Home care: Preparing for Eid holidays in Oman

After Ramadan, while preparing to leave for Eid holidays, your bags are packed and you haven’t forgotten anything. But before you get there you have one last task on your to-do list: Getting the house ready to fend for itself, for some weeks. It’s time for the pre-vacation clean-up. Here is a list of few things that must be done to ensure a smooth return.

Review your Fridge
Decomposed food left in our fridge attacks us through our sense of smell. The fridge poses a greater challenge than the waste bin and sometimes people won’t even consider clearing it before they leave for the holidays. Mould spores from affected food can build up undetected in your fridge and affect fresh food, so better double check your fridge and throw any food that could potentially rot, during your leave.

Don’t Leave Dirty Dishes
If you don’t wash the dishes before you leave on vacation you might be prompted to throw them away when you return! Food gets crusty and seamlessly attaches itself to the dishes. Also, you may want to consider throwing your old sponge away after doing the dishes - they can harbour a huge amount of bacteria after use.

Time to Take Out the Trash
Is there anything worse than coming home after the holidays to a horrible smell because you forgot to throw something out, like the garbage? In summer, heat is best friends with bacteria found in the trash, so, before you go on vacation, be sure to remove the plastic bag from the bucket and make sure the bin itself is free from moisture and waste. Also, keep in mind that you should also throw the trash in the bathrooms and do a tour of the house to make sure not to find surprises on your return.

Disinfect your Drains
When you leave for holiday and the weather gets hotter, insects can start leaving their homes and invading yours. You may want to consider disinfecting your drains with natural products. Start by letting hot water run through the drains for about 15 seconds. Now the drain is heated, pour a teaspoon of baking soda in and continue to run hot water for a further 15 seconds. This should kill the majority of odours. Another option is to pour a cup of vinegar or lemon juice down the drain and let it set for 30 minutes before flushing it down with hot water.

Do the Laundry
The longer clothes stay dirty, the more developed and resistant their odours will become. Bacteria thrives when it is exposed to three things: Organic material, warmth and moisture. This makes your dirty clothes the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, so don’t forget to wash dirty clothes, bedsheets and towels, before you leave.

Unplug Electrical Appliances
Most appliances generally consume at least some electricity, when left plugged in. However, some appliances consume a lot of energy even when on standby mode. The cumulative effect of leaving them on and plugged in whilst away will add up. Before leaving on your voyage you should unplug your computers and TVs, along with DVD players, TV boxes and all your kitchen appliances. You will be saving yourself money and becoming more eco-friendly.

Leave the AC on When Leaving
Before leaving make sure that you leave your AC on (on low), setting it to turn on once per day for a short amount of time - don’t turn it off. The AC not only cools down the house but also removes humidity that could form due to condensation, preventing mould to spread. It also avoids the overheating of the ambiences, protecting electronic items and furniture to be exposed to high summer temperatures.