May 3, 2025

Linking Northern and Central NJ, Bronx, Manhattan, Westchester and CT

Shepsi, our bedikat chametz buddy.

The latest buzz from friends and clients is they have become more practical and less formal when preparing their homes for Pesach. They look at their Pesach to do lists and eliminate some of the tasks they have done routinely, but may just be a formality. Instead of taking the time to search pockets and handbags, they identify the outerwear, purses and backpacks that are not absolutely necessary during the week of Pesach and lock them in a closet. The contents of this closet is sold along with the chametz.

On a larger scale, people are opting out of the usual, long process of cleaning out their kitchen cabinets and drawers, emptying the contents and transporting them elsewhere while replacing it all with their Pesach counterparts. Often all this chametz food, dishes, cutlery, and pots and pans are schlepped to the bowels of their home.

Now, an increasing amount of people purchase temporary shelving that can be easily and quickly put together and taken apart. They set up these dedicated Pesach shelves in their dining rooms and/or kitchens and stock them with Pesach foods, pots and pans, tins, and attractive paper or plastic disposable tableware. The chametz dishes and cutlery are left in the cabinets and drawers; the chametz food is left in the pantry and the Pesach china is not moved or used. The insides of the cabinets and drawers don’t need to be dusted or vacuumed. No one will be able to miss the signs or the yellow caution tape stretched around the kitchen warning people to steer clear of the chametz within.

Helpful tip: kids love to create signs. Take advantage of this. Of course, as in the case of the above closet, the contents of food cabinets are sold with the chametz. The counters are still lined or kashered, and the floors are still scrubbed, but the work is far less labor-intensive.

One of my clients who uses this method — in fact, the first person to share this idea with me — said she leaves the shelves assembled in her dining room all year. It is a large room, so even with the extra furniture, there is plenty of room to walk freely. Even though she realizes the shelves are not nearly as attractive as the rest of her dining room furniture, she told me she has reached a stage in her life that she is less concerned with aesthetics than her sanity.

If temporary shelving for Pesach appeals to you, try searching Temu where they offer a selection of affordable, lightweight shelf systems.

Here’s an exciting idea to get the kids more engaged while performing b’dikat chametz: The person in your family who wraps and distributes the bread should include a small piece of chocolate along with each of the 10 portions of bread. Children will have twice the fun searching for the bread while munching the chocolate, and teens, who may be a little jaded after several years of the same-old-same-old, may also enjoy this new concept. Be sure to choose chocolate that does not crumble and will not create new crumbs. Also, if you have a dog who, like Shepsi, wants to share in the family activities, keep her/him on a leash during the b’dikat chametz so she cannot grab the chocolate. Chocolate is poison for dogs. The higher the cocoa content, the more dangerous.

Wishing all my readers and their dogs a chag kasher v’sameach.

If you would like a free 20-minute, complimentary phone consultation, email me at ideclutter407@gmail.com. We can set up a work session for after Pesach.


Ellen Smith of iDeclutter, LLC of Central Jersey, is a residential organizer and a member of NAPO, the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals. For over 16 years, Ellen has helped people restore order and create calm in their homes and souls. See Ellen’s work on Instagram @ideclutterbyEllen. Contact Ellen for a complimentary phone consultation at ideclutter407@gmail.com.

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