It’s holiday season again! Time to escape the heat to a breezy tropical island somewhere or stroll the cities of Europe for culture and fashion. The bags are packed with all holiday essentials from the tanning lotion to the evening attires. There is that one task that needs to be taken care of before the switch off begins, and that is preparing your house for the holiday.

Traveling means that a house will be deserted for a while. This usually entails a pre-holiday cleanup and prep. But there is more to a cleanup that just taking out the trash and doing the dishes. Helpling.ae, the global platform for booking cleaning services takes a look at the essential pre-holiday to-dos that may not cross your mind when preparing to leave:

Unplug Electronics

Televisions, laptops, microwaves and all other electronics should be unplugged before traveling. Electronics draw power even when not in use. And for safety reasons, pull the plugs in case a power surge happens while you are away.

Keep the AC on but on a moderate temperature

Living in hot countries means that AC is a necessity. Although you will be away, the house still needs to remain cool to avoid turning to an oven. If heat builds up, it can affect all wooden furniture, cabinets and floorings. Excessive heat could cause wood to expand and doors to not close properly. Keep rooms at 25 - 26 degrees celsius to save energy yet keep the air flowing.

Plug all the drains

Summertime is also a time for creepy crawlers to come out of their hiding spots to avoid the heat in the ground. An empty house is a perfect time for pests to come out and play without anyone to squash them. Avoid pests coming out from the drains by plugging all the drains in sinks, showers and bathtubs.

Water your plants

If you do not have an in-ground sprinkler system (or a friendly neighbour) to help you water your plants, then consider using a soaker hose with a timer to keep your plants watered and healthy. For indoor plants, place the plants on wet towels and leave them in the bathtub or fill a tray with water and place the plant on the tray.

Overall clean up

The most obvious prep for the holidays is to cleanup your home properly before leaving. This includes cleaning out the trash from all the rooms in the house, washing all dishes, laundry and putting away everything. Nothing feels better than coming back to a clean and tidy home after a long holiday. Delegate to a convenient online platform for cleaning services such as www.helpling.ae so you can focus on the other to-dos in preparation for your holiday.