Each time I go away, with or without kids, I thoroughly clean the house. My mood post-vacation is already low (because, life) but coming back to a clean, organized and uncluterred house makes it better.

I unpack right away since I feel better when I turn a new leaf. Even if that leaf is going to work. Plus, unpacking and doing the laundry gives me a sense of control that, in turn, helps with low moods.

I try to clean the whole house but sometimes life happens, and I am only able to hit so called hot spots: kitchen, bedrooms, livingroom.

Bedrooms: wash all bedding. It is lovely to crawl into a clean bed after a long flight. Mop, vacuum and dust.

Kitchen: I empty all the trashcans around the house. But especially in the kitchen. If my partner is staying behind, then I don’t touch the refrigerator. But I am tempted to leave sticky notes for him on a variety of food containers “Eat me!” Otherwise, food may go bad.

We try not to shop for groceries before a big trip and try to eat up any leftovers before we leave. I freeze bread, bagels, and even cooked beans. Wipe the refrigerator. Mop, vacuum and wipe counters. Remove any loose ends/clutter (i.e.toys that lost their way).

Living room and den: Mop, vacuum and dust. Fold blankets, fluff pillows. Put away clutter, send items to their appropriate homes. Finish with some room spray (I like the natural stuff from Target).

Hallway: I make sure that the front hallway is completely clear – no loose objects such as shoes, umbrellas- all that goes into the hallway closet. Dust, run the vacuum and mop.

The hallway closet is where we keep all shoes, coats, umbrellas, hats, scarves, etc. It can get smelly in there since it’s a closed space with not much ventilation. I sweep and mop in there, freshen up the shoe incerts by leaving them in the sun for a day.

Dining room: dust, vacuum, mop.

Bathrooms: we have three and use them all regularly. Cover the inside of a toilet bowl with cleaner, let it sit, swish. Even if a toilet bowl looks clean visually, I clean it anyway. Sinks – wipe thoroughly, multiple times if necessary. Address water stains. Stuff that lives on the sink goes under the sink (brushes, etc.) Check showers for grime. Replace towels and bathmats. Mop.

I always keep an eye out for items that we no longer use to be donated, recycled or trashed. That reminds me… I just ordered new undershirts off Amazon last week to replace my 6 year old ones. Time for the old ones to go.