Chapter 2. Laws of Cleaning the Home for Pesach

alef Any place where chametz can reach, even incidentally, requires checking1 

bet Strictly speaking, places and items that were cleaned for Pesach are exempt from the obligation of checking 2 , yet since the obligation of checking takes effect thirty days before the festival, checking without a candle is a nullification of the enactment of bedikat chametz. And since during bedikat chametz one cannot thoroughly check all cabinets and shelves, it is therefore proper each evening to check, by candlelight or flashlight, every cabinet, drawer, etc. that was cleaned that day, and thereby fulfill the enactment 3

gimel Chametz crumbs that are smaller than a kezayit, if they are somewhat soiled, do not require removal4; therefore it is sufficient to spray them with cleaning agent [even if they are still fit to eat].

dalet Chametz crumbs in holes and cracks that are hard to reach, as well as pieces accessible only by unscrewing and the like, do not require removal, for their law is like chametz upon which a collapse has fallen.

hei Crumbs on the floor [“trampled crumbs”] do not require checking and removal5 , and therefore there is no need to search for chametz on the floor. However, chametz in the corners of the house is not trampled, and one should spray it with cleaning agent to soil it; see below regarding cleaning the floor.

Cleaning the Kitchen

alef The kitchen is the regular and common place of chametz in every home, and therefore special attention must be devoted to its cleaning and kashering. The kitchen also differs from the other rooms: in the other rooms we are occupied with cleaning them, whereas in the kitchen we are also occupied with kashering sinks, work surfaces, and various utensils that we wish to use on Pesach6 .

bet Gas stove (glass, metal, and porcelain surfaces): some are meticulous to designate a special gas stove for Pesach, and at the very least one should use special grates for Pesach. The stove used with chametz should be wrapped and sold [the chametz stuck to it] to a non-Jew7 .

gimel One who has no stove for Pesach must kasher the grate by thorough cleaning with cleaning agents [there is no need for a cleaner that renders it unfit even for a dog; it is enough that the cleaner somewhat soils the crumbs, even if they remain fit for human consumption]8  , and afterward perform libun with fire by passing a burner over all parts of the grate, pausing at each place for several minutes in order to reach the level of “libun chamur” (the iron reddens), or place the grate over the gas flame, and when the area over the fire reaches “libun chamur,” move the grate (with tongs, etc.) until the entire grate has passed through the fire9 . After the libun it is proper to be stringent and wrap the grate in thick foil; one who wraps the grate and surface well with thick foil may be lenient and need not perform libun.

dalet  Burners should be cleaned with cleaning agents and the fire lit for several minutes.10  

hei The gas stove surface should be cleaned well and covered with thick foil; preferably, before that, one should perform hagalah by pouring from a kli rishon11 .

hei The oven cover should be cleaned and covered with thick foil.

zayin The knobs that turn on the gas should be cleaned well [there are mild degreasers that do not damage the knob and clean it properly]. Some are meticulous to cover them with foil.

chet Some are meticulous to use special burners for Pesach12 . If one does not have them, he should clean the stovetop well with cleaning agent and turn it on to the highest heat for an hour. If possible, it should be wrapped in thick foil13 .

tet Ceramic stovetops cannot be kashered for Pesach. Lechatchilah it is preferable to use a special stovetop for Pesach14 . However, if one covers the stovetop well with thick foil that does not tear [such as 100-micron thickness], that is sufficient.

yod Induction stovetops cannot be kashered for Pesach. Some are meticulous to use a special stovetop for Pesach. One may use a silicone mat placed on the stovetop, provided one is careful that the mat covers the entire stovetop well and is firmly sealed around the surface so that no liquids enter underneath it at all15 .

yod-alef An upper cabinet above the stovetop in a place where steam rises from cooked foods should be cleaned, and the underside of the cabinet (the outer side, facing the oven) should be covered with foil16 .

yod-bet A range hood should be covered with foil17 .

yod-gimel For an electric hot plate, lechatchilah one should designate a special hot plate for Pesach. One who does not have one should clean it well with cleaning agent, turn it on for an hour (some are meticulous to pour boiling water over it from a kli rishon), and afterward cover it with thick foil.

yod-dalet

Some are lenient that an oven can be kashered for Pesach by waiting 24 hours from the last baking and heating it at the highest temperature for an hour. It is better [if possible] to heat foods while they are covered.

However, many are stringent that a baking oven cannot be kashered, for several reasons:

• To kasher it, it must undergo libun chamur of close to 500 degrees, and a regular oven
  reaches at most 250–300 degrees18 .
• The oven has a glass door, and according to the Rema it cannot be kashered19 .
• The oven gaskets have the status of plastic, regarding which we are stringent that hagalah and
  light libun do not help20 .
• The walls of the baking compartments are made of enamel, which we are stringent not to kasher for Pesach21 .
  For all these reasons, the oven should not be kashered; rather, it should be closed, and
  (the chametz stuck to it) sold in the sale of chametz. One who wishes to be meticulous may, before the sale,
  lightly check the oven for actual chametz that might be there, or turn on the
  oven for some time so that anything that might have been there will have burned and become nullified.

yod-hei The oven should be moved from its place and the area beneath it checked, since chametz is commonly found there22 .

yod-vav There are ovens with a self-cleaning mechanism that heat to 500 degrees Celsius, which is considered libun chamur. However, not all companies are the same in this regard; in some, although the center of the oven reaches this heat level, the walls do not become that hot. Therefore, one who has such an oven should not be lenient to use it on Pesach until he consults a halachic authority knowledgeable in these details.

yod-zayin Lechatchilah one should not use the year-round electric kettle for Pesach, for the following reasons:
Sometimes bread, pitas, and the like are placed on the kettle lid to warm, and the kettle lid may require libun23 , which cannot be done because the lid may be damaged; and something that hagalah may ruin cannot be kashered by hagalah24 . A plastic kettle: since water is poured from the kettle onto noodles, groats, and the like, and it absorbs chametz taste through steam, it requires hagalah, but it cannot be kashered, for according to many opinions hagalah does not help for plastic25 . In most cases there is limescale in the kettle, and some hold that hagalah does not help in such a case. Sometimes chametz crumbs enter the kettle and are difficult to identify and clean.

yod-chet An electric urn has the same law as an electric kettle, since some of the reasons listed above apply to it.

yod-tet Some are lenient that a microwave can be kashered for Pesach as follows:
After 24 hours of non-use, place inside a cup of hot water and run it for fifteen minutes. Even according to those who are lenient, it is proper on Pesach to heat in it only covered foods.  However, many are stringent that a microwave cannot be kashered for Pesach, both because it does not heat to the level of libun chamur, and because it contains glass and plastic parts that according to many opinions cannot be kashered.

kaf A toaster cannot be kashered for Pesach, both because it does not heat to the level of libun chamur26 , and because chametz crumbs are found in all its holes and cracks. A sandwich press: its walls are coated with Teflon and cannot be kashered27 .

kaf-alef  The refrigerator and freezer should be disassembled as much as possible, their parts cleaned well, and then checked for chametz.

kaf-bet The refrigerator gaskets (especially the lower door gaskets) are prone to chametz crumbs; they should be thoroughly cleaned of all chametz, and see the note28 .

kaf-gimel Surfaces screwed inside the refrigerator may be treated leniently and need not be checked, for even if chametz entered there, it is chametz upon which a collapse has fallen. It is preferable to put a little cleaning agent there [if this will not damage the refrigerator, freezer, and the like]29 .

kaf-dalet It is preferable to place papers on the shelves before putting Pesach products on them30 .

kaf-hei A sink made of earthenware / ceramic / porcelain, which cannot be kashered by hagalah because hagalah is ineffective for earthenware vessels: if one does not use it, cleaning it is sufficient. But if one uses it, it should be cleaned well with cleaning agent and a special Pesach sink insert should be placed in it31 .

kaf-vav A stainless-steel sink should be cleaned well with cleaning agent32  and a special Pesach sink insert placed in it. If one wants to use the sink itself, he must clean it well and wait 24 hours without using hot water. The method of kashering: according to the Shulchan Aruch, pouring from a kli rishon is sufficient. But according to the Rema33  , who is concerned for minority usage34  , this is insufficient, since sometimes hot solid chametz food such as pasta and the like is poured into the sink, and that requires actual hagalah in a kli rishon, not pouring alone35 . This kashering is done by pouring from a kli rishon and passing a stone heated in fire over the sink. An electric iron may be used as a heated stone.

kaf-zayin

A kitchen faucet to which steam sometimes rises from pots containing chametz36 , or from which boiling water flowed into pots containing chametz, should be kashered according to the following steps:

• Wait 24 hours without using hot water37 .
• Turn on the boiler so that during kashering the running water will be as hot as possible.
• Open the hot-water faucet and wait until the hottest water flows.
• Pour boiling water from a kettle or pot over the outside of the faucet38 .

kaf-chet Lechatchilah one should wait 24 hours without hot use, perform hagalah on the countertop39  by pouring from a kli rishon [it may be from a chametz or Pesach kettle, preferably from a chametz kettle40 ], and also cover it with PVC (p.v.c .) or thick foil. If he does not cover it, lechatchilah he should kasher it by pouring from a kli rishon over a heated stone, as we explained.

kaf-tet The ceramic tiles on the wall in places where steam from pots reaches should preferably be covered with foil and the like41 .

lamed For a dish-drying rack, thorough cleaning, rinsing, and checking are sufficient [many customarily replace it with a special Pesach rack, since eating utensils come into contact with it]42 .

lamed-alef  Shelves that one sells to a non-Jew, if there is no actual chametz there, need not be checked43 .

lamed-bet Shelves that one wants to use on Pesach should be cleaned well with a cloth and cleaning agent [a cleaner that somewhat soils the crumbs is sufficient, even if they remain fit for human consumption; see at length in the Pesach studies]. One should pay attention to the shelf corners and check them. It is good to cover them with paper.

lamed-gimel The table should be cleaned well [one should be careful to clean the tabletop also on its underside], and used with a tablecloth spread over it. Lechatchilah it is proper to cover the tabletop with foil, a sheet of paper, a nylon tablecloth, or PVC, and spread the tablecloth over that.

lamed-dalet Chairs should be cleaned well, especially a high chair, where food remnants are commonly found in cracks and crevices.

lamed-hei In the kitchen there are many eating and storage utensils, and electrical appliances for food preparation such as a mixer, blender, food processor, and grinder. Since their cleaning and kashering are complex,  the Jewish people have customarily designated special sets of utensils and appliances for Pesach [the chametz utensils should be sold (the chametz stuck to them) to a non-Jew].

lamed-vav The oven and refrigerator should be moved and cleaned underneath, since chametz is commonly found there ]see below under “Floor”[. However, one may sell in the chametz sale the area under and behind the refrigerator/oven, thereby exempting that place from checking; and if it is very difficult to move the oven/refrigerator, the place may be treated as chametz upon which a collapse has fallen, which one is not obligated to remove44 .

lamed-zayin A baby bottle used for formula and porridge is best not relied upon through cleaning and kashering; rather, one should use a clean bottle designated for Pesach45 .

lamed-chet One should check under the mattress and under the beds.

lamed-tet In dressers and wardrobes one should check shelves that may be accessed while dealing with chametz, such as towel shelves. Another example: clothing shelves of a person who may go during a meal to change a garment that became dirty. (In homes where children have access to the closet, every place they can reach must be checked.) In places that require checking, it is enough to see that there is no actual chametz there and to go over them with a cloth and cleaning agent that will spoil any crumb that may be there; once spoiled, it no longer requires removal46 .

mem Cabinets where there is no access to the floor underneath (unless one moves the cabinet from its place) need not be checked underneath. Some cabinets allow the floor under the cabinet to be cleaned by removing the bottom drawer.

mem-alef One should check clothing pockets, especially children’s clothing. A good suggestion is to wash the clothing before Pesach with the pockets turned outward, and then they need not be checked again. (When the pockets are inside, laundering is not sufficient, for sometimes chametz wrapped in packaging or a bag is found in a pocket.)

mem-bet Bags should be checked, since chametz very commonly remains in them; if possible, it is good to wash them. If one sells them to a non-Jew, it is good to check them for actual chametz, but they need not be washed.

mem-gimel One should check under the mattress and under the beds.

mem-dalet Closets and drawers in children’s rooms must be checked in every place a child’s hand reaches. Other shelves, if one is not accustomed to accessing them to take things during a meal, need not be checked.

mem-hei If the toys are sold to a non-Jew, they need not be checked.

mem-vav Board games that will not be used during Pesach are best sold. If one wants to use them on Pesach, the game pieces and the  box should be checked. (It is proper not to play with them during Pesach in a place where food is placed, such as  the table or kitchen countertops.)

mem-zayin Plastic toys that one wants to use on Pesach should be washed in a machine (the pieces may be placed in a mesh bag, sheet, or pillowcase), and then even if there are chametz crumbs in them, they are soiled crumbs, which do not require checking and removal.

mem-chet Schoolbags and lunch bags should be checked, since chametz very commonly remains in them, and it is good to wash them. If one sells them to a non-Jew, it is good to check them for actual chametz, but they need not be washed.

mem-tet The table — should be cleaned well and used with a tablecloth spread over it. Lechatchilah it is proper to cover the tabletop [with foil, a sheet of paper, a nylon tablecloth, or PVC] and spread the tablecloth over that. Chairs — should be cleaned well, especially high chairs, where food remnants are commonly found in all cracks and crevices. Chair crevices where chametz crumbs may be present should, where possible, be spoiled with cleaning agent.

nun They should be cleaned well, especially in the gaps and deep crevices between the cushions. However, a place that cannot be reached is considered as if a collapse had fallen upon it and need not be removed.

nun-alef Bookcases and bookshelves that are accessed during eating require checking. In a home with small children, all places that children reach must be checked, since they commonly put chametz there.

nun-bet If one is not careful all year not to eat with them, the poskim disagree whether they require checking; even according to the lenient opinions, one must be careful not to eat with them on Pesach and not to place them on surfaces where food is placed, such as the table and countertops.

nun-gimel Birchonim and zemirot booklets are difficult to clean, and should be sold to a non-Jew.

nun-dalet The floor does not need checking, since the chametz crumbs on it are trampled and do not require removal. However, in the corners of the house where people do not tread, one should check; but when the floors are washed with cleaning agent, the crumbs in the corners are also spoiled and do not require checking and removal.

nun-hei There is no need to clean windows and blind slats, but chametz is commonly found in the window tracks; they should be cleaned of recognizable pieces of chametz, and cleaning agent should be poured there to spoil crumbs that may have remained.

nun-vav Chametz is generally not brought into attic storage, and it does not require checking unless one knows that he used it to store chametz.

nun-zayin Electronic products that people regularly eat while using, such as a phone and computer, should be cleaned of chametz that may be stuck to them. Attention should be paid to chametz crumbs in the phone case (chametz crumbs are often found in the crevices of a computer keyboard, and it is sufficient to shake it well upside down without disassembling it).

Common Area

nun-chet A building that has a spacious entrance (hall) should have it checked for chametz. The stairwell floor does not need checking, except for corners where people do not step, which should be checked; but if all the floors are washed with cleaning agent, the crumbs in the corners are also spoiled and do not require removal. If people eat on Erev Pesach in the stairwell and do not wash afterward, then the corners where people do not step should be checked.

nun-tet Utility cabinets {electricity, gas and water meters} require checking, since sometimes items are placed there briefly and forgotten, and the building’s children also store things there. However, since the crumbs commonly found there are usually soiled, it is enough to check that there are no large pieces there.

samekh Mailboxes accessible to children require checking.

samekh-alef Throwing chametz into the garbage container is not considered removal of chametz; therefore one should not throw chametz into the shared bin after the last garbage collection before the time for destroying chametz. Each person should inform his neighbors of the last collection time and warn them not to throw chametz into the bin after that time. One who fears that one of the neighbors will not be careful about this should declare his share in the bin and in the common area ownerless before three people.

samekh-bet An open yard where animals are present (pigeons and the like) does not need checking, but if it is known that chametz was eaten there from the night of bedikat chametz onward, it should be checked. This law is very common: residents send their children to eat in the yard after bedikat chametz or on the morning of destruction, and then the yard must be checked again.

samekh-gimel Holes in the yard, meaning places in the yard that birds do not reach, require checking.

samekh-dalet A shelter into which chametz is brought must be checked, or it should be rented to a non-Jew with the consent of all the neighbors )for one partner cannot rent out his share without the consent of all partners(. In a building where all residents observe Torah and mitzvot, the building committee may rent the shelter to a non-Jew. If the shelter cannot be rented out, one should declare his share ownerless before three people.