The plane is waiting but I have to hoover, dust and clean ! WHY ???

Bellanonna

*Serendipity*, perhaps you’re afraid that burglars will break in and feel shocked if you don’t leave the place sparkling.

I guess, though, you just like to come back, probably tired from the journey and your cleaned home will be a joy to get back to.

Have a great holiday. I don’t share your zeal.

On the other hand, if it is left untidy burglars may think that others got there first!

Sometimes specially cleaned and tidied holiday accommodation looks nicer than home, so it is trying to combat that feeling

GagaJo

A friend mentioned doing this to me many years ago. And I started doing it too, after she said it.

It's because I hate coming home to a dirty/untidy house. I want to walk in to a lovely clean home. It stresses me to walk into mess/dirt.

I also hate people that start unpacking downstairs. Take the case to your room and unpack there! Keep the place tidy.

We always took our cases upstairs to unpack. However after our last trip the weight and momentum of the case pulled my husband down the flight of stairs, breaking several ribs and his elbow in the fall. He is still suffering after several months, so from now on we unpack downstairs.

I’ve always left the house clean and tidy, changed the bed, done all the washing before holidays. Last thing before I leave the bins are emptied and loo and sinks get a dose of bleach. I think I do it so I come back to an ordered and welcoming home before the chaos of unpacking and holiday washing

Not me, strip the beds so they air, leave the house as usual, not spotless but fine

Im very much an 11th hour person. Even though I have weeks or even months to clean the house, tidy drawers, rearrange the contents of cupboards etc….I can only do it in the 24 hours before leaving home. I also leave details of insurances, will, POA, bank, passwords, pins etc hidden in a place known only to DDs.
It’s such a joy to return home, not dead as anticipated, and find the place so clean and tidy ready for things to slip in the following weeks back into disarray and mess ?

I worked with a lady who went on holiday often, and had to have everything perfect - consequently her husband and children had to strip off when they got home from school or work and put dressing gowns on, so that she could wash every single thing before they went....

Serendipity22 and Jaclyn
I always clean before going away and change bed linen so as to come back to a tidy/clean house. Also had a very house-proud neighbour who used to look after place in our absence and worried about her thoughts if mine wasn’t “up to scratch”! Drives my DH mad!
My Mother never returned to her house and for years an Aunt always bore that in mind when going away in case it happened to her. I always remind DS and DD where all important paperwork is and any valuables (?) I may have hidden. Sad or what?

Predictive text!!! Should be Jalyn

I give the house a good clean when family come to stay which is usually once a month. Found a spray called Elbow Grease which is fantastic on worktops sinks hobs etc. Use it all the time now.

I always used to notice the smell of our cat when we came home, however much I cleaned he was still there.
We no longer have a cat and the smell is the one thing I don't miss!

Marmight

Im very much an 11th hour person. Even though I have weeks or even months to clean the house, tidy drawers, rearrange the contents of cupboards etc….I can only do it in the 24 hours before leaving home. I also leave details of insurances, will, POA, bank, passwords, pins etc hidden in a place known only to DDs.
It’s such a joy to return home, not dead as anticipated, and find the place so clean and tidy ready for things to slip in the following weeks back into disarray and mess ?

I send an email to my adult children and my sister with all my travel details and important phone numbers ( insurance, neighbours, loss of credit card etc). This means I can access my email account while I am away if I need any of the details. I think it is more secure than writing things down as my email account is password protected.

I also have a photocopy of my passport saved in the iCloud so I can access it from any computer or my phone if I lose my passport. In fact, as my new phone uses facial recognition, I now save a lot of important info on my phone as it can be quicker than looking for the paperwork.

What do you mean Serendipity22, I thought everyone did this ??. I think the word my daughter uses is “anal”?. My darling husband who sadly died two weeks ago thought I was crackers too.

Sincere condolences granto2 ?
Another crackpot here I’d never go away without cleaning washing etc first. I’m one of them that likes to come home to a clean and tidy house. ?

I absolutely agree with this. I think no matter how good and relaxing a holiday is, you’re always tired from the return journey, so seeing anything other than a clean house clean bed linen and towels and no old food in the fridge or full bins is essential. Have a lovely time ?

On the other hand, if the house were left looking a real tip, maybe a burglar would look in and think someone had beaten them to it and leave!

I do the exact same thing! I am frequently up until about 3am packing as I spent so long cleaning the house (doing things I ignored for 3 months prior) that I haven’t even started getting packed to go away. I then stress as I haven’t looked out passports or items that I need for my trip and I am scrambling about at the last minute trying to find them as I then might miss my flight as I am running so late!!! My husband gets so frustrated with me ??

Because it’s just so much nicer to come home to a clean tidy house. Nothing crazy about that.

Peter Kay does a really funny anecdote about just this subject??

sundowngirl

GagaJo

A friend mentioned doing this to me many years ago. And I started doing it too, after she said it.

It's because I hate coming home to a dirty/untidy house. I want to walk in to a lovely clean home. It stresses me to walk into mess/dirt.

I also hate people that start unpacking downstairs. Take the case to your room and unpack there! Keep the place tidy.

We always took our cases upstairs to unpack. However after our last trip the weight and momentum of the case pulled my husband down the flight of stairs, breaking several ribs and his elbow in the fall. He is still suffering after several months, so from now on we unpack downstairs.

You can borrow my black bin liner sundown girl. Open bags or cases, downstairs and take the bag of dirty washing straight to the utility you can have the first load on before OH gets the cases put away.
I have been confronted about this, machines banging and clattering just before and as soon as we open the b....front door.
My late uncle also fell foul of the dirty bag of washing. He was pulled over by customs and the case he was caring was full of women's pants and bras and t.shirts. He was taken away to be strip-searched as they did not believe his explanation. The plastic bag runs in the family.
We always cleaned for the New Year being told "IF your house is dirty now it will be dirty all year".

MerylStreep

Callistemon
I can beat Kim. When we had cream carpets ( silly idea, I know ?) all our luggage was in the car and I would shampoo the carpets. In my defence that was because I could give them a real good go and know that they would be perfectly dry when we got home.

?
I'm speechless!

My brother died in hospital. Had obviously been going through (hidden ) depression before that. When we went into his flat it was horrible. Untidy, loads of newspapers all over the floor mixed up with some dirty dinner plates. Could not get into his small kitchen as he used a electricity key and this had run out resulting in freezer and fridge going off and kitchen covered in flies,.

Always have that in my mind when I go off even for a few days. Always like to leave everything totally clean, neat and tidy so that if anyone had to go in there they would find it a pleasant experience.

I do it! Sometimes I think that, should we not return, our daughters won’t think what a dirty cat I was!! ??

My oven was disgusting and I was going to get someone in to clean it for me because I am going on holiday soon for 6 months, as mentioned in another thread, so I cleaned it myself! It is sparkling and I don’t want to use it now! Same with the rest of the bungalow, I have been spring cleaning like mad, moving furniture, beds etc! It’s so nice to come home to, I think that’s why we do it, knowing it won’t get done properly whilst we are away!

Agree with sazzl, the Elbow Grease spray is fantastic, I buy it from Amazon. I left two white plastic garden chairs out all winter, something I wouldn't normally do as they were expensive; they were terrible but the Elbow Grease and a bowl of soapy water brought them up looking like new. It's amazing stuff, I use it everywhere so when I go on holiday the house is sparkly clean. I get moaned at for manic cleaning before we leave as I always have the fear that I won't be returning. He made me so mad a few years ago with his moaning that the cleaning caused stress when we should be sitting and relaxing the night before ( he was watching tv) that I threw a dining room chair at him. He hasn't moaned since.