If you are planning to go out of town for just a few days, or a few weeks, you should always plan ahead and prepare your home for leaving before you walk out the door. There are several items (or, a checklist) that you will need to consider before leaving your home for a few weeks. Read the information below to help you prepare your home.
If you prep your home in advance, you will be much happier when you get back and walk in the door!
Give your home a good cleaning before you leave town (Or call Helping Hands Cleaning Services to help you with this!) You want to dust, mop, vacuum, take out the trash and clean the bathrooms before leaving. All of these things are done with general cleaning, and it helps to keep your home looking nice for when you return.
Vacuum the carpet in all rooms. This helps keep the dust from settling and helps get the crumbs up before they break down into the carpet. If you have animals, it also helps get rid of fleas or flea eggs. A good, through vacuum will get up pet dander and help your home to smell better when you return.
Kitchen Cleanup. Thekitchen cleaning is probably the most important task to take care of before going on vacation. The kitchen collects food scraps, crumbs, dirt, mold and more. Most of the clean-up list revolves around the kitchen. Check for these items before leaving…
- Collect all dirty dishes from around the house. Load and run the dishwasher. Be sure to let it finish the cycle before you leave and then open the door to let the steam out. You do not want moldy, musty dishes in the dishwasher when you get back. Leave the dishwasher door open for air flow (once it has cleaned) and unload the dishes.
- Clean all counter tops to remove all food residue, grease and crumbs. Wipe the chairs and tables to be sure you do not attract bugs while you are away. Clean up all the hidden food crumbs.
- Clean out the refrigerator and throw out everything that will go bad while you are gone.
- Empty all the house trash to prevent odors and mold from rotten food.
- Clean the garbage disposal. (We like to use a lemon or even ice cubes to clean the disposal).
Sweep all hard-surface floors. You will want to sweep up the floors before leaving town to avoid getting bugs or smells.
Hardwood floors: Make sure you check for crumbs, dust and dander around coffee tables and other places you eat to remove any crumbs and food particles. If you skip this step, you risk infesting your place with ants or roaches. We suggest using a dry dust mop after sweeping on hardwood floors.
Bedrooms: Before you leave town, you want to do a few things for the bedrooms, too. Be sure to change the sheets, wash the blankets, and dump the trash. Collect any food or cups and take them to the kitchen.
When you go out of town, it is always a wonderful feeling to come home to clean sheets and fresh blankets! So, we always make that suggestion.
Make sure you do these things in all the bedroom, and even check the kids’ rooms under the beds for hidden wrappers or food.
Clean the Bathrooms: The bathroom can get moldy and musty if you don’t clean it before leaving. Pay special attention to the toilets, the shower drains, and open the shower curtains for light. Make sure and open the blinds to let the sunshine in while you are away, as sunlight helps kill mold.
Wipe down all the countertops, clean the toilets, scrub the shower doors and the tub. Take up any bars of soap sitting in water, and wipe water away form bottles in the shower. Remove the razors, as they will rust if you are gone for more than 1 week.
Care for your Pets: If you have a cat, it is sometimes ok to leave your cat for two days (with a supply of food and water to last for two days!), but if you have to be gone more than that, you need to have them boarded or take them with you. If you cat needs medical attention or medicine given, do not leave them at home alone.
Other things to do before leaving a pet at home:
*Change the litter box before you leave town.
*Cover furniture to prevent scratching.
Water all of your plants. Be sure to water your plants right before you leave the house. If your plants require daily maintenance, arrange for a friend or neighbor to take care of them while you are gone.
There are plan watering disks or “glass vases, bulbs” that hold water that you can buy at a home supply or garden center. If you do not have someone to watch your home, consider getting one of those watering bulbs to add to the soil.
Extra House Prepping Tasks: These are worth your time when you leave for more than 1 week.
- Unplug all of your appliances. Unplugging your appliances, computers and clocks will save them from lightning, and it will save you energy too. There is no need to keep everything running when you are gone, and it adds protection from the weather.
- Turn off the water heater if you are gone for over 1 week. Your water heater heats water continuously, so turning it off is a good way to save money on energy and save the life of your water heater if you are gone for more than one week.
- Check the Heat and AC: Turn Down the air/heat to five degrees higher or lower than normal, so it does not have to over run while you are gone.
- Turn off the Water at the Road. This may seem unnecessary, but if you turn off the water at the street, you will be assured of no water leaks or pipe bursts while you are away. Water damage causes the most issues as pressure builds up in the pipes. It is best to turn it off before leaving.
- Have neighbors pick up the paper and get the mail. Having your friend of neighbors get the mail while you are away really helps keep your home safe, so that the whole street doesn’t know you are gone.
- Have a neighbor take out the garbage for you and bring back the can. This helps it look like you are home, and that your home is being managed.
More great ideas for how to take care of your home while you are on holiday…
Book a Deep Cleaning while You are On Vacation!
We have an easy way that you can come home to a cleaner home…book a deep cleaning while You are on vacation!
Why it’s a great idea to get your house cleaned while you are away:
No one wants to come home from a great vacation back to a dirty house or a smelly kitchen. You can call our team of professionals to come and clean your home while you are away and enjoy a fresh smelling home that is dust-free and polished when you get back!
You will come home to the cleanest possible home by booking a deep cleaning with Helping Hands Cleaning Services!
We do the following in a deep cleaning service:
General Cleaning of the home. Basic services usually include cleaning one bedroom, your kitchen, your bathroom, your halls, and your stairways. Vacuuming will be performed to remove dirt and dust, and all surfaces will be wiped thoroughly. In the bathroom, the sink and tub will be scrubbed as well.
Kitchen Cleaning and Disinfecting. Besides your bathroom, your kitchen is likely the dirtiest room in your house. Cleaning services will include counter wipe-downs and floor mopping. For an additional fee, some companies may clean the interior of your cupboards and refrigerator as well.
Clean the Windows. Nobody enjoys cleaning windows. It is difficult to achieve a clean appearance without streaks. However, clean glass makes a room appear bright. Professionals have the right tools to leave glass looking its best.
Clean and Scrub Appliances. Although most cleaning companies’ do clean appliances, certain units require extra attention. For example, your oven may have numerous stubborn stains. The appliance will need to be scrubbed thoroughly to make it appear clean. Microwaves may require the same care. Although cleaning these items may cost more, it is worth the money. Nobody wants to cook in a grimy kitchen. Dirty appliances can make you sick as well.
Bathroom cleaning. All of the bathroom fixtures will be cleaned and scrubbed. They will sparkle and shine, as well as smell fresh.
Bedroom cleaning: We make the beds, dust the furniture, vacuum, and mop and more. Your whole house is cleaned and will look amazing when we are done!
Another benefit to whole house cleaning by Helping Hands Cleaning Services…it is a time saving cleaning done for you! You can save your energy for things you like doing. You can save time doing what you need to do. Besides just saving time, there are many other advantages that come from working with a move-in move-out cleaning company.
A Clean house decreases stress. As previously mentioned, moving likely brings you a great deal of stress. You have to pack your things, organize everything, and maintain normal life obligations. To relieve the stress of having to clean your old home and your new place, a professional company will come in handy.
A hired service gives you a professional cleaning. You may not have the equipment or cleaning supplies that are necessary to make your property look its best. A professional team understands the best methods that provide a fresh and clean appearance quickly.
Helping Hands cleaning services does not require a contract. Many home cleaning services require you to sign a contract for a set period of time. Since deep cleaning is a single service, you do not have to be tied down to further commitments. This saves you money and helps you enjoy a clean house.
We also come highly recommended from employees and clients. Read a few of our reviews, here: We also have great reviews from our clients, as seen on Google and Yelp! Read a few of them here:
From Max F. “This was our first time using the cleaning service with helping hands and we were thrilled with the results. Jose and Maria did an awesome job, were efficient and made us feel totally comfortable during the time of covid. We will be looking to set up a regular cleaning with them going forward. Also the office helped accommodate a deep cleaning on short notice and was super easy to work with. All around a great experience.”
From Kristopher P.- “Agata and Jadzia are wonderful cleaners! I can’t wait for them to come back. Helping Hands is a great service clearly committed to hiring and supporting great cleaners. A+.”
From: Christina B.- “We have been using Helping Hands Cleaning Services for the last 4 years and have never been disappointed. Brenda and Maria are our outstanding team who clean everything to perfection. We have used other services in the past who were not as detail oriented, like leaving crumbs or dirt in the corners, but that is not a concern with Helping Hands. Everyone from the company is friendly, professional, reliable, and communicative. I would highly recommend Helping Hands if you are looking for a cleaning service.”
From Holly E.- “Helping Hands always does a fantastic job for us. Pablo, Bianca, and Veronica are thorough and efficient. Our house looks amazing after they’ve been here. Would highly recommend!”
From Kathy H.- “Letti at Helping Hands Cleaning does a wonderful job. My home is spotless. Great attention to detail and very professional. Thank you for your flexibility. I recommend Helping Hands for your home and office cleaning needs.”
From Julia U. – “So impressed with my first cleaning from Helping Hands! Jose and Maria did a fantastic job deep cleaning our home and they were very efficient. I was also happy with my scheduling experience and that they took the time to walk me through the process and their covid policies. I felt super comfortable with the entire experience!”
From Jackie R.- “The place we moved into was left extremely dirty. Juan came to my rescue. He worked extremely hard and did an amazing job. Erica came later on to help him after I said I wanted more than the original two hours I scheduled the service, and she was also excellent. I would definitely recommend them.”
From Becky B. – “We just had our first clean with Helping Hands. Veronica and Lili were great – very friendly, good with our dog, and did a wonderful job. Highly recommend them!”
From Allison B. – “We have been using Helping Hands Cleaning Service for the last two years, and I cannot speak highly enough about this crew! They go above and beyond to make my house look spectacular every month! I would recommend this cleaning service over and over again!”
If you found this blog to be a helpful checklist before leaving town, feel free to print out this article.
Reach out to us at Helping Hands and book a house cleaning in the greater Chicago area.