Hatrack River Forum: How to Avoid Pesach Cleaning

This is topic How to Avoid Pesach Cleaning in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Join Hatrack (March 2003)
Shop for Pesach supplies -- this way you are industrious without actually cleaning
Pay bills online
Renew driver's license and car registration online (what? they don't expire for another 7 and 6 days, respectively)
Listen to online audio lecture about how to clean for Pesach, heckling every time the speaker mentions doing something you consider unnecessary, or omitting something you consider essential
Purchase new toilet seat
Install new toilet seat
Catch up on all fora
Hyperventilate

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

-Post about it on Hatrack [Razz]

-Meet friends for dinner
-Watch Stargate tapes brought to you by friends

Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :

Enigmatic has often said that the best way to get lots of things done is to have another important thing that you are avoiding doing. You can be very productive that way.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

*nods vigorously*

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Oh, and I forgot a couple:

Install new (beta version), improved Google Toolbar
Play around with new, improved Google Toolbar

Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :

Complain abot cleaning.
It's more fun than actually cleaning.
Example-
"Why do I always have to do the laundry? I hate doing the laundry!"

Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :

I'm with dkw. [Big Grin]

Hmm.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Get one small item done, feel accomplished, take a break.
Work on consuming excess chametz.

Posted by Valentine014 (Member # 5981) on :

Might I get that audio lecture?

Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :

-Offer kids some of the more sugary chametz in exchange for cleaning.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

(Kids are not here, but we did that last weekend, and will again next.)

Val, it's pretty Hebrew/Yiddish heavy, and a lot depends on knowing context. And look! It's available as text as well. Audio link at the top.

Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :

I have one suggestion, but you're probably not gonna like it.

Don't be Jewish

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

-- Decide to work on Sundays, not just weekdays.
-- Agree to work evenings, too.
-- Begin new crochet projects with all that yarn that you came across while tidying up.
-- Open the pantry and the fridge. Declare that there is nothing to eat. Close pantry and fridge. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
-- Pick a fight with your family about how they aren't helping enough with the Pesach cleaning.
-- Sulk about the fight.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

quote:
Originally posted by El JT de Spang:
I have one suggestion, but you're probably not gonna like it.
Don't be Jewish

There are a whole bunch of jokes like that. [Wink]

Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :

quote:
Originally posted by El JT de Spang:
I have one suggestion, but you're probably not gonna like it.
Don't be Jewish

Would that it were an option.

Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :

So you have to clean EVERYTHING or something?
I've had about 3 apartment inspections in one month and have had it up to here with them.
I'm not that bad, I just don't like cleaning and I don't have any storage stuff, but I'd love to spruce up my apartment and make it look Japanese.

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

I certainly don't miss that particular yearly exercise one bit....

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Synesthesia:
So you have to clean EVERYTHING or something?

Pretty much. And not just clean, but rid the entire premises of anything forbidden for Passover. Which includes more than you can imagine.

Then, after we are done with the cleansing, we search the entire premises. With a candle, a feather and a wooden spoon.

I learned not to search under the bed with the candle, though. It turns out that the mattress is flammable. Or is that inflammable? Well, in any event, if you hold a lit candle under it, it will catch fire.

Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :

That's one way to guarantee there are no crumbs left in the bed.

Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :

My brother lit his mattress on fire when he was three years old. My parents discovered this when he marched in at midnight and declared "My bed is hot."

Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :

* Gather the Inspiration to Clean from those avoiding cleaning, then dive in.

I actually read this thread and felt inspired to go clean my house. Halfway through.... [Big Grin]

Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :

I am one of the OCD freaks who loves Pesach cleaning. Easy Off Bam Universal Degreaser is the best cleanser ever! Even better than Greased Lightening, which I never thought I'd see. And I love my Chlorox bleach pen.

Having a mircropreemie who is subsequently hospitalized with pneumonia does not help your OCD. Andrew dubbed me "OCD Mom" when he saw me trying to shut our gate with my foot so that I wouldn't have to touch it while I was holding the baby. I was strangely flattered.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

quote:
Originally posted by jeniwren:
* Gather the Inspiration to Clean from those avoiding cleaning, then dive in.

I actually read this thread and felt inspired to go clean my house. Halfway through....

I think I hate you. [Razz]

And Mrs.M, you frighten me a bit! [Eek!]

Posted by JennaDean (Member # 8816) on :

Do I need to go to the Ask the Rebbitzen thread to find out what you do with the feather and the wooden spoon?

If you find any leavening, do you tickle it? Spank it? Burn it?

I hate cleaning. My house really needs a spring cleaning. Perhaps if I converted I could be inspired to do it.... Well, at least I'd have a deadline.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

*laughs so hard she chokes*

The feather is the "broom" and the spoon is to sweep into. (Then you dump that bit in the paper bag, and go look for the next one.)

And you always find (at least) 10 pieces.

Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :

Can't you just wrap everything in foil?

Is there any way to be sure the mattress is okay?

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

Just throw out the toaster. Too difficult to clean and they are cheap.

Posted by dantesparadigm (Member # 8756) on :

Would it be wrong to convert to Judaism for the sole purpose of forcing myself to tidy up a bit?

and also, how does one make those fancy bullets?

Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :

So not worth it. And what fancy bullets?

Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :

Use the Instant UBB code buttons under the "reply" window. Hit "list start" and then "list item" for each line you want a fancy bullet in front of. Then "list end" when you're done.

Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :

I would be such a bad Jew. Cleaning everything would just be unthinkable. My Christmas tree is still up. Has been for about 4 years now.

Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :

Kate you have my mom and i beat, ours has only been up two (and it's a four foot tree so it's not too bad).

Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :

Mine is big - at least 6 1/2 feet. But I don't use the living room much...

Posted by dantesparadigm (Member # 8756) on :

quote:
Originally posted by kmbboots:
My Christmas tree is still up. Has been for about 4 years now.

That's immpressively lazy. I'm assuming it's a fake tree; 'cause otherwise you might have some termite problems.

Thanks dkw

Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :

quote:
I think I hate you.

That's okay. My husband loves YOU for imparting the Inspiration. I don't think I'd done laundry in about a month. What little that got done was because he was desperate for underwear and socks. So yesterday, I not only did all our laundry, I also washed the bathroom rugs and would have started scrubbing the tile but ran out of time. Changed the sheets and think I'm going to change them again because the flannel I changed them to yesterday was friggin' way too hot last night. Thought I could get one more use out of them before packing them away for the season but was wrooooooong.

I also called the yard guy to come mow the lawn (usually my husband's job), changed the furnace filter, and set up an appointment to have family pictures taken (something I've been putting off and meaning to do for 2 years). Today I took in the copying job I'd been putting off for the past two weeks. It may not be Pesach Cleaning (no tickling, spanking or burning) but I'm very proud of myself. [Big Grin]

Next task is my daughter's room... the toys have taken over and must be systematically pruned out before her birthday in a couple of weeks (she's 4!!! Remember when she was born?).

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

quote:
Can't you just wrap everything in foil?

Everything??? *pictures sofas, beds, chairs, etc. covered in foil.

quote:
Is there any way to be sure the mattress is okay?

Why would it not be? Have you been stuffing yours with old bread or something?

quote:
Just throw out the toaster. Too difficult to clean and they are cheap.

My toaster is NOT cheap (it's a fairly fancy toaster oven), but it will only get a minimal cleaning and get put away for Pesach.

quote:
I would be such a bad Jew. Cleaning everything would just be unthinkable. My Christmas tree is still up. Has been for about 4 years now.

So what's the problem? Wood is not chametz.

jeniwren, ok, I guess I don't hate you. The laundry gets done every week here. (Not by me, but so what? [Wink]

) And inspiration is good. I'm just waiting for mine to strike. [Angst]

Posted by David G (Member # 8872) on :

I don't understand the urge to procrastinate on the Pesach cleaning. I have been dutifully consuming all of the beer and single malt in my home and enjoying every minute.

Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :

Tequila is ok during Passover, right?

Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would be such a bad Jew. Cleaning everything would just be unthinkable. My Christmas tree is still up. Has been for about 4 years now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So what's the problem? Wood is not chametz.

Sadly, the (happily, artificial) tree is only one example of how often I address housework in general.

Posted by JennaDean (Member # 8816) on :

I'm beginning to feel right at home. [Big Grin]

Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :

I can't be the only neat (and clean) freak here. Come on, fellow neatniks, let's have some solidarity.

I have to admit that I'm on the fence about polishing the light fixture in our dining room. I dust it every day, of course, and I wipe it down with cleanser, but it probably needs to be polished. It's brass and I've actually never polished anything brass before. I'm also not looking forward to washing and ironing the drapes. I might send them out this year. However, I think I'm also going to rent an upholstery cleaner to clean our furniture - the quotes I got are outrageous.

I'm almost finished with the ironing. It's very funny to go from Aerin's tiny clothes to Andrew's giant work shirts (he's 6'5'' and XXL). I really dislike ironing sheets, even though they're the easiest. I can't get any laundry service to iron them, so I have no choice but to do that myself. Now that we have a king bed, it takes even longer.

BTW, where I grew up, it's very bad luck to have your Christmas tree up after January 1st.

rivka, there's no need to be scared of OCD Mom. She only applies these standards to her own house.

Posted by JennaDean (Member # 8816) on :

Hee hee hee. I about choked when I saw, "I'm on the fence about polishing the light fixture in our dining room. I dust it every day, of course, and I wipe it down with cleanser..."

It's the "of course" that got me. And picturing you ironing baby clothes - and sheets?

In my house I don't even worry about still having the tree up until after January 6th - Christmas isn't really over until Epiphany. At least that's my excuse!

(Actually as long as mine is down before February 1st, I'm usually happy.)

Don't get me wrong - I would probably love to live in your house - but I don't think I could live with keeping that kind of house. I'm hoping there's some happy medium.

Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :

Mrs.M, I am torn between deciding that you can never, ever see where I live and begging you to come visit.

Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :

You iron sheets?!? [Eek!]

Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :

Someday, I think that Mrs. M needs to have a Bootcamp for how to run a household. I would sign up. [Smile]

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

I'm actually more horrified by ironing baby clothes (other than really fancy dresses once in a while) than sheets; sheets do occasionally get really wrinkly to the point of disrupting sleep. Although I'm more prone to spritz 'em with water, and put them back in the dryer to get the wrinkles out...

Posted by Jonathan Howard (Member # 6934) on :

- Get half the walls in the house torn down, replastered and repainted.

- Rave about the new look and get the other half painted.

- Become atheistic and stop caring for the clean house.

- Hire someone to clean it for you.

(We did 1, thought about 2, are not ripe enough for 3, and compromised on 4.)

Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :

Come on, I'm not that bad. It's not like I startch the baby clothes or sheets. Well, I do startch the borders of the sheets, but that's just so that they'll lie flat. And I have to dust every day because of Aerin. Okay, so I did it before she was born, but still...

Posted by JennaDean (Member # 8816) on :

I simply don't look up at the light fixture in my dining room unless a visitor has come and I suddenly notice that it's cobwebby.

When I have birthday parties I'm tempted to call a neighbor to come over beforehand, just so I can see what still needs to be cleaned through their eyes; because until someone else is there I often don't see it.

Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :

When I actually mop the floor and dust light fixtures, the kids ask who's coming over.

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

When I do, my husband asks if I'm in labor.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

quote:
Originally posted by kmbboots:
Mrs.M, I am torn between deciding that you can never, ever see where I live and begging you to come visit.

Ditto!

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

The special crew of tiny little cleaners came today! Every year, before Pesach, I hire this cleaning service that scrubs down the whole house from top to bottom. A van pulls up to the house and 3 or 4 tiny little women run out armed with vacuums, mops, buckets, cleansers, rags, paper towels, and any other implement of cleaning that they need. They hit the ground running and scatter through the house scrubbing as they go. One will run into the kitchen and attack the stove and oven, another will start bleaching the bathroom, another destroys all furniture dust. They work like tiny little demons for a few hours. Good golly! I just realized that they scrubbed out the crusted on wax from the menorah!

The house is all shiny and new looking. Alas, the house guests will be coming soon. Six guests staying for 2 weeks. My son will be giving up his room and sleeping on an army cot for the duration.

My house doesn't smell like my house (like delicious cooking smells). It smells clean.

Posted by Amilia (Member # 8912) on :

Out of curiosity, would visiting be a legitimate way to get out of Pesach Cleaning? Stay with someone else who did clean?

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Yup. That's my SIL's preferred method.