I work full time and haven't cleaned for pesach yet!!

TwinsMommy

Tue, Apr 02 2024, 8:17 pm

my hubby and kids don't help at all but a couple weeks before (now-ish) I start giving myself 15 to 30 minutes a day to particular projects. Today I did over an hour but that's because I didn't work today. I'm lucky because I'm at the point with my kids (they're older teens now) that they actually listen when I tell them which rooms are NO MORE CHOMETZ. I do my office, the basement (like today I found empty pizza boxes with the box recycling pile, and the attic (my son is the only one who goes up there -- that's where his hotwheel collection is----- and many years I did find food wrappers but not this year--- just sweep and mop and dust) first. The family doesn't bring chometz into those rooms--- *I* bring chometz into my office so I'm happy to give myself the longest time of no chometz in that room.

I keep a running list every year and cross out or highlight each little project as it's done-- makes me feel good. Like my office desk is done, my office floor is done, my office cabinets are done, and half the little projects in the basement and attic are now done. Next week I'll do the top floor--- all bedrooms--- and yes, though it's not chometz related--- give the bathroom a good clean. Smile

ysydmom

Tue, Apr 02 2024, 8:39 pm

I have the same issue;

Day after purim I buy a big box of lady fingers, kp snacks and get rid of all chometz nosh so I don't have to worry about chometz crumbs in house, I start with bedrooms and do one bedroom every 2/3 days, then I go through the cabinets and get rid of more chometz so by Sunday we will have boxes of chometz products. I then clean the living room, a few days later dining room, the freezer I do right after purim as I buy the meats on sale and need space to put them. The fridge I do a week and a half before, I usually put all chometz that is in fridge in one section or in plastic bags so I know it's chometz.

If you do a little bit at a time it's less overwhelming. and as the saying goes we all sit down to the seder at the same time!

OP buy yourself a small treat after each room - I usually eat ice cream to give myself energy to clean Smile

notna

Tue, Apr 02 2024, 10:07 pm

For all of you saying just don't let food out of the kitchen during the year and now I just need to do the fridge and oven, you are leaving out:
Kashering
Lining/covering fridge, countertops, stovetops, shelves and/or drawers
Taking out Pesach pots and utensils and setting up kitchen
SHOPPING meat and chicken, groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy, paper goods
Cooking

This all takes a lot of time and no matter how clean your home is all year round, it still needs to be done.

amother

Cobalt

Tue, Apr 02 2024, 10:24 pm

I work more than 40 hours a week away from home, and just started cleaning on Sunday - here's what I do:

No food allowed upstairs EVER.

Planning to close up all kitchen cabinets, probably the pantry too. No cleaning the cabinets and pantry. Set up folding table in kitchen with Pesach boxes under it, frequently used items on top. simple as possible.

Just finished on Sunday: 2 closets (on the floor where food wanders), clothing shopping (but not shoes for the youngest ones).

This coming Friday: the upstairs: vacuum, sweep, mop. Saturday night: quick look through all drawers and closets for food (but shouldn't be any). then that floor is cleaned for Pesach.

Sunday: empty and clean out 1 fridge (we have 2 BHBHBH) and the full standing freezer. quick wipe down of 2nd fridge to make the deep clean easier next week. Shoe shopping for kids. Food shopping.

Friday: extra simple Shabbos menu, disposables only. cook early, and scrub kitchen down.

Shabbos: no hot stuff in sink, period.

Saturday night: clean 2nd fridge/freezer. scrub kitchen counters and sinks. put all dishes in dishwasher on cold cycle, put tablecloths in machine. 1st self-cleaning cycle. It's no chometz in the house at all from this point forward.

Sunday (1 week left!): clean both kitchen and dining room table and chairs, wash and sweep and vacuum main floor thoroughly, special attention to couch. additional time to prep kitchen for kashering. 2nd self clean cycle. laundry. encourage the kids to declutter more and to try on clothing to find anything that needs mending.

Sunday night after kids are in bed: Kasher kitchen

Monday night after work (prob takeout dinner): break out Pesach items

Tuesday night after work: linens in laundry, move kids beds as needed to make room for guests beds

Wednesday night after work: make all guest beds with clean laundry, care packages in each guest room (pretty bag, water bottles, tissues, welcome card, and toiletries). Start throwing food in 9x13 pans with spices etc and freezing.

Thursday night: Guests arrive, get them settled. Cook for Shabbos. haircuts for guys.

Friday: more laundry, showers staggered all day long so everyone cycles through and there is hot water for all...

amother

Clear

Tue, Apr 02 2024, 10:34 pm

I feel like I'm an anomaly.
Nobody else has a toddler who wanders around with food??
Older kids can understand No food out of the kitchen but not a toddler. Especially one who refuses to sit in a high chair and can climb out even when strapped in. I can't sit over him when he's eating, theres so much going on here. So yes there can be chametz in every possible location in my house. And I have to clean/check everywhere.

amother

Cobalt

Tue, Apr 02 2024, 10:49 pm

amother Clear wrote:

start giving your little one pesach food now. get childproof gates for stairs/doorways so you can limit access, and do one floor and one room at a time... and recruit everyone around! not possible to do it by yourself, but if you are methodical it's doable.

amother

Amaryllis

Wed, Apr 03 2024, 12:38 am

amother Oldlace wrote:

Op,

Tonight: take a big box and remove all chametz from your cabinets. Carry with you a spray cleaner and roll towel paper to wipe down.

Tomorrow night: vacuum and self clean your ovens and drawers underneath it.

Friday: vacuum under all beds and sofas

Viola! Your house is 98% done before Shabbes!

A week before: empty fridge, wipe down and line. Vacuum kitchen well and wash floors and counters. Close toy closet for pessach. 100% done!

How long does leil bedikas chametz last in your house?
When do you look through drawers and shelves in those bedrooms?
If you are bodek as you clean, then you don't need to do a bedikah in those areas the night before pesach.

Why would you self clean the oven this week? Fear of it breaking chas veshalom?
What will you do about cooking and baking for the next two weeks?

ora_43

Wed, Apr 03 2024, 2:49 am

amother Clear wrote:

Yuuup.

Not to mention the toddlers who pile chairs on chairs in order to sneak food from top drawers whenever your back is turned.

One year one of my kids had a thing for raw oatmeal. Every time my back was turned for more than 30 seconds she would find a way into the oatmeal, grab fistfuls of it, and run off to eat it in a closet somewhere. I finally got a room clean only to find oats all over everyone's clothes two hours later LOL

Anyway. We do what we can. (This is part of why I prefer a couple very long, very caffeinated days to doing a little work each day - although I do also try to do a little work each day).

amother

Pear

Wed, Apr 03 2024, 11:33 am

amother Cobalt wrote:

You sound so organized and well planned!

amother

Crocus

Wed, Apr 03 2024, 12:03 pm

Last year, I was pp, had a family wedding, and made a bar mitzva between Purim and Pesach. This year, I feel like it will be a piece of cake!
Bedrooms - I try to do one drawer, cabinet, etc every night, with kids. Right before bedikas chametz, we will do a thorough vacuuming.
Cars - took care of this on Sunday, when it was nice out. Now the car is ready for my husband to load up with groceries at Moadim L'simcha. They will stay there until the house is ready.
This coming Sunday, I plan to go through toys, and put away the ones not worth cleaning. My cleaning lady comes on Tuesday and will do the fridge and pantry.
The following Tuesday, she will do the stove, oven, and counters. I'll self clean the oven, and my husband will kasher the sinks on Wednesday.
My boys will cover and line everything. If you don't have big kids, you'll probably need to take off a day of work.
Most cabinets, closets will be locked up.
All other groceries and most of clothing will be ordered.
And voila!