Easy Pesach cleaning (vent)

ora_43

Tue, Mar 23 2021, 10:16 am

Yes!!!

I appreciate the attempts to make it "easy" and to remind people that most things are not chametz - crumbs are only a problem in the kitchen, etc, only big, edible chametz is a problem elsewhere.

BUT.

"Pesach cleaning in 8 hours" = 8 hours of cleaning after house is already clean = 20 hours of cleaning

20 hours of cleaning + 5 of cooking + 5 of shopping = I know what it equals but I refuse to write it down.

Now squeeze your already-full schedule until it screams in agony, and you're left with a mere... 3 weeks of 1-2 hours a day of extra work.

It is necessary, and it is worthwhile, and it is a lot easier than it could have been if I were trying to hunt down every last cornflake.

But it is not easy.

bigsis144

Tue, Mar 23 2021, 10:46 am

A like isn’t enough, ora. This is so so true.

“...you're left with a mere... 3 weeks of 1-2 hours a day of extra work.

It is necessary, and it is worthwhile, and it is a lot easier than it could have been if I were trying to hunt down every last cornflake.

But it is not easy.”

PeanutMama

Tue, Mar 23 2021, 12:43 pm

Can I say something?

We started cleaning last week. We still have chametz in our cabinets (beans). I still have to do my sons room and our bedroom. I’m not gonna go CRAZYYYYY overboard like moving the dresser that’s anchored to the wall, and turn it over after taking out the drawers to sweep and mop under it. I find that very hard for me to do now that I’m expecting BH... but nevertheless IT IS OVERWHELMING AND MAKING ME STRESSED OUT!!!!

I have to keep reminding myself that Hashem is not a policeman!!! He’s not gonna say “did you make sure to take apart the drawers to get rid of any pretzel pieces or clean the glued on cookie crumbs between the bars of your baby’s crib or high chair?! No?!!!! So I’ll give you a fine.”

Sure we were all taught that mitzvos should be done besimcha but when things get added on top of other stuff it makes someone more anxious and stressed!
Which is the opposite how preparing for Yom Tov anything else really, is supposed to be.
I hate when ppl say oh you got it easy cuz you only have 2 bedroom. HAH!!!!! yes we do clean and wipe down common areas often but not the top of the fridge, spaces between the chairs, bottom of the table and chairs feet....etc!
HOW can we prepare for Yom tov without all that nervousness?!!!

It’s not easy!

amother

Puce

Tue, Mar 23 2021, 3:22 pm

I wish I had money for every time I was told I don't have to clean dresser drawers. They're prime food-hiding spots. Even in a rental in Orlando one year that was basically empty, we found a Twinkie in a dresser drawer.

And this year, all the places that we can sometimes be organized enough to keep food-free have been lived in full time, eaten in l'chatchilah (aka with parental knowledge and permission.) So there has actually been a change in the halachic status of needing to check them. Even our walk in closet had a zoomer.

Before I read one of these books, I want to know a) are you the primary Pesach cleaner in your house, b) does your house normally look like magazine pictures, c) how old/compliant are your kids? And for real- I recently food an entire nosh stash in the dresser drawer of my most compliant kid. Or you may have a forgetful husband, or self.

amother

Tue, Mar 23 2021, 5:02 pm

amother [ Saddlebrown ] wrote:

I dunno, if you have kids, it's totally possible to find whole or large pieces of actual food in the cracks between the couch cushions. And it doesn't take long to vacuum there. And you do sit on the couch on Pesach, unlike boxes of toys that can just be closed up and put away.

I'd just like to point out the difference between CHECKING for large pieces of chometz vs a requirement to vacuum up crumbs.

amother

Blush

Mon, Mar 29 2021, 3:59 am

amother [ Lavender ] wrote:

It's not the wheat, it's the stupidity.

When you get one of those "easy Pesach prep in two hours" guides from your shul, burn it with the chametz. It's mansplaining nonsense.

I know the difference between dirt and chametz, thank you very much. And if all I had to do was get rid of chametz, yom tov prep would indeed be easy. But there's menu planning and shopping (sometimes accommodating different diets and shopping in a few different stores) and making room for the food you've just bought. There's scheduling haircuts and travel plans and buying clothes (no, not a week's worth of new clothing for everyone, but maybe a couple.of white shirts, a pair of shoes etc.) Oh, and doing all the laundry before yom tov, and making beds and shuffling people around so the guests have places to sleep. And on and on.

Not to mention that all the regular parts of life (including, you know, meals) still have to happen.

These folks have no clue.

*Totally* agree. Not to mention getting all Pesach items out of the boxes. When I was working I wished I could split myself into three. One working full time, second running regular non-pesach schedule. And third dealing with all Pesach related things.

Duggie

Mon, Mar 29 2021, 8:15 am

wow, OP. finally, finally, finally!!!!!!!!

every single year I inevitably get the " you know, u shouldn't be following chumros etc" speech when I say how stressed out or tired I am from cleaning.

OMG! the basic stuff is extremely labor intensive!!!!! finally someone is saying it!

amother

Purple

Mon, Mar 29 2021, 9:33 pm

Ladies, now is the time to make next year easier. Write down the weird spots, challenges and in general, how long it took you this year.

I started my pesach notes 5 years ago. What a help it has been. I included every weird place to look for chometz, how long it really took to do the kitchen and turn over, etc.
I sit down on chol hamoed and start my notes as there's no time erev yt. I also take notes on the seder, what needs to be bought for next year, how much maror, wine, etc. Menu changes....menu successes and mistakes too.

I make next year 's pesach prep easier starting now when it's fresh in my mind.

Tonight I pack up 2 pesach boxes- the first to be opened: contact paper, Kashering pot, roasting tongs, nut chopping bowls, etc, and also the seder-only box.

Sharing advice I got on imamother that has really helped me. It's like having a personal pesach assistant.

amother

Mon, Mar 29 2021, 9:36 pm

I do the above every year, and I have the cooking and shopping down to a manageable level. But that doesn't help for the cleaning. It's a constant struggle every DAY to keep the house decent, and I'm usually failing. Trying to do all the deep cleaning when I can hardly do the surface cleaning is just...

amother

Purple

Mon, Mar 29 2021, 9:52 pm

I hear you.

I moved my schedule of deep clean to accommodate pesach. I deep clean end of August, purging during the 3 weeks and 9 days. The house is clean for Rosh Hashanah, which is a new school year anyway. Easier to toss last year's projects, sort clothes, toys, etc. Camp and kids playing outdoors is less messy in the house.

I do a second look through after tu b'shvat. It's a quiet time of the year. Next year you have a 2nd adar, which makes it easier.

My house is not neat. My bathrooms and kitchen are wiped for shabbos. It was worse when kids were little. Who had time or energy when expecting?

I do pesach cleaning only between purim and pesach, and only buy Kitniyos snacks from purim onward. It's enough work to do just pesach at that time.

My first "easy peasy pesach cleaning" shiur was my last. My kids will eat half a cookie or a broken pretzel that was lying around behind a dresser or in a couch. I think the life of a Rebbetzin is not my life in any way. When even one spouse works 40-60 hours a week on someone else's schedule, life looks very different. When it's both working ft with kids anything you do is SuperHuman.

ra_mom

Mon, Mar 29 2021, 9:56 pm

bigsis144 wrote:

Case in point: I KNOW this isn’t chametz, but it’s not really an optional thing to clean right now 😂

(My toddler excitedly told me, “paint the wall!” and I love her so very very much and BH I’m just laughing hysterically instead of exploding. AT LEAST IT’S NOT CHAMETZ. Some of it, in fact, is toothpaste so it smells great! And I can see spots where she tried to wipe it with wads of wet toilet paper... AT LEAST IT’S NOT CHAMETZ. But goodness gracious, I can’t lose track of her for 5 minutes...)

The design on the toilet seat is actually beautiful. 😍

I do hope it all came out!