Let’s talk about vacation. Regardless of where you are going and for how long you’ll be gone, there’s a lot to do BEFORE leaving – packing, stopping mail, making sure you have everything turned off and locked up, and if you have kids, there’s making sure you’ve thought of everything that they could possibly need. Once the day of departure finally comes, it is easy to leave the house in a flurry of activity and plan to deal with the tornado you left behind upon your return. But….when you come back from vacation you’re tired, possibly jet-lagged, and just want to sink into your own bed. I’ve found that if I just do 6 things before we go on vacation it makes re-entry so much easier.

Laundry at zero. What does that mean? We try our best to make sure that all the laundry is washed and put away. I will typically pack for the trip from the fresh laundry a couple days before leaving so I’m not folding and putting things away multiple times.

Check floors. I do a quick vacuum or sweep as needed. It’s so nice to come home to clean floors after being on vacation.

Wipe counters. Do a quick wipe down of the kitchen and bathroom counters ensures that they’ll be clean upon our return.

Empty the kitchen sink and dishwasher. Emptying the sink, washing dishes, and making sure that the dishwasher is empty is a great way to welcome yourself back into the kitchen.

Make beds. Made beds change the look and feel of a room. It’s always a treat to fall into bed at the end of vacation – especially when it’s made.

Quick tidy and declutter. Pick up little messes – grab a basket and put anything that needs to be returned to it’s proper location in that basket. Try to put those things away before going on vacation or save it until after you come back.

If you follow my cleaning routine you’ll see that these 6 things are pretty close to my 5 DAILY CLEANING TASKS. Check them out here – just staying on task with daily cleaning makes everything easier.

How about you? What do you do before leaving for vacation?