How to leave the cave

When we have had our holiday,what's the best tried and tested way to leave the cave We have been told to leave the windows open, (property will be checked on monthly) what about the beds should they be stripped and bedding packed away, vac pack or just over the doors and clothes are they ok left in the wardrobes and drawers or packed away, we have an extractor running through the length of the cave on timer to circulate air and do not appear to have any damp but we are new to caves and May will be our first time in our new cave, it will be left empty for 2-3 months at a time.

What advice can you give please, many thanks

We leave things out during the summer but pack them all away over winter. We don't vacuum pack them but make sure everything is either in cupboards, drawers or covered with dust sheets. We have left our windows open but actually things got more damp as the wind blew the rain in the windows. We leave the doors open on the wood stoves and that helps circulate the air. We don't have double glazing and the doors and windows aren't sealed so there is some air flow though them.

We always leave a window open either end of the cave so that there is airflow both summer and winter, when we first had the cave and didn't do this we found that we had problems with drawers sticking. We strip the beds and the linen is put away but a sheet is put over the bed so that it doesn't get dusty. I would say though if it is possible to see through your windows it is a good idea to make it look like someone is there. We were broken into last year and on reflection anyone could look in and see that the bed was stripped and the fridge door was left open.

We had a problem when we came back once when the tidy one of us (ahem) decided it would be neater to close the bedroom doors—disaster with mould everywhere.

Our general plan is to leave enough of the windows open to ensure air flow. We have shutters that come down and only leave a small gap, so no rain ingress. We leave all the internal doors open, similarly the wardrobe and cupboard doors, open the dishwasher and washing machine doors. Run water down the plugholes of showers, sinks, then loo cleaner down same and the loos. If the cave is empty for some time the u-bends will dry up and sewer smells can emerge.

We don't bother with dustsheets as dust is mainly human skin debris and we clean and vacuum before leaving. We don't remove the bedding, just fold up the quilts on the end of the bed. I've come back in November, twice in January, and once in April with no problems whatsoever.

That is one of the reasons the Spaniards don't have internal doors, just curtains. We couldn't go quite that far and do have doors on the bedrooms and bathrooms and like Tim make sure they are all blocked open when we leave. Our kitchen cupboards are open lattice work and the wardrobes have curtains instead of doors. A cave is a living breathing thing so it is important to let the air move around as much as possible.

When I was visiting, I'd never leave any windows open. Although your cave is being checked, the rats can easily chew through any screen / netting over the windows and the  pretty much anything from flies to snakes can get in.

So far as bedding goes, if you can then give it an airing after you've slept in it the last time (people give off a lot of moisture - we're 60% water!). I wouldn't pack it away, or leave it on the bed but drape it over a (open) door or clothes-horse. As suggested, leave internal doors open and the natural draftiness of a cave plus any "open" chimney should provide all the circulation you need - it did in  my place.

If at all possible, leave signs of occupation for any "passers-by" (aka potential thieves), so a light on a timer is a good plan. I found, to my horror, that anything removable and even remotely desirable that I left outside between visits would be stolen - even my s*ddin'  washing line got nicked - and there would occasionally be signs of attempted entry. Once I returned to Spain to find that the glass panel on my front door had been pushed in as the scally had tried to open the door latch - so be sure to dead-lock your external doors.

Also, be sure to turn your water off at the stop BEFORE your meter. Any leakage would be metered and a leak can easily cost €1 per hour in lost water (not even counting the damage it can do) !!! Adds up over a month.


P.S. don't forget to take the rubbish out (and empty the fridge) - a mistake I made once, never again.

We bought a lot of hermetically sealed plastic containers to keep food in from one visit to the next. And as Pete said empty fridge and freezer and block the door open unless you plan on leaving it switched on.

Security is always a worry but you can get security cameras that can be viewed across the internet that can be set to record any movement detected.