Not a single person who has the opportunity to go to the country will not want 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, you need to do something at home.
Disassemble food in the refrigerator
Food that deteriorates quickly should not be left in the refrigerator if you leave home for a long time. Firstly, during your absence, a prolonged blackout can occur, and the products will not only become unusable, but will begin to decompose. And secondly, upon returning, you still will not eat what is "expired."
Therefore, discard or take with you:
- dairy, meat and fish products with a short shelf life;
- first and second courses, appetizers, salads;
- cream confectionery;
- peeled and chopped fruits;
- juices, fruit drinks and compotes (with the exception of those that are in unopened original packaging).
Immediately after returning home, you are unlikely to have a desire to go to the grocery store. So do not leave the refrigerator completely empty - eggs, an uncooked stick of raw smoked sausage, canned fish, condensed milk, salted lard, ghee, tetrapack with long-term storage milk will easily transfer storage at room temperature if there is a problem with the supply of electricity.
To water flowers
When going to the cottage, do not forget about your "green pets". If you do not plan to entrust their care to neighbors or relatives, do everything so that the flowers feel comfortable:
- water hygrophilous plants;
- remove the pots from the windowsill (under direct sunlight, the soil will heat up and the moisture will quickly evaporate);
- inspect all flowers for pests or diseases.
Take care of safety
Leaving home, you most likely think that nothing will happen in your absence. But it will not be superfluous to independently take care of the safety of housing, and not to hope for a happy event:
- check the health of locks and alarms;
- turn off the valves of the gas pipeline and water supply system;
- make sure all windows and balcony doors are securely closed;
- hide documents, jewelry and other valuables in a safe or other secluded place;
- disconnect from the network all the "extra" electrical appliances - routers, table lamps, chargers and the like.
To throw out the trash
Food waste forgotten in the apartment will be a source of bad smell and an excellent food base for Drosophila flies. If you do not want to ventilate the house for a long time and call pest control, collect all the garbage in the house and throw it away before leaving. Also, do not forget to wash the bin or other container that is used to collect waste.
Hint: go through the rooms in search of an apple core thrown on the table or an unfinished sandwich, a cup of unfinished juice.
Take care of animals
It is not always possible to take pets with you. Take care that your animals do not feel abandoned:
- buy them a new toy or a house;
- leave as your “substitute” any unnecessary thing with your own smell - for example, an old T-shirt or scarf;
- hide goodies in different unexpected places;
- organize temperature control in the apartment (for example, using an air conditioner), otherwise your pets will be exhausted from the heat;
- ask someone from your neighbors or friends to come to the apartment and play with animals at least once a day (and not just feed, clean the tray or take out for a walk for 5 minutes).
Do a little cleaning
Returning home is always a pleasure, and returning to a clean, tidy apartment is doubly pleasant. Therefore, before leaving, take care of yourself in the future:
- wash floors and plumbing;
- wash all the dishes;
- remodel beds;
- put things in order in kitchen cabinets and drawers for storing various little things;
- prepare clean towels in the bathroom;
- prepare clothes that you will change into on arrival.
Prepare cans and lids for preservation
If for you a summer residence is not only a place of rest, but also a source of delicious vegetables and fruits grown by your own hands, you probably want to make reserves for the winter. The gifts of the garden and the vegetable garden are not stored for long, so they will have to be processed almost immediately upon returning home. Make it easy for yourself:
- wash cans and lids in advance;
- make a set of spices for each recipe;
- prepare the necessary tools (shredders, knives, scissors for sterilization and the like).
Do I need to instruct someone to take out mail from the box?
Sometimes thieves use a mailbox as an indicator - if it is filled to the brim with letters, newspapers, receipts and advertising, then no one has appeared in the apartment with the corresponding number for a long time. However, if you plan to stay in the country for several days, during this time the correspondence will not have time to accumulate.
What if there is no one to look after the animal?
The easiest option is to take your pet with you. Together with you, not only a cat and a dog can go to the cottage, but also a parrot or chinchilla in a cage, insensitive to temperature and lighting, a lizard or a turtle. By the way, do not forget that warm-blooded animals with whom you plan to walk in the yard should be vaccinated and also treated for parasites, especially ticks.
If a joint trip is not possible, look for the animal a good hotel or overexposure.
What if the specific date of return home is unknown?
Prepare the apartment, focusing on the most remote date. When leaving for a period of more than a week, it is advisable to turn off all electrical appliances, including the refrigerator (if possible).
Even if you are leaving for a short time - for a week or for a weekend - do not neglect these recommendations. They will help you relax with your body and soul, without thinking about possible troubles like a leaked pipe or a window broken by a hurricane wind.