Christmas morning activities (opening the majority of our gifts) the morning after we get home and I want a clean house for Christmas pictures.

Some years my mom sends her housekeeper over to my house while we are gone. She does deep cleaning for us like baseboards, window blinds, behind the stove, etc...

If we are just going on a weekend get-a-way then we don't do a major clean up. Obviously, all of the dishes and laundry get done. But, I don't stress over the floors and toilets being scrubbed spotless if we are only going to be gone a couple of days. The house stays pretty clean on a day to day basis already.

**nuisance26** · 08-11-2010, 09:37 AM

~I clean too for the same reasons. Although I got in the habit before kids. I don't remember my mom cleaning house before trips but she did always clean the kitchen really well. It was usually my job to clean the family car before our trip. I still do that too.
A clean and organized car for the trip and a clean house to come home to are really important to me.
And every time I walk in the house when we come home I breath a sigh of relief at the peace that awaits. And even though I'm the one that did the cleaning, I'm always surprised at how tidy and welcoming everything feels!

~

**Mom23boys** · 08-11-2010, 09:42 AM

I like to have a clean home when I arrive back home from vacation because we are all tired from traveling, so my house is clean before we leave. I think I do the cleaning before I leave because my mom does it. I guess I learned it from her.

**stinkbug** · 08-11-2010, 09:59 AM

I also put clean sheets on the bed so we come home to a freash bed!

**nodmicks** · 08-11-2010, 10:01 AM

I do also. Who want to come home to house work???

**Josephhgoins** · 08-11-2010, 10:15 AM

I clean my house before I leave even on a weekend trip. It makes it a little treat to come back from vacation to a clean house, plus the cleaning makes me feel that I did something to deserve the vacation.

**Contrary Housewife** · 08-11-2010, 10:36 AM

I don't do the whole house, but I try to get the dishes. I don't want food sitting around for a week while we're away. Also we tend to dump a lot of stuff on the kitchen table when we get home so it has to be cleared off.

I also make sure we have something in the freezer for dinner, even if it is just a frozen pot pie, and something DH can pull out in the morning to take for lunch (either leftovers or a frozen lunch).

**karichelle** · 08-11-2010, 10:53 AM

I don't scrub or do a deep cleaning, but I do straighten before we leave on a trip. I don't want to come home to a messy house.

**Libby** · 08-11-2010, 11:29 AM

Totally have to have food in freezer, laundry done and clothes ready for the following week - who knows what surprises we return to as well as a clean home. Makes it like a nice second vacation to be home b/c you've been away.

**Grayce** · 08-11-2010, 01:51 PM

I try and clean the house before I go away. I like to come home to a house that is clean as possible. Sometimes in the flurry of going away I can't get it all done. I'm always disappointed when i come home to a mess.