Checklist: what needs to be done in the apartment before leaving for the country for a few days
Not a single person who has the opportunity to go to the country wants to spend the summer in a stuffy apartment or walk on hot asphalt. However, before you escape from the city to the bosom of nature, there are some things you need to do at home.
Organize food in the refrigerator
It is better not to leave food that spoils quickly in the refrigerator if you are leaving home for a long time. Firstly, during your absence, a long power outage may occur, and the food will not only become unfit for consumption, but will begin to decompose. And secondly, upon your return, you still won’t eat what is “expired.”
So throw away or take with you:
- dairy, meat and fish products with a short shelf life;
- first and second courses, appetizers, salads;
- confectionery with cream;
- peeled and chopped fruits;
- juices, fruit drinks and compotes (except for those in unopened original packaging).
Immediately after returning home, you are unlikely to have the desire to go to the grocery store. So do not leave the refrigerator completely empty - eggs, an unopened stick of raw smoked sausage, canned fish, condensed milk, salted lard, ghee, a tetra pack of shelf-stable milk can easily be stored at room temperature if there is a problem with the power supply.
To water flowers
When going to the country, do not forget about your “green pets”.If you do not plan to entrust the care of them to neighbors or relatives, do everything to make the flowers feel comfortable:
- water moisture-loving plants;
- remove the pots from the windowsill (in direct sunlight the soil will heat up and the moisture will quickly evaporate);
- Inspect all flowers for pest or disease infestation.
Take care of safety
When you leave home, you most likely think that nothing will happen in your absence. But it won’t hurt to take care of the safety of your home yourself, and not hope for a lucky break:
- check the serviceability of locks and alarms;
- close the gas and water supply valves;
- make sure that all windows and balcony doors are securely closed;
- hide documents, jewelry and other valuables in a safe or other secluded place;
- Unplug all “unnecessary” electrical appliances from the network - routers, table lamps, chargers, etc.
To throw out the trash
Food waste left in the apartment will become a source of bad smell and an excellent food source for fruit flies. If you don’t want to ventilate your home for a long time and call exterminators, collect all the garbage that is in the house and throw it away before leaving. Also be sure to clean out the trash can or other container that is used to collect waste.
Hint: walk through the rooms looking for an apple core abandoned on the table, or a half-eaten sandwich, or a cup of half-drunk juice.
Take care of animals
It is not always possible to take your pets with you. Make sure your animals don't feel abandoned:
- buy them a new toy or house;
- leave any unnecessary thing with your own smell as a “self-replacement” - for example, an old T-shirt or scarf;
- hide treats in different unexpected places;
- organize temperature control in the apartment (for example, using an air conditioner), otherwise your pets will languish from the heat;
- ask one of your neighbors or friends to come to the apartment at least once a day and play with the animals (and not just feed them, clean the litter box, or take them for a walk for 5 minutes).
Do a little cleaning
Coming home is always pleasant, and returning to a clean, tidy apartment is doubly pleasant. So before you go, take care of your future self:
- wash floors and plumbing;
- wash all the dishes;
- remake the beds;
- clean up the kitchen cabinets and drawers for storing various small items;
- Prepare clean towels in the bathroom;
- Prepare the clothes you will change into upon arrival.
Prepare jars and lids for preservation
If your dacha is not only a place for relaxation, but also a source of delicious vegetables and fruits grown with your own hands, you will probably want to stock up for the winter. Gifts from the garden and vegetable garden do not last long, so they will have to be processed almost immediately upon returning home. Make this task easier for yourself:
- wash jars and lids in advance;
- create a set of spices for each recipe;
- prepare the necessary tools (shredders, knives, scissors for sterilization, etc.).
Even if you are leaving for a short time - for a week or a weekend - do not neglect these recommendations. They will help you relax both body and soul, without thinking about possible troubles like a leaking pipe or a window broken by hurricane winds.