Q. I've heard that some women start Pesach cleaning between
Chanuka and Tu B'Shvat, so they can get a head start. I've
got several little ones in the house. How could I possibly
keep them and their chometz out of the closet for so
many months? It would be too much pressure all around!
You don't have to! Here's what you can do to get a head start
without the pressure of maintaining a chometz-free
environment.
Separate the concept of spring cleaning (i.e. sorting,
discarding and reorganizing the closets) from the
mitzva of Pesach cleaning (i.e. searching for and
removing chometz).
Many women feel overwhelmed by the tremendous amount of work
supposedly involved in Pesach cleaning. And no wonder. They
spend precious time organizing bedroom closets and papers and
end up getting sidetracked on pairing dozens of mismatched
socks or reading through their old letters. Suddenly, it's a
week-and-a-half to Pesach and they've run out of steam just
when they need to get to the real Pesach work, like the
dining room and the kitchen.
Now, don't get me wrong. Doing this deep organization is very
worthwhile in itself. Every home runs more smoothly and
efficiently when there's "a place for everything and
everything is in its place." Just let's do it any time
except in the last few weeks before Pesach.
Why not use the long winter evenings or rainy afternoons
indoors to go through your closets at a leisurely pace?
Slowly and steadily, work your way around the house, sifting
and discarding, sorting and storing, setting aside anything
that needs to be repaired.
At this point, it's too early to keep an eye out for
chometz removal. The only exception might be shelves
that are very high up, but who says there's chometz
there, anyway?
When the real chometz searching begins, you'll be able
to speed through it in a fraction of the time, arriving at
Pesach full of simcha shel mitzva and energy to enjoy
it!
In the next few weeks iy'H, we'll be doing a room-by-
room discussion of pre-Pesach organizing. We'll talk about
what to keep, what to discard/give away, and how to
reorganize whatever is left.
Meanwhile, start collecting all kinds of rectangular
containers with straight sides. You'll need plenty!
The following are good ones to start with and can be gotten
in Israel.
* Clear plastic baskets of every size - they come with
fruits, soy franks, crackers etc.
* Cardboard boxes from shoes, boots and
sheitels.
* White plastic containers about the size of a shoebox
are strong and inexpensive. They are widely available at
grocery or disposable-goods stores. (For those who want the
measurements, they are: 26 cm. x 16 cm.) These containers are
available in two heights. The 10 cm. height is a good size
for many organizing jobs, especially in the kitchen.
* For sorting and discarding, have on hand: a few cardboard
boxes, laundry baskets or large garbage bags.
In addition, you'll need a roll of wide masking tape and a
permanent marker. Rubber bands are handy for tying things
together and closing things up.
Let's start organizing and have fun doing it!
Chaya Roizy Vorhand works as a Home Management Consultant.
She will be happy to answer any questions, any time, or
incorporate suggestions from experienced housewives. Call 02-
6510025.
