8 Things You Should Unplug When You Go on Vacation

Gaming Consoles

“As a travel expert as well as a mom of teens, I always advise my clients to prioritize unplugging gaming consoles their family has before leaving for a vacation,” Nicole Cunningham, travel expert and founder of CoPilots for CoParents, a travel community for single parents, says. “These are especially important to prioritize because not only are they major energy drains when left plugged in, they are also vulnerable to damage from power surges.”

Desktop Computers

Like gaming consoles, Cunningham also advises unplugging desktop computers before you hit the road. Even if you’re backed up to the cloud, you don’t want to risk a power surge destroying your computer equipment. Also, this might be the most stressful situation to come home to, and avoiding it takes less than a minute. 

Lithium-Ion Battery-Powered Devices

Cunningham also recommends unplugging small devices and gadgets powered by a lithium-ion battery. “Common products in this category are cell phones and tablets, laptops, power tools, e-scooters and e-bikes, power banks, portable speakers, electric shavers, and even electric vehicles,” she says. 

Chargers

Travel writer Joni Sweet says there’s no reason to keep those chargers plugged in, especially because you don’t want to forget to bring them. “I always unplug my laptop and phone chargers—mostly because I need them with me when I travel, but knowing they’re not sucking up energy at home while I’m gone is a bonus, too,” she says.

Hair Tools

Do you plan on using the hotel hair dryer? That’s a smart way to free up some extra space in your suitcase, but don’t forget to unplug the one in your bathroom before you leave.

And if you aren’t bringing your curling iron, flat iron, or other hair tools, be sure to put those away as well. Even if they’re designed to shut off automatically, you don’t want to risk that mechanism failing and potentially damaging your bathroom countertop—or worse, causing a fire.

Small Kitchen Appliances

You might leave small kitchen appliances like pressure cookers, Instant Pots, air fryers, blenders, and coffee makers plugged in all the time when you’re home. However, if you plan on being away for an extended period of time, these things should definitely be unplugged. Not only does leaving them plugged in increase your electric bill, but they’re also a fire hazard.

Microwaves

More likely than not, you rarely unplug your microwave. However, because it still uses electricity when it’s plugged in (after all, something has to power that little clock), it should be unplugged. However, if it’s hardwired or built-in and you can’t unplug it, don’t worry too much. And if you’re truly concerned, you can always shut off the fuse.

Televisions

Those fancy flat screens and art televisions don’t come cheap. So protect them by unplugging them before you go away, in case there’s a power surge. It will also lower your energy bill.