Traveling for the holidays is a given for most people, but if you’re planning a trip this holiday season, it’s always worth doing a little cleaning before you go. There’s nothing worse than coming home from a long trip after a busy day navigating airports and holiday traffic, only to be greeted by dishes in the sink and a messy bed.

To make your return trip a lot less stressful, here are the top five spots that experts always clean before they leave.

Refrigerator

Your refrigerator is the best place most experts recommend cleaning before vacation, and for very good reason—the last thing anyone wants is to come home to the smell of spoiled food.

“Ideally, the day before you leave, you should do a quick check of the fridge and throw out any food that will spoil while you’re away (even though you could obviously eat it),” says Michael Bogojavlenski, CEO of Cleaning Express. “If you really don’t want to waste a lot of food, consider what you can freeze or take with you, depending on how you’re traveling.”

And Brunson Sayes, founder of Breathe Maids, agrees and shares that this cleaning is always non-negotiable.

“The last thing I want when I come home is a bad smell,” says Sayes. “I quickly inspect and remove leftovers, fruit and any dairy products that will spoil while I’m gone. This prevents any surprises and leaves room for fresh groceries that I’ll need when I get back.”

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The rest of the kitchen

Cleaning the fridge isn’t enough to prevent unpleasant odors and pests – you should also make sure the rest of your kitchen is in tip-top shape. Even the tiniest crumbs or leftover food spells disaster, depending on how long you’ve been on the road.

“I always wash the sink, put away the garbage with ice cubes and lemon peel, and finish with a quick vinegar rinse,” says Nishant Prasad, co-founder of Clean Fanatics. “It’s an easy way to make sure I’m not greeted by funky smells.”

The Bed

We all know that hours spent at the airport or stuck in a car in traffic can really tire us out, so making sure your bed is made is key to a relaxing return home – it’s the little details that make the biggest impact.

“There’s something about coming back to a freshly made bed that makes me feel organized and relaxed,” says Sayes. “If I can, I also change the sheets so I can crawl into the new bed after the trip”

Bathroom

Your bathroom is a place where mold and mildew grow easily, so it can save you time in the long run to clean before you leave for the day.

“I learned the hard way that a damp bathroom is a recipe for mold,” says Prasad. “Before I leave, I wipe the shower walls, clean the sink and check if the toilet bowl is scrubbed. If you’re in a rush, a quick spritz of bathroom cleaner in high-traffic areas can work wonders.”

The Laundry

Finally, we all know that laundry can be a pain on a normal day, so don’t leave it there until you get back – especially if you have gym clothes or other sports clothes in there.

“There’s nothing worse than coming back to a pile of laundry waiting for you,” says Sayes. “I always make sure to wash all the laundry – towels, sheets and any other clothes that have accumulated. This way I can return to a new bed and a clean home without feeling overwhelmed.”