We’re back from our crazy wedding road trip… and by the time we arrived home last night, I think Dave and I were just as tired as Nora was! It was a really fun {but really busy} five days — and although it actually went much better than I anticipated, I’m still glad to be home again.
As much as I like preparing and packing for a vacation, I like unpacking even more. I love coming home, restocking our fridge with groceries, putting everything away, and plowing through laundry. I know, I’m a sick woman!
However, one thing I DON’T like to do when I come home is clean the house. I want to walk in the door to a relatively clean home (dusted, vacuumed, bathrooms cleaned, dishes washed, etc). I don’t want to have to clean the house on top of all the laundry, grocery shopping, and unpacking.
So if I can help it, I always make sure to clean the house thoroughly before we leave for any type of vacation.
Of course, our kitchen is still a dusty, dirty mess; but we have the kitchen partitioned off from the rest of our house… so the rest of our house was still very clean when we arrived home. I washed all the laundry (including the sheets), cleaned the bathrooms, vacuumed, and mopped the hard floors the day before we left. Then when we arrived home, everything was clean, organized, and welcoming.
Am I crazy?
Maybe, but it sure feels great come home after a busy family vacation and know that everything is nice and clean!
Do you share my obsession with cleaning before your travel? Or do you just save it all for when you get home?
Laura says
I wouldn’t say I *clean* before I travel, but I do at least make sure the house is tidy, I’m caught up on laundry, the garbages are emptied, etc. If by some miracle I manage to have enough time before we leave, I’ll dust/vacuum/etc., but I hate packing so much that I usually put it off as long as possible. I’m always debating whether packing or unpacking is worse – ugh! So coming home to a relatively tidy house is one way I try to relieve the stress of coming home and getting back in the swing of things.
Kristen @ Joyfully Thriving says
Oh, Andrea, yes! I always clean before my trips, too, because even though it adds one more thing to do then, it’s worth it when I come home to a clean house! In fact, guess what I’ll be doing this weekend before we leave for our family reunion in the Smokies? 🙂
Amazonite says
One thing I always used to do (back when we actually WENT AWAY during vacation times…) was to make sure we had clean sheets on the beds before leaving on vacation. I like the house to be tidy before we go away but I don’t go nuts about it (particularly since there are two cats and a dog; they’re going to get their fur all over everything anyhow) but I do like laundry to be caught up. Of course I always make sure the fridge is cleaned out — nothing like coming home from a week or ten days away and have the whole fridge full of ‘science experiments’!
Julie says
I always clean the house before we go on holidays and I also make sure that all the laundry and ironing is up to date, so that all I have to do when we come home is unpack. I am glad I am not the only one!
Ana says
I don’t see anything crazy about it… I ALWAYS clean my house before I leave. When you come back home from a vacation, you’re tired and the last thing you need is more laundry to do, dishes to wash and dust to clean! It makes me so much happier when my house is clean after a trip.
mamta says
I thought I was the crazy person cleaning my house before a vacation. I hate coming back to a messy house. Glad to know that there a minds that think alike.
Stel says
I used to clean my res room at university before I left at the end of the semester – wash the floor, closet, everything. Took the bedding off, folded it neatly. My friends couldn’t understand, but it was great to return to a clean room. One friend returned, a couple of us met in her room, sat on the (unmade) bed, and realised the electric blanket was left on for the whole three weeks she was away !
Kris says
When I was in college I did the same thing! It was always hectic to try and manage studying for finals, packing for a long break, and cleaning my room, but it made me feel so good to see a clean, tidy room once my bags were packed when I left and then come back to the same thing once I returned. It helped me get into the the swing of a new semester when everything in my room was clean and fresh, too (not to mention the new things I’d bring back to college from home that made my room feel like it got a mini-makeover!).
Deana says
Both my husband and I hate coming home to a dirty, messy house, so we always clean before we leave. We also try to get home in late afternoon/early evening, so we can get everything unpacked, washed, etc. before we go back to work.
melissa call says
I try to clean as much as possible as well…it makes coming home even that much better!
KimH says
Absolutely… and if Im traveling alone, my boys will make sure the house is clean when I walk in the door.. I musta trained them right on that at least cuz they sure dont clean any other time. 😉
Morgiana says
I thought I was the only obssesed woman that cleaned house before leaving on a trip. I told my family that if we don’t clean and the house is dirty I would just turn around and go back to the hotel. Can’t stand a dirty house after having someone cleaning for me while on vacation.
Demaroge says
Yes! I hate coming home to a messy/dirty house! …. And, “My Mama taught me better!”
Emily S. says
I *love* coming home to a clean home after being gone! So, yes mam, I clean before we go! And no, Andrea, you are not crazy for cleaning before you travel. But I can’t say I share your love for restocking the frig and laundry after returning. 🙂
Katherine says
My friend Lisa just paid someone to come clean and then lock the door behind her when she left. If I have the extra funds, that sounds like the way to do it!
Andrea says
Wow… what a great idea. I may have to keep this in mind for our next road trip 🙂
Sheri says
Yes, I clean before I go because if something happens to us while we are gone, I don’t want people coming in to a dirty house. Talk about a weird lady! That would be me!
Murrey says
Exactly! If we don’t return, I don’t want people walking in and thinking what a messy housekeeper I was.
It used to drive my husband crazy that I needed to have everything cleaned before we left, but now he asks what I want to get done before we leave. Then he helps make that happen.
And after you’ve walked into that tidy house (it’s like a maid came while you were out) and everything’s unloaded, that glorious moment when you sink into your own lovely bed with nice clean sheets! THAT is the best part of the entire trip.
Selena says
Haha, that’s totally my reason too! Not my whole reason (I just like coming home to a clean house, too), but the thought of “what if I never return, and someone else has to come in my house” always enters my mind. Glad to hear I’m not alone! 🙂
Brooke says
YES, YES, YES!!! And, it’s a bit frustrating, as my husband does not get it at all… his thinking is, let’s just go, it’s vacay time. Yet, who is the one that has to come home from said vacay and get the house in order! With two little ones, vacations tend to be a bit exhausting, and the LAST thing I want to do is walk into a dirty house! YUCK!!!
And, really even pre-munchkins, I always really cleaned the house before leaving… as like you, there is nothing better than walking into your house (where most are usually feeling bittersweet, about leaving vacay, but also happy to be home!) and it being clean! With just laundry to be done! Is it just us women? Does Dave help out with the pre-vacay cleaning????
Vanessa says
Hi Andrea! Just like you,I do clean our house before we go to vacations/out of town trips. So nice to come back home with a clean house. I don’t mind cleaning the house knowing that I’ll be vacationing in couple of days and when I return from vacay the house is clean/organized!
Zolane says
Always! Walking into a clean house knowing that I can leisurely take care of laundry and groceries, as well as sorting our mail, makes coming home even more delightful – especially if the vacation has been a busy one.
Rebecca says
YES! I clean before we leave. Not a deep, thorough clean, but I do love to vacuum the main traffic areas, have no dishes in the sink, etc. It feels so good to walk in the door to a welcome, clean home! Since you are going to be trekking in a whole bunch of dirty clothes and remnants of your travel (magazines you read in the car, souvenirs you bought, etc.) I don’t want to make it any worse than it has to be.
And I do NOT like unpacking. Though, I do like being unpacked. Go figure.
Carolyn Shanesy says
Yes, I always clean before I go away and I’ll I have to do is the laundry and check the mail.
Calliope (Greece) says
We do so many trips throughout the year that all I do is clean/pack/unpack!!
But yes…it’s nice to return to a clean home so I always clean. I dedicate the last two days before departure to cleaning/packing. I usually pack the majority of our clothing 2 days previous so that the last day all I have to do is clean the kitchen and bathrooms, vacuum and mop everywhere and change sheets. My husband keeps our son busy, removes trush and loads the car.
Amy says
I try to have something frozen to pop in the oven when we get back so we don’t have to eat out or go grocery shopping right away.
Cathleen says
Amy – that is a very good idea! must try it next time 🙂 Thanks
Raquel says
Yes! I do have to clean the house before leaving for a vacation. I could not relax if I knew I would be coming home to a messy house. Ugh, and I do not look forward to the laundry afterwords. That is the worse part fo me. Glad you had a great time!
Linda B says
I try, but I often am so busy packing & preparing that I don’t quite get to all the cleaning I’d like ot do before leaving on a trip. And, if we leave our (2 large, sheddy) dogs home with a dogsitter, then I have to clean again when I get home anyway!
But, I do make sure the kitchen is pretty clean for sure before we go, so when we get home again, we can at least prepare food right away without a huge hassle.
Caroline says
I have to make sure things are clean before I leave on vacation! I go as far as putting fresh sheets on the bed and cleaning the shower after everyone is done the day we leave. I generally don’t take additional days off between vacation and returning to work, so having a clean house just makes those first few days back less stressful.
Charissa says
We always do this too. My husband usually leads the charge!
Terrie Larsen says
I always clean before we leave on a trip – it’s hard enough to come home after a long anticipated trip without having to clean!
Laura says
oh yes! I love coming home to a relatively clean house. However, I do all my laundry on vacation, and have all my grocery shopping for the next week done so that I don’t have to do that when we come back. However, I don’t mind unpacking.
Minerva says
I don’t like unpacking (can I just live out of my bags until all my stuff finds its way into its appropriate place?), but I do clean before I leave. Coming home to a messy house is depressing, so it is definitely worth the extra effort on the front end.
Candis says
Not crazy at all! I agree with you 100%. I may not be as much of a “sick woman” as you described BUT I will say that I know how it feels to come home after a long day of work to a house that looks like a bomb went off. The explosion is the effects of not being organized, not planning for the day ahead and running around like a wound up toy in the morning looking for clothes, makeup, and whatever else I may need for that day. That already sets a bad tone to the day, and after a long day to come home to a dirty, clutter house can conjure tears. HOWEVER, on the days when I unleash my “sick woman” and plan and organize and come home to a clean house. Your home rises to greet you when you walk in, it seems to soothe the spirit and calms your mind.
Here is to a lifetime of “sick woman” tendencies. And a prayer to sleep as heavenly peaceful as baby Nora.
Rawlinson says
I am also fanatical about cleaning before I leave. I want to make certain all my laundry is clean and put away, the fridge has been cleaned, the floors are swept and mopped, bathrooms are cleaned, dishes are clean and put away, and there are fresh sheets on the bed for when we get home. If there is one thing that has to wait, it will be the dusting. Seems like if I dust before we leave, there is still a fine later of dust when we return a week later.
Diana says
My mother always cleaned before we went on vacation and I do the same. It is so nice to come home to a clean house. It also makes it much easier to deal with chores that need to be taken care of like groceries, the laundry and unpacking.
Additionally, I make sure that I clean out the fridge before we go. It is no fun to find mystery food when you return. My husband has even noticed and commented on the joy of coming home to a clean house and will help by getting all the trash out of the house and making sure that it will be picked up while we are away. Cleaning before you go does add to the chaos of trying to get everything ready, but it is worth it when we return.
Lynn Oyama says
YES! I clean before leaving for vacation – because the last thing I want to do when I get home is clean!
Courtney says
Oh you are not alone! I ALWAYS clean before leaving on any trip. I feel so much calmer when I walk into a clean, tidy home. It is crazy enough coming home, restocking the groceries and doing all the laundry to not have to add cleaning to the list. But, I also clean the house (tidy and prepare for the next day) before bed every night so in the morning I can start fresh.
So glad you had a nice trip!
Beatriz says
I do the same thing. For days before I leave I clean because I want to come home and relax before heading back to work. That and I would be thinking about it on my trip.
Laurel says
Yes! Always clean before we walk out of the door. You said you don’t like unpacking, but it actually sounds as if you do 🙂
Andrea says
Laurel, I actually said, “as much as I like packing and preparing for a trip, I like unpacking even more” — so yes, I DO love unpacking!
Laurel says
I should have known I misread that because it sure sounded like you enjoyed it :). It is always good to get things put back and organized and back into a familiar routine. So glad you had a nice trip. Nora just gets cuter and cuter.
Amanda says
I thought I was the only one! I can’t stand to come home to a dirty house!
Joy Crile says
I’m glad I’m not the only one who cleans the house before I leave for vacation. I love coming home to a clean house. It feels welcoming but it also helps me get off to a quicker start to unpacking when I don’t have to pick up or clean the house first.
Julie says
I ALWAYS clean before we leave !!! I can not come home to a messy house. It just doesn’t work for me. My husband thinks I am crazy, but it feels oh so good to come home to a clean home. And it’s nice to only have to worry about laundry, when I get home.
Melissa says
I also like coming home to a tidy house after a trip and I do try to clean before we leave, but I don’t always seem to be able to plan in enough time to accomplish this in addition to packing for the trip. Sometimes I pull it off and sometimes I don’t. I try not to stress about it if I didn’t make enough time to clean before we leave. I’d rather get enough rest for the trip than keep myself awake doing cleaning that I didn’t get to earlier in the week.
Jen says
We just came back from vacation, too, and the blog post I have scheduled for Wednesday is about this very topic. We do clean before we leave. I like coming back home to a tidy house with minimal work necessary so I can relax and unwind. Especially after a long car trip. We drove thirteen hours overnight Saturday/Sunday. All we wanted to do when we got home was SLEEP.