Preparing Your Kitchen

 

So, what do you have to do to prepare for Passover?  Clean your kitchen like it has never been cleaned before!  Don't let this scare or intimidate you--the first year is the hardest, but, you'll love how clean your kitchen gets and your house will be wonderfully transformed for the hoiday.

First, pack up everything.  The dishes, the utensils, the silverware, the baking stuff...everything.  Then, wipe out all your cabinets and drawers.  I then like to line the drawers with paper towels, just to make certain I haven't left any microscopic chametz crumbs around (right, as if the paper towel prevents "chametz germs" from creeping in.)  Oh, by the way, before I forget, I should tell you:

                  chametz:  foods that are not kosher for Passover (the stuff

                                 we  eat the rest of the year)

                  passedik:  foods or kitchen items that are kosher for Passover

Now, to be honest, I don't need all of my drawers and cabinets to house my passedikeh stuff.  And, because I am not Orthodox, I do not clear out every cabinet (just the ones I need).  The ones I do not clean out, I label (with a sticky note)  CHAMETZ--KEEP OUT!!!!   I like to give the kids the job of placing theses keep away stickers on the cabinets--it's a fun way to help them prepare and teach them which drawers to stay out of!

I then very carefully wipe down the counters with hot, hot water.  I also cover my countertops with papertowels.  Some people use aluminum foil, some plastic wrap, some use oilcloth (I have never seen oilcloth, don't really know where to buy it--hardware store?--but there are options other than papertowels.)

Now you are ready for the appliances (tired yet?)  Clean your oven and stove top, sink and dishwasher.  Thoroughly.  Then don't use for 24 hours. 

Remove all food from your refridgerator.  Clean thoroughly.  I also line the shelves with papertowels (I really stock up on papertowels before Passover).  Again, you can use foil or plasticwrap. 

For the pantry, (again because I am not Orthodox), I clear out the shelves I need (you should also arrange to "sell your chametz" through your synagogue--this allows you to keep some stuff in your home, but makes it technically not yours--this way you don't have to throw out a full bag of flour.  I do try to use up chametz in the weeks leading up to Passover so I don't have to waste anything.)  Again, I line the shelves I am using for Passover with papertowels and put sticky notes on shelves with chametz.

Don't forget to sweep and wash your floors (ugh!)

Next, I set out my passedik dishes, utensils, bowls, pots, etc.  I have two sets of passedikeh dishes--one for meat (fleishchig) and one for dairy (milchig).  These are not fancy by any means (go to Bed, Bath and Beyond with one of those 20% off coupons and stock up on glass plates and plasticware). 

When you buy food to bring into your home during Passover, be certain to check for the "kosher for Passover" mark.

And, after Passover is over, you don't have to clean again, just pack up the passedikeh stuff and unpack the chametzdik stuff and you're good to go.

(check out the main Passover page for how to do a chametz hunt (bidekat chametz) with your children!)