Do you cover walls of fridge/freezer before Pesach?

amother

Wed, Apr 30 2014, 9:47 am

I thought everyone did. This week I found out none of my friends do and theyre VERY frum, some Chassidish. They only use shelf liners and DONT cover walls.

I dont have the Blumenkrantz book from this year, but I thought that the book said to line walls of fridge and freezer with foil or something,

It takes forever to put it on and then after Pesach to remove the sticky residue from the tape. Its hours of work.

I cant believe none of my friends do it. I thought everyone does it.

Where might I have gotten this from that you should do it?

MiracleMama

Wed, Apr 30 2014, 9:53 am

I used to line every possible surface of my fridge and freezer, as I was taught. Then two things happened. #1, my fridge and freezer broke. They can't work very well if you've covered up the vents. #2, I noticed that nobody else was doing it except me and the rabbi who taught me to do it. So, no, haven't done it for many years now.

amother

Wed, Apr 30 2014, 9:55 am

Food does not go on the walls and I do line my shelves but the truth is everything is cold in the fridge so a "Chametzdik Shelf which is cold will not make anything chametzdik"

For Pesach many of us go way above the halacha in cleaning. People keep many chumras on Pesach because just in case etc. The truth is many of the stringencies that I keep have no basis in reality and I know many others who do the same.

This is way many of us including myself keep Pesach way overboard.

Honestly it is wrong because the first seder I could not keep my opens and doing the seder properly is a mitzvah and how I was at the seder was one big bidieved. B"H for the second night.

sky

Wed, Apr 30 2014, 11:09 am

I do it because my in-laws do. My parents do not do it and my husband is comfortable eating by them, its a minhag.

We cover all surfaces that may come into contact with food or dishes used to prepare food.
That includes the inside walls of all cabinets we use, counter backsplash, underside of cabinets above counters, etc. It is an absolute pain and takes forever. I always set aside a day just for covering and lining.

greenfire

Wed, Apr 30 2014, 11:12 am

nopes ... once upon a time covered the shelves ... but reality is after all that scrubbing & a cold surface - I think it's fine not to

plus the refrigerator needs proper ventilation for the system to function properly [as above poster mentioned her fridge broke]

MaBelleVie

Wed, Apr 30 2014, 11:24 am

Rabbi Blumenkrantz tends to be machmir about just about everything. Just FYI. I've never heard of lining the walls of anything, unless maybe there is visible chametz that won't come off even though it's batel (like I do with the glass on my oven). Which in itself is a chumrah.

agreer

Wed, Apr 30 2014, 12:52 pm

I do.

My parents do.

My in-laws do.

I thought everyone did.

How weird that people don't. (Yes, I understand it's not halacha at all.)

Just goes to show you that everything is relative...

Liba

Wed, Apr 30 2014, 12:58 pm

It is funny, I double line the shelves yet never heard of lining the walls. Even just lining the shelves I have had issues with the fridge not working properly. I can't imagine what it does to the fridge functioning to line the walls as well.

dalia1

Wed, Apr 30 2014, 12:59 pm

I dont...and I dont even line the shelves. I dont line my cabinets either. I used to until I was told its not necessary. Pesach has been so much more enjoyable since I have stopped with all the extra chumros. We have granite, and boil water, pour over and thats it. Clean out the fridge really well and wipe down cabinets.
This year I made an effort to have a positive attitude, not stress about cleaning every nook and cranny and especially not make myself crazy with the kitchen.
We had a great yom tov and and am so thankful for the reduced stress.

b from nj

Wed, Apr 30 2014, 1:06 pm

dalia1 wrote:

Amen sista Smile

sweetpotato

Wed, Apr 30 2014, 1:53 pm

This brings up something I've wondered about--why do grocery stores cover the shelves on which they place Pesach items? If the idea is that the shelves had chometz on them and it might get onto the Pesach product, then what about then placing that item in your grocery cart or on the conveyer belt at the checkout? Question

Sanguine

Wed, Apr 30 2014, 2:25 pm

amother wrote:

I dont have the Blumenkrantz book from this year, but I thought that the book said to line walls of fridge and freezer with foil or something,

Rabbi Blumenkrantz passed away few years ago (unless his son took over the Pessach business) so I don't see how this year's book differs from last year. Anyway, last year's halachot are still applicable (why would you need a new book every year other than the list of KLP items?)

Anyway, Rabbi Avrohom Blumenkrantz was my Dinim teacher in HS in Prospect Park (graduated in 1980). At that point his Pesach book was just a pamphlet of drugs, Then he started sending out thin books. I have the one from 1987 (just 130 pages) - I took it with me when I made aliya cause I also took some American drugs with me so the list was always matching with my drugs.

In 1987 Rabbi Blumenkrantz said about fridge -
REFRIDGERATORS AND FREEZERS are Kashered by washing them with water and detergents. If the refridgerator has cracks which cannot be cleaned well, these cracks should be covered

He was too machmir for me back in the 80's too. Do't know why halachot should have changed

rising hero

Wed, Apr 30 2014, 7:08 pm

sweetpotato wrote:

The conveyer belts where I shop are covered. Donno about the carts. If you want you can line them with plastic bags.

amother

Wed, Apr 30 2014, 7:10 pm

Used to because that is what I saw at home. It became such a chore that I couldn't keep up with between work, being a mom, cleaning, Kashering, cooking, that I end up paying my cleaner $10+ an hour to do it sometimes. One year my husband had some time so I asked him to do it. He told me that it was not necessary and that was that. Haven't looked back since that year 5 years ago Smile