I have been asked a lot lately about my clean-up process after getting home from a long trip. This is something that has definitely evolved for me over the years. Everyone is different so you have to find the routine that works best for you. I have found that tackling it head on is the best route for me. When we pull in the driveway and all we want to do is go curl up on the couch for a long nap, we don’t let ourselves fall to the calling of the sandman.
Step 1: Empty the camper
Food (pantry, fridge and freezer)
Laundry bags (I like these from Target)
Towels (Bath, beach, hand and kitchen)
Bedding (Sheets and comforters)
Anything that was specifically packed for the trip that you will need in the house after your camper is tucked away in storage
I find it much easier to work on the clean-up process if I get everything where it needs to be as soon as possible. Food in the house kitchen, laundry in the laundry room and other stuff at least in a pile in an out of the way spot in the house so you can tackle putting everything away over the next day or two. We use our dining room for this purpose. It may not be a pretty sight for a little bit but usually, you just don’t plan on hosting a dinner party right after a big trip!
Step 2: Laundry
This needs to get going right away since you can work on other aspects of clean-up while loads are running. This also usually takes the longest if you are truly doing ALL of your linens. I start with the laundry bags of clothes so those can be sorted and worked back into our wardrobes as soon as possible. Then I move on to bed linens so I can remake the beds in the camper after cleaning the camper and before going back into storage. Last, I do the towels because they just get folded and put into cupboards or tubs in the camper.
Step 3: Food
Obviously, your refrigerated food goes right into your house fridge. Then you can work on putting the dry goods back into the pantry. I do want to make a note to remind you to always check your freezer! I once absentmindedly forgot that we had picked up a bag of ice on our trip and turned the fridge/freezer off causing the whole bag to melt and drip into the draining system of our fridge. Thankfully, this is why they have a draining system. Although it is really meant for typical condensation, it at least saved us from any real damage.
Step 4: Cleaning the Camper
Honestly, I think this is my favorite part because all of the filth that is evidence of a time well had, is then cleaned up and it reminds me of how much I love our camper when it is all pretty and clean. I like to start at one end and work my way towards the door wiping all surfaces clean. The bathroom obviously takes the most time. If we have already dumped our black tank, I always drop a pod in the toilet and then run about a gallon or two of water into the tank. Doing this before we take it to storage allows the freshening pod to slosh around in the tank a little to clean up the grossness. It is amazing how much dirt and dust can get into a camper on any given trip. Keeping it clean between trips will increase the life of everything in your camper down to the caulk in your shower and the upholstery on your furniture. Make sure to rid your cabinets and kitchen area of any crumbs that might attract rodents. (note: if your camper will be stored for an extended amount of time, place dryer sheets in all of your cupboards and storage hatches to deter rodents from making a nice cozy home in your camper). After wiping all surfaces down, I run a vacuum over all floors and furniture before giving the floors a final mopping. This at least gets all of the major dirt from your trip out before you bring the nice clean linens back in.
Step 5: Get organized at home
While the last loads of laundry are finishing, now is the time to tackle that pile of stuff you shoved into your dining room. Put away everything you took on the trip (toys, books, swim gear, etc) in its proper home. It will make coming home a lot easier once you know everything is in its place when you go to look for it next time. This newly cleared out space in your dining room is now the staging area for everything that will be going back out into your camper.
Step 6: Loading back up
As you process everything in the house that lives in the camper, you can start making a pile for it to get loaded back in. This is any dishes you may have washed at home, and any linens that were washed. It is so much easier to just make one big pile to move back in all at once. Once everything has been moved back in, its time to crank up the tunes on the camper stereo and tackle the big pile that is now in the camper!
Step 7: Get the camper organized for storage
Make the beds, put the towels away, make sure everything is secure for transport.
This process will make getting ready for your next trip SO much easier. You will be half way there with everything all in its place!