KATHY’S HOME & GARDEN TIPS – Helpful tips on leaving for vacation

I’m sure many of these are obvious but with our busy schedules it’s easy to forget to do one or more of these things. Some would result in a minor annoyance but some could be disastrous.

If you are going out of the country make sure all passports are up to date. Although you can pay extra to expedite it’s always a good idea to take care of this at least 6 weeks in advance. Contact all your credit card companies and let them know your travel itinerary. Then there won’t be any alerts when cards are used. Make sure your chargers will work. Some foreign countries have different outlets.

Fill all your maintenance medications the week before. No scrambling the last minute to fill prescriptions. You don’t want to be out of town or worse yet out of the country and need medication.

Water all your house plants thoroughly. Even if you are gone for three weeks most plants will do fine. For delicate plants that need more there are many auto water solutions. Check out at your neighborhood garden center. As for the lawn schedule a service or hire a neighbor to help out. As far as neighbors go it’s a good idea to let them know you’ll be gone, they can keep an eye out for your property. Giving someone a key in case of emergency is also a good idea.

I know these are quickly going out of style but for those still using an answering machine never leave a message indicating you will be out of town. You don’t want to leave any signs you are out of town. Stop mail and newspaper delivery.

Don’t come home to a smelly house. Eat or throw out all perishable food. Take out ALL garbage and spray cans with bleach spray. Throw baking soda down the drains and toilets to prevent stagnant drain smell. Do laundry. You’ll have enough to do when you get home.

Save energy when you are away. Turn air conditioners to 80, 60 is sufficient in the winter. Make sure all electronics are unplugged.

And last but not least check every window and door to make sure they are locked up tight. This is of course a no brainer but it is easy to miss the odd upstairs or basement window or door.

Have a fun and safe vacation!

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO