So your bags are all packed and you are ready to leave for your long year-end holiday. But have you done your house check yet? Getting your home in good order when you are gone is extremely important; you don’t want to come home to a place crawling with bugs, or discovering decomposed food in your fridge.
Helpling, an online household service provider in Singapore, shares with us a list things to look out for before leaving home for your vacation so you can have a worry-free holiday and a smooth return when you get back.
1. Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink
Forgetting to do the dishes before your holiday can lead to an unsightly mess when you return. Food gets crusty and attaches itself to your dishes, making it twice as hard to scrub them off. The odour of leftover food also attracts ants. You should also consider throwing away the cleaning sponges after doing your dishes – they can breed a huge amount of bacteria when left alone for a long time.
2. Clean out the trash
There is nothing worst than coming home after the holidays to a horrible smell at home because you forgot to throw out your trash. The persistent warm weather in Singapore is an incubator for bacteria, so make sure to leave your bins free from rubbish and keep them dry.
3. Review your fridge
Clean out perishables from the fridge to avoid being attack by food that has gone bad when you return. The fridge is often overlooked by most people before they leave for the holidays. Mould spores from decomposed food can build up and affect the other food in your fridge, so do a quick check and a quick clean-up of your refrigerator before you leave.
4. Disinfect your bathroom or kitchen drians
You may want to consider disinfecting your drains with natural products to avoid bugs coming over for a visit through these drains when you’re away. Start by running hot water through these drainage areas for about 15 seconds. Then, pour a teaspoon of baking soda in and continue to run hot water for another 15 seconds. This should kill off most of the odour and the bacteria. You can also pour a cup of vinegar or lemon juice and set it set for 30 minutes before flushing it down with hot water.
5. Do your sheets and laundry
The longer your clothes stay unwashed, the more resistant the odours will become. Bacteria thrives when it is exposed to three things: organic material, warmth and moisture. This makes your dirty clothes the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, so don’t forget to wash dirty clothes, bedsheets and towels, before you leave. Nothing beats a fresh bed and clothes after getting back from a long trip.
6. Unplug electrical appliances
Most appliances generally consume some electricity when left plugged in. Some appliances consume a lot of energy even when on standby mode. Hence, unplug your computers and TVs, along with DVD players, TV boxes and all your kitchen appliances before you leave. You will be saving yourself money and also be more eco-friendly.
All images by 123rf.com
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