From beach trips and BBQs to hanging out by the pool, summer is the best time of year to unwind, whether you’re staying at home, enjoying a quick weekend away, or an honest-to-goodness vacation. Merry Maids, one of the nation’s largest home cleaning services and a ServiceMaster (NYSE: SERV) company, wants to make sure that if you’re lucky enough to get away for a bit, the walk through your front door upon return is as relaxing as possible.

“Coming home can be stressful when the reality of work, busy schedules and household chores are waiting for you,” said Debra Johnson, Merry Maids home cleaning expert. “The good news is there are some simple things you can do to avoid unnecessary stress when you return.”

Here are five tips from Johnson that can make coming home a little easier, and help you enjoy your vacation vibes as long as possible:

1. Tidy up before you leave. To avoid coming home to chores, do a little light cleaning before you leave. Coming home is easier when you know the trash has been emptied, beds have been made and clutter has been put away.

2. Get ahead on laundry. Nothing wipes out a relaxed vacation mindset faster than unpacking a suitcase full of dirty laundry only to find that the clothes hamper is already overflowing. Take some of the pressure off by doing a few loads of laundry before you leave. You’ll rest easy when you get home, knowing that everyone already has clean clothes to wear in the days that follow.

3. Hire a cleaning service. According to a recent Merry Maids survey, two-thirds (68 percent) of adults say having a clean home alleviates stress. Take your vacation relaxation to the next level by having the trusted pros from your local Merry Maids work their magic while you’re away. Once you experience how refreshing it is to come back to a professionally cleaned home, you’ll want to do it every time you travel. Splurging for extras like a laundry room, refrigerator or oven cleaning can add to the peace of mind you feel when you’re on vacation.

4. Sort, don’t stack. It’s easy to set your vacation mail on the counter and plan to come back to it later, but the clutter just creates unnecessary stress. Take five minutes to sort it as soon as you get home. Toss the junk mail in the trash, pull out any pieces that require immediate attention and file the rest for later.

5. Now you’re (not) cooking. Order takeout or a delivery service before you leave the airport or when you’re about 30 minutes from home. With the convenience and added bonus of little to no mess in your kitchen, you’ve practically added another night onto your vacation. Not going out of town? This can also be a great way to jump-start any summer weekend.

About Merry Maids

Merry Maids is the largest home cleaning franchise network in the United States. Merry Maids provides services in 48 states and the District of Columbia. The company also provides home cleaning services in Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom and has licensing arrangements whereby licensees provide these services in Hong Kong, Japan, South America, South Korea, Southeast Asia and Australia. Through its company-owned and franchise locations, Merry Maids employs more than 8,000 home cleaning professionals who service homes on four continents, including more than 200,000 homes in North America every month. Merry Maids is a business unit of Memphis-based ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SERV), a leading provider of essential residential and commercial services. Go to MerryMaids.com for more information about Merry Maids or follow us at twitter.com/MerryMaids and facebook.com/MerryMaids. Merry Maids is the Official Home Cleaning Provider of Minor League Baseball™.

About ServiceMaster

ServiceMaster (NYSE: SERV) solves the homeowner’s dilemma. Every day, we visit more than 75,000 homes and businesses through our extensive service network of expert professionals. Technology powers our trusted experts to engage with customers so they can order, buy and receive services when, where and how they want them. Our well-recognized brand includes American Home Shield (home warranties), AmeriSpec (home inspections), Furniture Medic (furniture repair), Merry Maids (residential cleaning), ServiceMaster Clean (janitorial and residential floor cleaning), ServiceMaster Restore (disaster restoration) and Terminix (termite and pest control). Like, follow or visit us at facebook.com/ServiceMaster, linkedin.com/ServiceMaster, twitter.com/ServiceMaster, or servicemaster.com. ServiceMaster is the Official Home Services Provider of Minor League Baseball™.

Survey Methodology

The 2018 Merry Maids Cleaning Survey presents the findings of an online survey conducted by Toluna from May 8-11, 2018 among a sample of 2,093 Americans 18 years of age and older. The margin of error for a sample of this size is ± 2% at a 95% level of confidence.