House Cleaning, and also: What is ‘Chametz’?
Already at Purim, one begins to feel the scent of spring in the air and the approaching Passover holiday.
The goal of getting organized, cleaning and arranging the house for the holiday is one: to find the last crumbs of chametz hidden in the most remote place in the house.
To know what we are ‘chasing after’, let’s have a short introduction with the “Chametz”:
- Any flour from one of the five types of grain (wheat, barley, oats, rye, or spelt) that came into contact with water and was not fully baked within 18 minutes – turns into chametz. (When kneading the dough in a warm place, the ‘fermentation’ can even be in a shorter time).
- All foods made from flour, which did not have special supervision that they will not leaven during their manufacturing process – are “complete chametz” i.e., absolute chametz which must be burned and ‘get rid of’ before Passover.
- The most common chametz products are: bread, cakes, biscuits, waffles, and the like. Also, ice cream cones made from flour, pasta, soup almonds, beer, and countless other products – are complete chametz.
Let’s go back to house cleaning. Practically speaking, let’s define it in simple terms (the execution, on the other hand, is not that simple…): you should thoroughly clean every corner of the house. Use a vacuum cleaner for carpets and thoroughly clean the floors, cabinets, and bookshelves. Make sure you haven’t skipped any ‘hidden’ area, like under the sofa cushions, in the back pockets of the kids’ pants, and in the car glove compartment. In other words: embark on a ‘hunt’ for every crumb of chametz everywhere it is!
After you have finished cleaning a certain room properly, notify all family members that this area has become ‘Kosher for Passover’, and from now on, no product that is not such should be brought into it. It is recommended to start the cleaning in the bedrooms and then in the living room. The kitchen and dining room should be left for last, so that you can use them for eating leavened products as close to the holiday as possible.
There should be a great emphasis on cleaning the children’s rooms: under the beds, inside the closets, and in toy boxes. The small parts of the toys should also be thoroughly cleaned. During the year, they have often been around candies and snacks – most of which are, of course, complete leaven!
It is important to carefully check the clothes of young children. Pockets are favorite places for leaven.
You should clean the books that are usually used during the year and there is a concern that leaven has entered them, such as: children’s books, Pentateuchs, prayer books, booklets of “Grace After Meals” (known as ‘Birkonim’), ‘Shabbat Zemirot’ and the like. For extra safety, it is better to use new ‘Birkonim’ on Passover and not to use those of leaven.
You should clean the electronic devices that are usually on the dining table during the year, such as a home phone, mobile phone, and the like. About the computer: if you do not have a new keyboard and mouse for Passover, then you will need to thoroughly clean all the small parts.
Additional places that should be prepared for the holiday: office, car, garden or yard, places that are owned by you, rented by you, or you have a right to use.
Places that should be cleaned only at a basic level: rooms and areas where food is not usually entered, such as: toilets, bath, utility room, and the like. Also, there is no need to clean rooms or closets that will be sold to a non-Jew. (How do you sell to a non-Jew? – See explanation on page 22).
- Do you have a car? – It is mandatory to wash the carpets, thoroughly clean the car, and make sure that no food remains in it that is leaven in every possible place (including the trunk).
Kosher for Passover’ Kitchen
In the days leading up to the holiday, we prepare the kitchen for Passover. Utensils and cooking utensils that have been in use throughout the year have ‘absorbed’ the leaven that was in them, and therefore it is forbidden to use them on Passover.
It is appropriate to purchase and dedicate a separate set of utensils for Passover: cutlery, frying pans, pots, etc. It’s best to have a dedicated oven and stove for Passover.
When there is no possibility of having special utensils for Passover, we use the regular utensils that ‘absorbed’ leaven throughout the year only after they have undergone ‘kosherization’.
In regard to utensils that there is a doubt on how to kosherize them – you should ask the Rabbi.
The principle underlying the kosherization is that the leaven should be removed from the utensil in the same way it entered, in the language of Jewish law: “as it absorbs, so it expels.” For example, if you put hot food in a certain utensil throughout the year – you should kosherize it using boiling water. In contrast, if it was used with cold food – a rinse with cold water (with cleaning materials, of course) is sufficient.
Before kosherizing, you should thoroughly clean the utensil, and not use it for 24 hours before the kosherization. Most utensils that have been in contact with hot or boiling food can be kosherized in two ways: hagalah (immersion) and libun (heating).
“Hagalah”: a utensil in which leaven was cooked with water, such as a cooking pot and the like, becomes kosher by hagalah: you immerse it in boiling and bubbling water standing on the fire, and immediately afterward you dip it in a bowl of cold water.
“Libun”: a utensil that was used with leaven on fire, like skewers, oven baking pans and the like, becomes kosher by libun: you pass over all its sides with a burning torch (burner).
For your information, hagalah and libun can be done in every city, in the days before Passover, as part of the local rabbinate’s service.
Exceptional utensils:
- Ceramic utensils, ceramic plates, etc: they cannot be kosherized, so any such utensil used with leaven should not be used at all for Passover.
- Glass utensils:
- If they were used for baking, and also glass cups that were used for hot or spicy drinking – their kosherization is problematic and complex, and some of them cannot be kosherized at all. Therefore, in any case where you want to use them, you should ask the Rabbi how to proceed.
- If the glass utensils were used for cold foods, and also cups intended for cold drinking, ice cream, etc. – they can be kosherized by thorough washing.
- Plastic utensils: utensils with grooves cannot be kosherized, but ‘straight’ and ‘smooth’ utensils without grooves (that are not likely to be damaged by hot water) can be kosherized by hagalah.
It is important to emphasize that the rules of kosherization, hagalah and libun are numerous and complex, and in this framework only the main ones have been mentioned. In any case, it is preferable to rely on someone experienced in kosherizing kitchens, and ask the Rabbi in any case of doubt.
After we have kosherized the utensils, we will conduct a comprehensive ‘kosherization course’ on the kitchen utensils:
Dining table: clean thoroughly and cover with a substantial covering like PVC, thick plastic sheet, or even thick silver-paper, or especially thick nylon tablecloths (not the ‘disposable’ ones) and the like. It is important that the covering does not have any holes or cracks.
Refrigerator: Thoroughly clean the shelves and the plastic covers. Pay attention that no crumbs remain inside the rubbers that seal the door. Afterward, cover all the shelves with paper.
Kitchen cabinets: Thoroughly clean, and cover the shelves with paper.
Wooden work surface: Thoroughly clean and cover it with something hard or paper.
Natural marble: After a thorough cleaning, pour boiling water on the marble and thoroughly scrub it with a cuboid stone (a boiling stone also causes the water on the marble to boil).
Ground marble: Can be made kosher like any stone utensil.
Granite: Since it is damaged by boiling, usually no kashering is needed.
Stainless steel: Can be made kosher.
Faucet: After the initial cleaning, open the boiling water in the faucet, and while the water is flowing, pour boiling water on all the external parts of the faucet directly from the kettle. Also, you should replace the filter at the top of the faucet.
Stainless steel sink: After a thorough cleaning, the sink needs to undergo libun (heating) to be made kosher. Then, replace the filter.
Marble or ceramic sink: Cannot be made kosher, and needs to be covered. Nowadays, there are plastic sinks of various sizes, which can be inserted into the sink. Even in this case, replace the filter.
Dish and cutlery drying rack: Clean thoroughly with water and soap.
- It is preferable to cook and bake on stoves and in the oven designated for Passover. When this is not possible, they must be made kosher as follows:
Stovetop: Clean thoroughly with sharp materials to remove grease stains. The metal frames and the ‘grooves’ on which the pots stand on either side – perform a strong libun, until the frames darken, and pour boiling water on the surface itself. Even after kashering, it is good to cover the grooves and the surface with aluminum foil.
Baking oven: Do not use the oven 24 hours before kashering. Thoroughly clean the inside of the oven with sharp materials intended for this purpose. Then operate the oven for an hour, at the maximum heat level.
Enamel baking pans: Cannot be made kosher, and new pans should be purchased for Passover.
Metal baking pans: After thorough cleaning, the pans need to undergo libun (gently) to be made kosher. But in any case, it is recommended to use disposable baking pans for Passover.
Microwave: After a thorough cleaning, boil water with a little soap in a Passover-kosher vessel in the microwave until the maximum temperature at which the water begins to evaporate. The tray inside the microwave cannot be made kosher. In any case, it is better not to use a chametz microwave during Passover.
Mixer and blender: Open the motor housing and clean it thoroughly. Also, clean all other parts, and boil in boiling water the parts that come in contact with food. In any case, it is better to avoid using a chametz mixer during Passover.
Shabbat hotplate: After a thorough cleaning, heat for an hour. Then it is advisable to cover it with aluminum foil.
Electric kettle and Shabbat water heater: After a thorough cleaning, which includes removing the limescale, fill with water up to the brim of the kettle/heater and boil. The lid of the heater should be boiled.
Dishwasher: Do not use the dishwasher for 24 hours before the kashering process. After the first cleaning, thoroughly clean the filter and wash it with a limescale remover. Then, run the dishwasher on one of its programs, making sure all the trays or racks are inside.
During Passover, meticulous kashering is also required for tablecloths, napkins, paper items, and cosmetics. Also, it is preferable to buy a new broom for Passover, toothbrushes, pacifiers, bottles, kitchen dish soap, etc.
Jewelry and Personal Care Items
- Rings and bracelets: As these jewelry items come into contact with dough and materials that are considered full chametz (during baking, cooking, etc.), they should be cleaned thoroughly and then immersed in boiling water.
- Makeup: Products like makeup, pencils, mascara, etc., do not require special kosher for Passover certification.
- Perfume: It does not require special kosher for Passover certification.
- Lipstick and blush: Since they come into contact with the mouth, it is better to use a new kosher for Passover lipstick. (There’s no need to throw away the regular lipstick used throughout the year, you can put it aside and use it again after Passover.)
- Body soap, shampoo, deodorant, body lotion, bath products, etc. – do not require special kosher for Passover certification.
- Dish soap and hand soaps: It is better if they have special kosher for Passover certification.
Dental plates and removable false teeth: Do not eat hot or spicy foods with them, and do not drink hot or spicy beverages with them for 24 hours before the kashering process. Afterwards, clean them thoroughly and boil them in hot water (when it is impossible to avoid using them for 24 hours – it is sufficient to pour boiling water on them without boiling).
Medicines during Passover
The list of medicines that are kosher for Passover is published annually by the kosher authorities and is available at the HMOs and kosher authorities. If you need to take a medicine that is not listed as kosher, ask your doctor for an alternative medicine that is kosher for Passover. In any case of doubt, when there is no alternative medicine but there is a medical need – you should ask a rabbi how to behave.
- Clarification: A patient who is in life-threatening danger, or even suspected danger – must listen to the doctor and eat or drink even full chametz when there is a chance he could be cured (all this, of course, when it is impossible to get kosher for Passover medicine).
- Vitamins for strengthening: You must check each type of vitamin, as most vitamins are made from grains, wheat, or brewer’s yeast which are considered full chametz.
- Lozenges: As most of them are sweet, they obviously contain chametz ingredients in them, and therefore you should check if they are kosher for Passover.
- Syrups with flavor: You should thoroughly check the list of kosher medicines, as they usually may contain a starch sweetener to sweeten the taste, which is not kosher for Passover.
All types of medicinal ointments intended for external use, all disinfectants that are used on the skin, all types of drops intended for the eyes and ears, inhalers and sprays of their kind, injections or suppositories – are allowed for use on Passover.
