Green ways to prepare your home before going on vacation

I believe you are a green-conscious person, just like I am. And for people like us, not being in control when it comes to leave our homes for days unattended can be a real pain! After all, we can’t be on top of things all the time and there’s a slight fear that all our current effort put into keeping things green will fall apart. Am I right or am I right?

Since I have already mastered the art of going away for a holiday while leaving my home unattended, and yet I’ve managed not to step away from keeping everything green in order to keep it safe, I give you some steps to take that will definitely help!

Save Energy

Regardless of popular opinion, turning off your air conditioner isn't really the only way to save energy while you're away. With all those appliances in your beautiful home, the best thing to do is unplug all of them – microwaves, blenders, toasters, coffee makers, juicers…

And – let’s not forget unplugging of the almighty water heater! To avoid wasted energy, turn off the circuit breaker that connects to your water heater. If you’ve got one of those new, fancy ones, then there’s probably a switch with powered-down "vacation" setting.

Temperature management

Powering down the thermostat is probably the best and the most obvious way to shrink your footprint and save energy. The ideal scenario is shutting your thermostat off completely (at least for when you are going away for longer than 15 days); but, you can always switch it to "vacation" or "away" settings.

In case you live in one of those hot hot hot climates, maybe the best thing to do is program your thermostat to a very low setting. This will help avoid heat damage to your home during all the time you're away. If you are going away in cooler months, keep heating systems on a low setting. Why? Because this way you will keep pipes from bursting (hopefully, you’ve never had such an experience – it’s no fun!).

When interior temperatures reach 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (or around 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter), the recipe is to set your programmable thermostat to power on. Your AC will be ‘in control’ of the cold or warmth in your home – it will regulate the temperature, the minute things get out of hand.

AND – you already know this but, let’s remind ourselves once again – before you leave for your trip, pull curtains, blinds and shades closed to keep your home as cool as possible.

Waste is not your friend… it never was

I’m pretty sure you don’t want to come back home to waste stacked up, right? Right. So, the best thing to do before you go is a simple inventory list. Give away all perishable food in your kitchen, or anything that may spoil. As for unprepared or unopened food, donate them to a local shelter, kitchen, bank or just give them to your neighbors. It’s all good!

Another option is freezing or canning all the food you can. If you are going away for longer than a month, then maybe the best thing to do is empty both the fridge and freezer out and unplug them. Leave the door popped open, just to reduce risk of mold damage. No, not your house door – your fridge door, silly!

No damage, please!

One of the most important preventive steps to take is securing your home from mold, water and heat damage. No broken pipes and leaks, please! Further, before you leave make sure you turned the circuit breaker for your stove off – you’ll reduce risk of fires AND save energy!

As for mold prevention, I suggest you use a dehumidifier. This will work in your advantage especially if your home town is super humid in the summer!

Eco Way Is The Only Way

What you have done so far to stay eco-friendly was great, I’m sure. But here’s a suggestion: why not try an eco makeover?

We all have our nasty habits (hey, I’m just saying, no judgment here!) such as leaving your laptop or lights on when going to sleep for security (potential burglary or just the boogeyman). Nobody is asking you to give up on those but to just moderate them. Have you considered setting all gadgets you leave on, on timers? Set them to turn on and off at staggered intervals to save energy!

When you are away, you can always ask a trusted neighbor or friend to drop in occasionally and turn the porch lights on and off. Buy them a souvenir to bribe them (hint, hint).