Making routines work as you get ready to go away

I hardly ever get to go on vacation, but I do occasionally visit my family and friends for a few days at a time. Typically, this occurs on weekends but sometimes spills over into the week. If you have been reading this blog, you know how I am about cleaning, organizing, and routines for everything. Before I leave for anywhere, I make sure to have a clean house--everything put away, dishes washed and put away,  laundry done, sheets and towels replaced so they're clean when I return, trash out, plants watered,  and everything in its place. I love the feeling of coming home to a clean home.

This sounds like a daunting task. It can be, but it doesn't have to be. First I consider the days I will be gone. Say, Monday-Thursday. Since I grocery shop on Fridays, I would probably skip the one before I leave and make sure to eat all the perishables. I always have enough to get me through the weekend.
If I've done my cleaning routine well, I will just have to give the place a once over on Sunday before I leave. I always clean the bathroom and take the trash out last right before I leave. I also vacuum to make sure any crumbs of the weekend are gone before I come back.

If I'm staying someplace where I can do my laundry, I will do so on Thursday (laundry day) and come home with clean clothes. Then I'm ready to go grocery shopping on Friday as usual. It makes me feel better to know that even when I'm not home, my place is clean, clutter free, and I can begin my routine without having to scramble to get things done I should have done during the days I was gone.

I hope this makes sense. I wrote another blog about sticking to routines when you are going away half way through the week and you don't want to come home to a messy house. The crux of it was that I could start my routine on the weekend before (as in make Saturday my "monday" and work up to the 5th day before I leave) So have no fear--you CAN complete your cleaning routine and come home to a lovely clean home no matter what days you will be gone. And you don't have to double up on anything or spend hours cleaning on one day. With some creative thinking and problem solving, you'll leave happy and come home even happier.