Click below to listen to a Shiur on guidelines for cleaning for Pesach with Rabbi Johnson
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Got a Pesach-related question?Pesach is a time for questions.
Kollel Menachem Lubavitch is pleased to offer an online service for responding to your Pesach-related questions. If you have a Halachic question about any aspect of Pesach, please submit it in the form on this page. Your question will be answered promptly. Questions may include; * Halachos of cleaning for Pesach * Halachos of koshering for Pesach * Halachos of the Seder You may read some of the questions and answers below. How should a stove be koshered for Pesach?
Everything should be thoroughly cleaned firs, including all surfaces, vents, burners and knobs. The stove grates require Libbun Gamur. This can be achieved by covering the stove with a blech (metal sheet) and lighting the burners on the highest temperature for 20 minutes. They can also be koshered in a self-cleaning oven clean cycle. Spill trays and the stove top itself require Hagolo. Pour boiling water over the surface from a kettle. Enamel or ceramic stove tops cannot be koshered through Hagolo. They should be cleaned with hot water and a strong cleaning product and then covered with heavy-duty foil for the duration of Pesach. The knobs and around them should be well cleaned. Many have the custom to cover the knobs or replace them for Pesach. Glass-top stoves cannot be koshered and should not be used for Pesach. What is the best way to clean a couch for Pesach?
Couches require cleaning for Pesach. They can be the seat of a lot of Chometz crumbs. The exposed parts of the couch should be thoroughly vacuumed and wiped down. If removable, the cushions should be removed and underneath them should be vacuumed. If not removable, the seams between the seats should be thoroughly vacuumed using the vacuum nozzle and wiped down. Down the sides and back of the couch should be vacuumed using the nozzle as far as one can reach. For anything beyond reach and inside the cavity of the couch, we may rely on the Bittul Chametz. One is not required to unstitch or dismantle the couch. If one wishes to be more mehudar, the seams and down the sides of the couch should be wiped down with a strong cleaning product to render any remaining crumbs completely inedible. Do I need to clean behind and under my fridge and freezer?
One is not required to move heavy furniture which is not usually moved, in order to clean behind or underneath them. To do so would also be a Tircha and one can therefore rely on Bittul for anything that they cannot reach. One should clean as far as they can reach (use a vacuum with a nozzle). The same applies for other heavy furniture which is not usually moved including; bookcases and sideboards. Light moveable furniture (beds, chairs, tables, couches) should be moved for cleaning. Do I need to clean my seforim for crumbs between the pages?
According to the Alter Rebbe, crumbs are insignificant and do not require removal. Therefore meikkar hadin (strict halocha) one does not need to clean out their seforim. Care must still be taken not to use the seforim near food (since a tiny crumb may fall into the food and even the tiniest crumb cannot be consumed). Nonetheless many have the hiddur to clean through seforim by shaking out the pages. Alternatively one could take out the seforim they wish to use over Pesach and cover over the rest of the shelves and include them in the sale of Chometz. Practical advice for those seforim which are regularly used at the table with food (bentchers, siddurim, chumash, chita”s), is to but copies to be kept for Pesach use. |