How to Unpack After a Vacation

You have just returned from a much needed vacation. Now, you just have to unpack your bags. That may sound like a simple task, but I usually find myself procrastinating and living out of my suitcase for about a week after any overnight stay. However, it's much easier to get back to my normal routine after a thorough unpacking.

Unpack Clean Clothes

Take all of the clean clothes out of your bags. Hang them up or put them back into their drawers. Iron anything that has gotten wrinkled while in the suitcase. Don't just take items out of your luggage as you wear them.

Wash Dirty Clothes

Grab every last scrap of dirty clothing out of your suitcase and run a load or two of laundry. This way, you'll be able to get back to your everyday life with clean clothes. Doing a little laundry right away will save you from wondering where that blue shirt wandered off to.

Put Away Personal Hygiene Items

It seems like every time I return from a trip, I wind up frantically looking for my toothbrush. Put away your toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush and any other personal hygiene item. The last thing you want is to be late for work your first day back from vacation because you couldn't dig your hairdryer out of the piles of luggage on your bedroom floor.

Empty Your Kid's Luggage

My daughter's bag seems like it is always packed. There are usually several pieces of different outfits floating around in there. Unpacking and repacking for every overnight stay means I know exactly what is in there. I don't want to send her off to her grandparents without extra socks!

Clean Out Your Purse or Wallet

We tend to accumulate items on our travels. Receipts and random scraps of paper from your vacation need to be purged so that you have room for more receipts and scraps of paper. It's a never ending cycle, so the least we can do is start fresh after a vacation.

Clean Out the Car

Whether you drove 1,500 miles or just drove to the airport, chances are good that you have some litter in your vehicle. Grab a trash bag and gather it all up right away. Otherwise, you might start to notice an unpleasant aroma wafting up from under the driver's seat.

Vacations are fun. Unpacking isn't. By taking a few minutes to unpack properly, you will find much more time to put together your vacation scrapbook and reminisce about your trip. I know from experience that you can waste a lot of time digging through a suitcase looking for your contact case.