The One Thing I Always Do Before Vacation That Makes Coming Home So Much Easier

It doesn’t matter whether I road tripped for the weekend, just got back from a camping adventure, or spent weeks away in some far-flung destination. There’s always one thing I do before I leave in order to set my “future self” up for a cozy, welcoming return: I wash my bedding and make the bed. It’s not fancy, it’s not over-the-top, it involves zero money, and it works like a charm every single time.

The Pre-Trip Ritual

My pre-trip bed-making ritual is pretty simple. The night before or the day-of (depending on the timing of my trip), I strip the bed completely (including pillow cases) and toss everything into the washer. If I’m feeling especially ambitious, or if it’s been a while and the bed needs it, I’ll sometimes break out the upholstery cleaner for an extra satisfying clean.

While the bedding is in the washer and dryer, I’ll tidy up the bedroom by tackling clutter and doing some light dusting. It’s usually during this time when I wrap up my packing, too; I like the feeling of working against a “deadline” with the wash/dry cycle! Once the bedding is dry, I’ll make the bed and be done with it. If I’m traveling the next morning, I take a few minutes to remake the bed. Easy!

There are other things I do to prepare my home before travel, like ensuring all the dishes are done, trash is taken out, fridge is cleared, and litter box is tended—basically anything that could make a stink while we’re gone gets the boot. However, the pre-trip bed-making ritual consistently pays off the most.

The Post-Trip Payoff

I recently got back home from one of those weekend trips where a number of things went sideways. I’ll spare you the details, but even the plane did that really annoying thing where it kept getting delayed another 20 minutes ad nauseam. We eventually found ourselves on the jet bridge waiting another hour before takeoff, which put us back at home right around midnight. 

Let me tell you: the sight of my cozy, familiar bed was definitely a sight for sore eyes. I had a quick hop in the shower followed by my nightly skincare routine, and when I joyfully snuggled under the covers and hit the pillow, I was lights out for the next eight hours.

Even in the event where I’ve got those post-trip blues (when a trip went so perfectly that it’s honestly a little sad to be back home), a freshly made bed with clean, fluffed pillows is a great salve for wanderlust woe. And to be honest, it’s like insurance for a great night of sleep, which is much-needed anytime you’ve been traveling.

It sounds like the tiniest thing, but give this trick a go the next time you travel and see how it fares for you. Even the anticipation of finally coming home to a cozy place to sleep after a long journey makes all the hassle of TSA, gas station stops, etc. feel more doable knowing there’s a clean bed waiting for me at home.