There’s nothing quite like coming home from holiday. You’re relaxed, full of great memories and probably still thinking about that last cocktail by the pool... until you walk through the front door and remember the unpacking, laundry and general chaos waiting for you.
Getting back into your normal routine doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With a little bit of organisation and a quick reset around the house, you can get everything back in order without spending your entire first day home cleaning.
Here are some simple ways to get organised after your holiday and make getting back to normal feel a little easier.
Start with the essentials
When you first get home, it can be tempting to unpack everything at once. But after travelling, the last thing you probably want to do is spend hours cleaning and organising.
Instead, focus on the jobs that will make the biggest difference first.
Start by:
- Putting your suitcase somewhere out of the way
- Opening windows to freshen up your home
- Putting any food shopping away
- Emptying bins
- Putting dirty clothes straight into the washing machine
- Checking the fridge for anything that needs throwing away
- Putting toiletries and holiday essentials back where they belong
Once these little jobs are done, your home will already feel much more under control.
Get the washing machine going
One of the biggest jobs after a holiday is, of course, the mountain of washing.
Rather than letting it sit in your suitcase for days, get your first load on as soon as you can. You don't need to tackle everything in one go. A couple of loads a day can make the pile much more manageable.
It can also be helpful to separate your laundry as you unpack your suitcase. Towels, swimwear and clothes can all go into their own piles, making it easier to work through everything without creating even more mess.
And don't forget to give your suitcase a quick clean before putting it away. Holiday suitcases can pick up plenty of dust and dirt from airports, car boots and hotel floors!
Give your home a quick reset
Your home might not actually be dirty, but after being away it can still feel a little stale and untidy.
This is where a quick post-holiday clean can make a huge difference.
You don't need to deep clean the entire house. Focus on the areas you use most and the jobs that will instantly make your home feel fresher.
Try tackling:
- Vacuuming or hoovering the floors
- Dusting surfaces
- Wiping down kitchen worktops
- Cleaning the bathroom
- Changing the bed sheets
- Giving the sofa a quick vacuum
- Mopping hard floors
- Cleaning mirrors and other glass surfaces
Fresh bedding is especially satisfying after travelling. There’s something about getting into a freshly made bed after a holiday that makes being home feel much better!
Don't forget the kitchen
The kitchen is one area that's easy to overlook when you're unpacking, but giving it a quick refresh can make your whole home feel cleaner.
Check the fridge for anything that may have gone out of date while you were away and give the shelves a quick wipe if needed. Wipe down your worktops, clean the sink and make sure the dishwasher is emptied and ready for your next load.
If you left any appliances or food out before your trip, it's also worth checking everything is still fresh and clean.
A tidy kitchen makes getting back into your normal routine much easier, especially when you're suddenly faced with the reality of making your own meals again!
Tackle one room at a time
If your home feels like it needs a complete reset, don't try to do everything at once.
Pick one room and finish it before moving onto the next. This makes the jobs feel much more manageable and gives you a sense of progress as you go.
For example, you could start with the bedroom:
- Unpack your suitcase
- Put dirty clothes in the laundry
- Put everything else away
- Change the bedding
- Dust surfaces
- Hoover the floor
Once that room is finished, move onto the bathroom or kitchen.
You'll be surprised how much you can get done when you stop looking at the whole house as one enormous cleaning job.
Make a list for the week ahead
Coming home from holiday often means going straight back into work, school runs, appointments and everything else that comes with normal life.
Take ten minutes to write down what needs doing rather than trying to remember everything in your head.
Your list could include:
- Laundry
- Food shopping
- Meal planning
- Cleaning jobs
- Washing the car
- Sorting post
- Catching up on emails
- Getting ready for work
- Booking any appointments
- Putting holiday clothes and luggage away
Once it's written down, it instantly feels more manageable.
Don't try to do everything on day one
This is probably the most important tip.
You have just come back from a holiday. You don't need to spend your entire first day at home scrubbing skirting boards and organising every cupboard.
Get the essentials done, give your home a quick clean and then give yourself some time to settle back into your routine.
If you have a busy week ahead, spreading your cleaning jobs across several days can make things much less stressful.
And if the thought of coming home to a long list of cleaning jobs is exactly what you don't want after a holiday, that's where having a regular cleaner can make a real difference.
With a regular cleaner taking care of the routine cleaning, you can spend less time worrying about dusting, hoovering and bathrooms and more time enjoying your time at home.
Get back into your normal cleaning routine
After a holiday, it's easy for your usual routine to slip for a few days. The best way to get back on track is to keep things simple.
Once you've tackled the post-holiday reset, try getting back into the habits that keep your home feeling clean and organised, whether that's doing a quick tidy each evening, keeping on top of the laundry or having a regular weekly clean.
A little consistency goes a long way.
Coming home doesn't have to mean coming home to a cleaning list
The post-holiday slump is real. Between unpacking, laundry, food shopping and getting back into work, there can be a lot to catch up on.
But you don't have to tackle everything at once. Start with the jobs that will make the biggest difference, work through your home one room at a time and give yourself a bit of breathing room.
And if you'd rather leave the regular cleaning to someone else, a professional cleaner can help take one more job off your list.
Looking for a cleaner? Visit www.timeforyou.cleaning to find your local Time For You office and take the hassle out of keeping your home clean.
