Poll (sort of): Cleaning for Passover

RedZee

Hey everyone!

We are starting to clean for our first married Passover. We went shopping yesterday and got the non-perishables. We've been working on some of the cleaning and trying to finish up the chametz.

So....

Do you change your whole house over for Passover? Just part? Just eat matzah instead of bread?

Any tips for cleaning or organizing for Passover?

RedZee

We will change over the whole house but we won't throw away food that's chametz but still ok (like cans). We'll just put them in a box and include them in selling our house.

I don't really have tips since I'm new to doing this on my own. But, my friend said that she made a list of everything she had for Passover when she put things away last year and it's been really helpful. We're going to try to do something like that. I hope to make a list of what we bought this year and if we don't use something or whatever, I'll take it off the list so that shopping is faster next year.

slbriz34

We keep to the strict diet part of Passover, but haven't done the cleaning for chametz, selling of chametz, etc.  That might be something we do when we have kids later and make it a family thing.  Otherwise, we are fine just keeping this aside and buying/eating only kosher for Passover items.

leoraanna

In our house we keep the freezer off limits and clean out the fridge. We scrub the fridge and limit any chametz in the fridge that I don't want to throw away to one shelf with tape on it. We keep the cupboards shut and keep all the Pesach dishes and food on the table. We do a real spring cleaning and we keep the chametz out of the house for the time of Pesach. It is my favorite holiday- food and all! So, I am willing to make the "sacrafice" for the holiday. We do 'sell' the chametz that we leave in the house though.

LBRM_NJ

I clean the whole house and keep the holiday strictly.  But, I don't empty my cabinets either.  I leave all of my dishes and pots and stuff away and put my passover dishes and stuff on the counter.

Rachiemoo

We're cleaning out our whole apartment (we live in a one bedroom, so it isn't that hard).  We will either use special Pesach plates, utensils, etc. or paper goods. 

My DH's family usually goes away for all of Pesach to one of those programs at a hotel where they basically take care of all your food so you don't even have to think about doing much.  DH and I are only staying until Chol Hamoed though because we have work/school responsibilities that we need to be at.

This weekend we're planning on doing our Pesach shopping at this amazing supermarket (in brooklyn) called Pomegranate, it is a kosher only supermarket, and for Pesach they block off any aisles that have chametz, so it is super easy to do shopping and they have so many kosher for pesach foods that regular supermarkets don't have. http://www.thepompeople.com/

Also, since we don't have a ton of Pesach only plates, cookware, etc. I usually try to make simple dishes (think Matzah Pizza haha) and/or go out to eat for dinner.  If you're in NY, there are a few kosher restaurants who stay open on the holiday, so we'll probably go there one night also.

I find the Chabad website super helpful for all this stuff (especially when it comes to finding and getting rid of Chametz), so feel free to check out their Passover section:

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/default_cdo/jewish/Passover.htm

parker624

We are much more secular and our only passover ritual is celebrating both seders with one of our families.  We will also buy matzah and eat that instead of bread, but we do not do any ceremonial cleaning of the house of chametz.

This year will be tricky for us in terms of keeping kosher for passover because we have just recently become vegetarian and eat a lot of beans and soy products as a protein source.  Both of those are off limits for passover, so I'm not sure what we will do.

MoFree

This is not a typical Passover for us for a number of reasons.  First, we are still living with FIL and SMIL in Arizona, so we don't have our own home to prepare for Passover.  Second, DH is just starting to return to normal eating and must follow safe swallow strategies to avoid choking.  I don't know if he could even safely eat matzoh unless broken into the tiniest of pieces and I would be paranoid that he'd choke on it.  Therefore, we are not doing any special preparations and he will eat whatever he wants without being concerned about Passover restrictions.

Nest year, when hopefully we will be back to normal, I will probably do what I have done in the past.  That is, I take cereal, pasta, cookies or other chametz, put them in a box to stay in a spare room until the end of Passover.  I do not have separate dishes, pots,utensils, etc.

I am not a strict vegetarian, but eat very little meat and although I am not Sephardic, I fhave followed their food customs since I converted to Judaism.
 

razdazzle

We keep Passover.  We try and eat all of the chametz before Passover starts.  Anything that will stay - like canned food and non-perishables will go in a box and kept in the bottom of our coat closet until Passover is over.  We don't use seperate dishes, or pots and pans at this time.  Although in the past I have used paper plates during Passover.