In Israel, the pithy saying “Dust is not chametz (leaven) and children are not the korban (sacrifice)” reminds homemakers to take pre-Passover cleaning in stride and have patience with their children when they unintentionally leave a trail of chametz.
According to biblical law, the prohibition of chametz applies to the fermented products of five kinds of grain: wheat, barley, oats, rye and spelt, which are not to be found in the house during the festival.
Rabbis worldwide publish detailed annual guides regarding Passover cleaning, all of which state that thorough cleaning should take place only in rooms where chametz is located, including bedrooms, the living room, dining room and balcony. Workstations and cars are also checked and cleaned or vacuumed and clothing to be worn on Passover should be shaken and brushed to remove specks and crumbs.
The general obligation to dispose of crumbs, however, does not apply if the crumbs are less than the size of an olive and are dirty enough to prevent a person from eating them.
The cleaning and kashering (ritual scouring) of the kitchen is a most intensive task, requiring flexibility and elbow-grease for the scrubbing of countertops, sinks, tables, chairs and kitchen appliances. It should be noted, however, that it is sufficient to wipe an oven with a rag soaked in detergent or clean it with a regular oven-cleaner, then turn the oven to its maximum temperature for at least one hour in order for it to be kosher for Passover.
A microwave simply needs washing down 24 hours after the microwave last contained chametz, and a bowl or cup of boiling water placed inside for about 10 minutes. The glass tray should be immersed in boiling water.
Where possible, it is best to have separate sets of dishes, cutlery and pots for Passover, yet it is possible to make some of these fit for Passover use by this same koshering process. A rabbi should be consulted for specifics.
The procedure of selling the chametz takes place a few days before Passover, and goes into effect before noon on the 14th of Nisan, the day before Passover. It is customary for households to give permission to their rabbi to “sell” the chametz on their behalf. The rabbi then sells the community’s chametz to a non-Jew for the duration of the holiday.
Finally, with the house free of crumbs, the essential bedikat chametz search, which takes place after dark on the 14th of Nisan, takes place. This search is to make sure that all parts of the house are indeed clean and that no remnants of chametz remain.
Candlelight is used to provide focused light for the search in the darkened house. Ten small pieces of bread are placed throughout the house and family members make a thorough search for chametz. The 10 pieces of bread are swept with a feather or wooden spoon onto a piece of newspaper and then into a small bag. The head of the household then recites a blessing and an annulment of all chametz that was found in the bedikat chametz.
Carefully wrapped, the package is placed on the side, separate from Passover dishes and food. The following morning these last vestiges of chametz are burned outdoors in a small fire with a final annulment of chametz that is in the homeowner’s possession, which he may not have seen or been aware of.
With chametz now out of sight and out of mind, the focus switches to preparations for the Passover seder in anticipation of having an enjoyable and meaningful seder with family and friends.