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Never leave for a trip without checking this appliance first

General

Image: Kelly Sikkema

Image: Kelly Sikkema

Vacation-ready

Never leave for a trip without checking this appliance first

You’ve booked your hotel and packed your bags; the trip is almost here. Suddenly, a thought hits you: how will you take care of your home while you’re away? Before a trip, we typically focus on packing and planning, but in the rush and excitement, we often forget to prepare our home for our absence. Here, we’ll share the 10 smartest steps to get your house ready, safe, and secure before you travel.

This tip is perfect if you like to stay one step ahead. If you’ll be away for days or weeks, stocking your freezer is smart, but how can you tell if the food is still safe when you get back? A power outage could break the cold chain, making it unsafe to eat.

That’s where the simple coin test comes in. Before you leave, fill a cup with water and freeze it. Once it’s solid, place a coin on top of the ice and leave it in the freezer. When you return, check the coin: if it’s sunk into the ice, the freezer likely thawed and refroze (possibly due to a power outage). If the coin is still on top, your food should be safe to eat.

To keep your home safe while you’re away, it’s important that it doesn’t look empty. One of the most obvious signs of an unoccupied house is a pile of mail at the door or in the mailbox. To prevent this, consider pausing your mail and delivery subscriptions during your trip, or ask a trusted neighbor to collect them for you.

In addition to protecting your home, this keeps valuable or sensitive mail out of the wrong hands and helps prevent packages from being returned to the sender, giving you greater peace of mind while you enjoy your trip.

Leaving some lights on is an easy way to make your home appear occupied while you’re away. You have two main options: you can leave an energy-efficient bulb on, which is simple and doesn’t demand much effort or electricity. Or, if possible, you can set smart light timers using your phone. As long as your smart lights and phone are connected to the internet, you can control them from anywhere, giving your home the appearance of activity even when you’re many miles away.

To avoid any unpleasant surprises when you return, remove perishable food from your refrigerator before you leave. Some items can be stored in the freezer, while others can be shared with friends or donated. The key is to leave your fridge as clean as possible—it will help prevent bacteria growth, reduce unpleasant odors, and lower the risk of attracting pests like cockroaches and other insects.

If your trip will last more than five days, don’t forget about your plants. You might be tempted to ask a neighbor to water them for you, but there’s an easier solution: self-watering stakes are small devices that you insert into the soil and fill with water. They release it slowly, keeping your plants hydrated without overwatering. It’s a very simple way to make sure your babies stay green and healthy while you’re away.

It’s also recommended to keep them out of direct sunlight and group them together, which helps them retain moisture longer.

Post-vacation stress is real, but don’t worry; there are ways to avoid it.

After a long trip, all you want is to come home, relax on the couch, or go to sleep, but coming home to a messy or dirty house can ruin that feeling of comfort. It’s worth taking some time to clean and tidy up before your flight: put on fresh sheets and make the bed, wash and put away any dirty laundry, give the bathroom a good scrub, and don’t leave a single dish unwashed. That way, you’ll come home to a fresh, welcoming space. Your future self will thank you for it.

Many providers, like cable, internet, and landline companies, offer "vacation hold" options. It’s worth taking advantage of them, since pausing these services while you’re away can save you money, sometimes cutting the cost by more than half.

Just keep in mind that if you pause your Wi-Fi, you won’t be able to control your smart devices remotely.

You’ll probably remember to unplug your phone charger before leaving. But it’s easy to forget appliances like the TV, modem, or toaster, since they’re usually always plugged in. This is an important step: experts recommend unplugging all devices before a trip to reduce the risk of short circuits and fires, and also to save energy while you’re away. This way, you're protecting your home, your devices, and your peace of mind.

The refrigerator isn’t the only place to clear out before your trip. Mold can grow in your home wherever moisture builds up, so be sure to check the washing machine, dryer, and any other places where forgotten items might start to smell or develop mold. And of course, emptying the trash is an absolute must.

When you’re away from home, it’s important to be discreet. That doesn’t mean you can’t share your plans with your family or friends, but it's better to avoid announcing your absence on social media or to neighbors you don’t fully trust. It might seem overly cautious, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.