Those of you who have been reading my column for the past few years know that I’m a big fan of preparing ahead. I believe that leaving things for the last minute is the best way to make sure it won’t be done right or at all. But life (and we) are not always perfect, and sometimes life (and us) get in the way and we find ourselves running against the deadline to get everything done. By things, I mean Pesach.
Despite our best intentions, it is possible that a situation could arise where it is mere days before Pesach and our house doesn’t quite have that spic/span/silver foil/bleach feeling. There’s no point in blaming the baby, our bosses, our husbands, or even (gulp) ourselves. Pesach is coming and we are running out of time!
Here is a list on how to do Pesach in a nutshell (pun intended) in descending order of preference and affordability.
- Book an overpriced hotel package: This is not an ideal solution for many reasons, but sometimes, if Mom is working until the very last minute, Dad is holding international meetings, and the kids are doing chesed at other people’s homes, there’s just no other option. Call the manager and see if you can negotiate the price. Hint: there’s always room to negotiate.
- Hire cleaning help: Also not an option I recommend. Personally, I dislike paying for cleaning help, but even I can envision a time when I just might have to break all rules and hire outside help. With explicit instructions and a team of cleaning professionals, it is possible to have your entire house cleaned in one day. With many supermarkets offering a full selection of Yom Tov-appropriate takeout and a wide array of paper goods, you can even avoid taking down your Pesach dishes.
- Do it yourself: Cancel all non-life essential plans, call in sick at work, and hire babysitters for all children under six or those who don’t know how to clean without complaining. This is not the time for whining! This is the time to get the job done. Anyone who is having trouble participating in the task at hand can find somewhere else to go.
Now that we got that part settled, let’s turn to our next steps.
First, sit down with your helpers and a pen and paper and break the jobs down into small parts. Divide the tasks amongst you and your helpers according to capability as well as desirability. Here is a sample list (if you have any halacha-related questions, please consult your rabbi). While you are modifying or creating your own list, remember: we are not spring cleaning, we are preparing for Pesach. Avoid being stuck wiping down shelves and scrubbing mold off bathroom floors and focus on what needs to get done – getting rid of chometz!
Bedrooms: Change linen, vacuum floors and underneath the beds. Quickly survey any surfaces, shelves, drawers and closets for chometz. Only check pockets of clothes that have not gone through the wash. (Warning: do not get distracted by organizing the contents of closets. Now is not the time.)
Bathrooms: Quick survey of cabinets/linen closet.
Coat closets: Check each coat pocket, purse, napsack and stroller. Remember, we are checking, not cleaning. Shake out any baby blankets. Optional: vacuum the closet floor.
Living Areas: Remove pillows/cushions from couches, check for chometz and vacuum. Check all the surfaces, including the top of bookcases. Quickly pull out books, flip them over and return them. Dump out toys, do a quick survey for any chometz and return the toys to their rightful places. Survey storage areas for chometz that needs to be disposed of or secured over Pesach. As you begin to separate items that need to be sold as chometz, start a new list to present to your rabbi.
Dining Areas: Take out items you need for Pesach from the china cabinet and close off the rest of the closet. Wipe down each chair. Cover the table with a tablecloth. Vacuum the floor, paying attention to corners and under furniture.
Kitchen:
- Decide how little cabinet space you need for Pesach. The less you need to convert, the better. Pesach is only eight days; do you really need that many cabinets? An added bonus to less available cabinet space is a smaller grocery bill as less space means fewer items to buy. Empty out designated cabinets and stack dishes and foodstuffs into the remaining chometz cabinets that will be sold. Wipe and line empty cabinets.
- Clear counters completely and line. If you don’t know where to put all your appliances, you may pile them into a corner and cover them with a garbage bag or blanket to be sold. Again, the holiday is only eight days. It’s okay if things aren’t perfect.
- Clear off top of fridge. Empty fridge of all chometz, wipe and line.
- Stop using the oven 24 hours before you plan on cleaning it. After 24 hours of non-use, begin the self-cleaning process. If your oven is not self-cleaning, speak to a rabbi regarding the best way to clean it for Pesach. You can stick the grates of the stovetop into the oven to be kashered as well. After the oven is completely cooled off, cover the top with disposable burner covers and silver foil.
- Making sure there aren’t any children nearby, carefully pour boiled water all over your sink and/or cover with a sink insert.
Now that you have your list broken down into small jobs and designated to the right people, it’s time to get to work. To keep your energy up, don’t forget to blast music, drink copious amounts of iced fruit juice or green tea (or caffeine, because we all know what really gets us going), and take five-minute breaks every hour to stretch. Try some classic yoga poses such as downward dog and warrior and see how quickly your aching muscles recover.
I will leave the shopping/cooking advice to those experts in the kitchen, but remember less is more. Be careful to prepare your menu before you go shopping and stick to the list so that your grocery bill doesn’t match your mortgage. Pesach food is notoriously expensive, but as you are allowed to cook on the holiday, all you need is a properly stocked kitchen and a little foresight. You will be able to make delicious, wholesome food for your family on the holiday in the comfort of your own home, knowing all the while that you are capable of anything, even making Pesach on the fly.