Before You Travel, You Probably Do This Too — Survey Confirms It

(Mix 93-1) Use it, or lose it. That's what many American workers are told about their vacation days, including me. With 2025 quickly winding down and the holidays approaching, many workers are submitting their PTO requests to utilize the vacation days they've earned.

Those vacation days are going to be used for quick getaways to see family during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season. Highways will be busier than usual, and expect longer airport waits — especially with the ongoing government shutdown affecting travel staff.

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As we look forward to reuniting and spending a day or two with family and friends during the holidays, preparing for the trip takes a lot. There's the rental car situation, hotel arrangements, deciding on how much time you're spending with each family member, and then there's the packing. Oh, you can't forget about what condition you're going to leave your house in, too.

Why We Clean Before Leaving Town

Now, anytime my wife and I go out of town, we tend to clean the house really good before leaving, and thankfully, we're not the only ones who do this. According to a new survey posted by the New York Post, 75% of respondents said they clean their homes thoroughly before leaving town. So, my wife and I aren't alone in doing this.

The last thing my wife wants to do is return home to a dirty house, so we clean it first so that when we return, all we have to deal with is laundry, and that's a chore in itself. The survey says the average respondent started prepping and cleaning their homes up to two weeks before the trip. The days leading up to the trip, the dishes were done, the bathroom cleaned, sweeping and mopping were completed, and the laundry was up to date, which was the most important cleaning item before leaving town.

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What Americans Clean Most Before Traveling

The survey from Mr. Clean found that travelers are concentrating on cleaning these things the most:

Laundry — 77%
Dishes/dishwasher — 66%
Bathroom — 58%
Sweep/mop/vacuum — 56%
The fridge — 49%
The stove/kitchen counters — 49%
Dust — 36%
Luggage — 24%
Accessories (e.g., hat, sunglasses, etc.) — 20%
Sports/outdoor gear — 10%

A Clean Home Makes for a Relaxing Return

Actually, cleaning before a quick getaway or vacation can be relaxing, especially when you know that you're returning to a clean home. So before you pack your bags for that holiday trip, take a little time to tidy up; your future self will thank you when you walk through the door to a clean home.