I’ll be out of Japan for 3 1/2 weeks this summer and was wondering what advice people have. I did the same thing a few years ago but am wondering if there’s anything I could do better/forgot.
Current plans:
-tell post office to stop mail during the dates I’m gone (may tape post box to stop spam flyers)
-make sure there’s no food in fridge that will go bad
-use moisture capturing boxes with beads/packets for closet, drawers, etc to prevent mold
-make sure windows and curtains are closed
I’m wondering what else there might be, especially for humidity eg should closets and doors be closed or open
Anything else I should do? I don’t have any plants/pets at least I need to give people. Sorry this isn’t necessarily Japan specific
19 comments
For humidity, you might want to consider buying those plastic containers with the beads in and place them strategically around the house. They’re surprisingly good at absorbing excess moisture and of course they don’t require power. A pack of 3 usually goes for 100-200 yen.
-Clean out the place.
-Leave closets open
-Cover the sink drain holes with saran rap
-Leave shower room fan on
-Close aluminum window shutters
-Open vent holes on the walls
…. unplug everything except my security cameras. Or flip off circuit breakers if you don’t have cameras.
We have our own water shut-off in our unit and I shut that off as well.
Tell a trusted neighbor next door or below you that you’ll be away. If something is off, noises, people, they’ll know it’s not you.
If you have a humidity issue, get several damp rid units you can place all over or just where you’re worried.
Also, to keep pest away and keep the air fresh, I’d load up the corners of my rooms and underneath furniture with camphor cubes. I’d do this on my way out of the door, the smell is overwhelming. But, pest will not want to visit your place while you’re gone and the camphor cleanses the air.
Have a great time. I’m looking forward to visiting Japan in the future.
For longer trips, I usually empty my refrigerator, unplug it, and leave the door ajar.
I usually also unplug all other appliances too (air conditioner, lamps, coffee machine, etc), and also make sure to turn off the water supply to the washing machine, and disconnect it.
My management company asks me to tell them if I am leaving for an extended period of time so I think you should contact them and let them know
I use to buy a bunch of those small cock roach poison traps ( they eat and then back to their nest to die) and spread them all over the floor.. I mean the whole floor…. not sure if its a concern for u or not
Whatever you do make sure it is really clean. I was an idiot and left like 1 small wrapper that had some residue in my garbage. Came back 3 weeks later to a grave of flies. I was such an idiot lol.
Lock your door
I set up power monitoring on my refrigerator circuit so I can know if a power outage happens (send me an SMS). I have a neighbor who can come in and flip the breakers if needed.
I set my air conditioners on a schedule to dehumidify 12hrs each day, to get air flowing and keep humidity down a bit.
I need to keep my windows closed because I live in a typhoon prone location, so this works well for me when I leave for a couple of months each summer
turn off gas
These are what I did
* kept the bathroom fan on for ventilation
* cleaned the drain basket in the kitchen sink with bleach
* put out a few roach poison packs
* got a pack of instant noodles so I didn’t have to do grocery shopping on the day I came back
I highly recommend the last if you don’t hate instant noodles.
I own a dehumidifier that I leave running when I’m away from my apartment for an extended period. I set my Aircon units to dehumidifier mode and I leave my closets doors slightly cracked so that there’s a little bit of airflow in those spaces to prevent mildew from growing.
turn off water main valve outside or at least washing machine valve
this time I went to fuji for a weekend getaway my realtor called me because water was leaking out of my genkan
Leave those black caps around your home
Plugs/seals over every sink & drain.
Leave your air conditioner in 除湿 mode and leave all your room doors open . It costs 100-200¥ per day and will make sure there is no カビ growing anywhere. It s worth the cost.
Keep the AC on.
I’d just empty and clean the fridge and shut all power down. Leave the fridge door open. Leave the bath door open. Close the gas tap. Check water taps before you leave. That’s it. It’s just 3 weeks.
couple other things –
– Keep a pair of socks near the front door with a quick floor wiper and clean the floor once you get home
– Change your bedding and put bath towel on the bed, then cover your bed with a sheet.