Summer vacations are meant for sandy toes, poolside naps, and exploring new places—not worrying about what you left behind. The last thing you want after a relaxing trip is to walk through your front door and be greeted by mystery smells or a kitchen mess you forgot to deal with.
At Kingdom Keepers Cleaning, we’ve got your back. We’ve put together an easy, eco-friendly guide to help you create a fresh, stressless welcome for your return.
3-4 days before you leave:
Back to Basics
A quick clean before you leave can make a world of difference when you get back. After all, you’ll be busy unpacking, restocking your kitchen, or taking a nap—no need to add cleaning to that list! Focus on high-traffic areas like the kitchen, living room, and bathrooms (deep cleaning can wait for another day). Here’s a checklist to get you started:
- Wipe bathroom counters and mirrors
- Scrub and sanitize sinks
- Sanitize toilets
- Clean microwave and stove
- Vacuum and mop
If you’re short on time, prioritize areas where odors tend to build up, like toilets, sinks, and drains. It’s also a good idea to start clearing out any food in your fridge or pantry that will expire while you’re away. Then give the refrigerator shelves a good wipe-down.
1-2 Days Before:
Laundry & Linens
Catching up on laundry not only frees your washing machine for vacation laundry upon your return; it ensures you don’t come home to a pile of musty clothes and towels. To really bring home the welcoming vibes, change your sheets as well—there’s nothing quite so nice as crawling into your own freshly-laundered bed after a long day of travel!
Fresh—Not Funky—Air
Want to walk into a home that smells clean and inviting? Leave out a bowl of baking soda or activated charcoal in rooms that tend to trap odors. You can also add a few drops of essential oil (like lavender, lemon, or eucalyptus) to cotton balls and place them discreetly around your home—inside closets, drawers, or near air vents.
Here are some other cleaning tasks you’ll want to tackle closer to your departure:
- Take out small trashes: Save the kitchen trash until the day you leave for any last-minute items.
- Run the dishwasher: Do this the night before you leave. If you don’t have time to unload before hitting the road, just crack it open to air out.
- Clean pet bowls: When was the last time you emptied and cleaned Fido or Fluffy’s food and water bowls? This is the perfect time!
- Clean the garbage disposal: Use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to neutralize lingering smells, and for a fresh scent, toss small pieces of lemon or orange peel down the garbage disposal with a little vinegar.
Departure Day:
If you’re leaving really early in the morning, tackle this list the night before. Otherwise, save these steps until everyone is ready to leave:
- Clear the floors: Pick up and put away any stray toys, shoes, or trash. (This will make unpacking much less overwhelming.)
- Clean the counters: Declutter and wipe up any breakfast crumbs or coffee spills.
- Empty the coffee maker: No one wants to come home to a moldy coffee filter!
- Unplug small electronics: Save energy and avoid worry!
- Take out the kitchen trash: Because again—no one wants to come home to “that” smell!
Need a Hand?
As exciting as vacations can be, preparing for them can be stressful. There’s a lot on your plate—packing bags, scheduling pet-sitters, taking time off work, rescheduling family appointments. To make things easier on you, let us take care of the cleaning! After all, vacations are meant to give you a break from all that work, right?