Summer is finally here, and it is time to start taking those family vacations. Before you leave on vacation, there are a few things that you should do around your home to make sure that you will have a pleasant return when your vacation is over.
To keep your home and your things safe while you are gone, lock all of the windows and doors but leave some shades and curtains open. Get and set some automatic timers for lights in your house. The best ones are those that can be set to turn on and off at different times during the week, so it looks like someone is always home.
Have a neighbor or friend check on your house and collect the mail, and if you will be gone for an extended period of time, have someone move your car(s) around.
Before you leave, you’ll also want to clean out the refrigerator and throw away or freeze anything that might go bad while you are gone.
While it might be easy to tell if something has gone off in the refrigerator, the freezer is another matter. If you lose power and then gain it back, food could melt and refreeze, making it unsafe to eat. One clue is the blinking clocks on some electronic devices, but they don’t tell if the power was out for a short or a long time.
Try this little trick. Place a few ice cubes in a baggie and set them in the freezer. If they look intact, you should be fine. If, however, the cubes have lost their shape, then you know that the freezer got warm enough for things to melt. Another trick is to place a frozen kid’s pop standing against the inside of the freezer door. If it is drooping when you get back (handing over the bar), then your food is no longer safe to eat.
I’ll have more information on how to prepare your home before vacation. Check back to the home blog!
How to Save Money on Gas in 2011