The Story
Every year during March & April, my social media feed is filled with fellow organizers talking about spring cleaning. And I ignore every post. Why? Because as an observant Jew, I deal annually with the phenomenon of Passover cleaning, a monumental undertaking that makes typical spring cleaning pale in comparison.
To give some context, Passover is a religious holiday most well known to the masses for its dinner or Seder and for special food called Matzah. But for those that observe the laws of Passover in totality, here is what Passover means:
Ridding your home of any crumbs, even those hiding in kids backpacks, your car, under couch cushions
Ridding your home of all regular food since they might have a tiny bit of “Chametz” or unleavened bread which isn’t allowed on Passover
Replacing your entire pantry of food with Kosher for Passover food including spices and oils
Scrubbing your kitchen, including stovetop, oven, and refrigerator so it looks brand new
Moving out your old dishes, utensils and pots/pans (and you have 2 sets for milk & meat) and moving in your Passover sets
Cooking for an average of 12-20 people for the Seders (observant Jews have 2 nights of Seder) with special recipes that have no bread, flour, rice and beans in them.
Cooking for the other days of Passover since your usual go-to foods are gone
Readying your home for guests
Switching everything back in a week when Passover is over
Throwing in other “spring cleaning” errands if you can like carpet/rug cleaning, lawn/garden spring cleanups, window cleaning, pillow cover cleaning, etc.
The Strategy: Mastering Passover Prep & Spring Cleaning
Over the years, I have learned some tricks that help me organize my Passover Spring Cleaning. You can apply these strategies for any event in your life that needs special attention including spring cleaning, a move, a wedding, a Graduation, etc.:
Start Early
My preparations for Passover start 4 weeks before the actual holiday. Those first 2 weeks allow me to do things that aren’t as necessary such as a general spring cleaning of my home, outdoor landscaping, inviting guests, seder themes and general passover purchases. I also choose the date on which I plan to switch my kitchen from regular to Passover (a huge project in itself). The last two weeks are much more intense, focusing on setting the menu, shopping, and necessary cleaning.
Spreadsheet the hell out of it,( yes, spreadsheet can be used as a verb)
I use spreadsheets for everything and Passover planning is no different. Every year, the first thing I do when it’s 4 weeks before Passover, is to pull up my spreadsheet and make a copy that I rename with the current year. Then I open up my spreadsheet and change the dates and make the tweaks for this years holiday.
I have 3 tabs for my Passover Planning:
Tab 1: Dates & Weekly Planning
Tab 2: Shopping
Tab 3: Menu & Cooking Schedule
Tab 1 is the master list with all the important dates and a timeline. The top of the page has the date that Passover begins and when it ends (Passover is 8 days). I also list the all important date when I change over my kitchen from "Chametz," aka my year-round kitchen to "Passover,"when I can only eat and prepare special Passover foods. This master list also tells me when I should be shopping (Tab 2) and when I should be refering to my Cooking Tab for details (Tab 3)
Put a gate around it
I block entire days off for cleaning, shopping, cooking, hosting (if I have family/friends staying in my home), and enjoying the holiday. It seems obvious to do this and yet it took me many years of running around crazily before I gave myself this grace. Is there a week in your life where you can give yourself this gift? - Perhaps a week when your kids are out of school or there is a big holiday or even a date where you need extra time to grieve a death. When you have something that happens annually that needs your attention, it's best to cut yourself some slack that entire week.
Use your Calendar for Recurring dates
We have birthdays and holidays in our calendar, why not put use this strategy for seasonal tasks like, "Clean the Gutters" or "Start Mowing Lawn?" I put as many annual or seasonal tasks as possible on my google calendar as a recurring annual task so I don't have to rely on my own memory.
In Conclusion
As I navigate the intricacies of Passover preparation each year, I can't help but wonder: What strategies could others adapt from this intensive process to streamline their own spring cleaning? Let me know if find any of these strategies helpful for your spring cleaning or Holiday prep? I would love to hear from you in the comments!