Keep, toss, save, sell: A Pesach cleaning primer

Prepared for print by Faigy Peritzman

This time of year, I find myself with so many items that I don’t know what to do with: keep them over Pesach, sell them, toss them, or put in sheimos genizah. Which category do the following items fall into?

Note: This list covers items that are not certified kosher l’Pesach.

“Put away” refers to items that are not chometz but still may not be eaten over Pesach. These items should be removed from the kitchen and eating areas and stored away so that they do not come in contact with kosher l’Pesach food. It’s recommended, but not required, that these items be stored together with the sold chometz items.

Advertising circulars — may be discarded

Baby formula (gluten-free) — may be used for babies (check lists)

Baby powder — may be used

Barley (pearled and raw) — put away

Beer — sell, if your custom is to sell chometz gamur; otherwise discard

Bentsher covers — sheimos genizah

Bran — sell, if your custom is to sell chometz gamur; otherwise discard

Cake mixes — sell, even if your custom is not to sell chometz gamur, and put away

Canola oil — put away

Chewing gum — put away

Chicken/meat/fish (prepared on chometz equipment) — put away

Corn flakes (with malt) — sell, if your custom is to sell chometz gamur; otherwise discard

Cornstarch — put away

Cosmetics (possibly containing chometz) — some use and some put away

Couscous — sell, if your custom is to sell chometz gamur; otherwise discard

Cream of wheat — sell, if your custom is to sell chometz gamur; otherwise discard

Detergents (laundry) — may be used

Farfel — sell, if your custom is to sell chometz gamur; otherwise discard

Finger paint (Elmers) — sell, even if your custom is not to sell chometz gamur, and put away

Flour, whole wheat flour (with malt) — sell, even if your custom is not to sell chometz gamur, and put away

Fondants — put away

Food coloring — put away

Gefilte fish (with matzah meal) — sell, if your custom is to sell chometz gamur; otherwise discard

Glue (Elmer’s) — may be used

Grains (vacuum packed, unprocessed) — put away

Ketchup — put away

Kippahs — may be discarded

Kitniyos — put away

Licorice — sell, if your custom is to sell chometz gamur; otherwise discard

Lulav — preferably burn with chometz; otherwise wrap and discard honorably

Macaroni crafts (spray-painted) — sell, even if your custom is not to sell chometz gamur, and put away

Matzah and matzah meal — sell, if your custom is to sell chometz gamur; otherwise discard

Mayonnaise — put away

Mustard — put away

Oatmeal (instant, baby cereal) — sell, if your custom is to sell chometz gamur; otherwise discard

Parshah sheets — wrap and discard honorably

Perfume — check lists for approval; otherwise put away

Pet food — if contain chometz, sell if your custom is to sell chometz gamur; otherwise discard

Play-Doh — sell, even if your custom is not to sell chometz gamur, and put away

Popcorn — put away

Pudding mixes — put away

Quinoa (not kosher l’Pesach) — put away

Rice Krispies (with malt) — sell, if your custom is to sell chometz gamur; otherwise discard

Salad Dressing — put away

Skin-care products, ointment (with oats) — some use and some put away

Soup mix (powder) — sell, even if your custom is not to sell chometz gamur, and put away

Soy sauce (containing wheat) — sell, if your custom is to sell chometz gamur; otherwise discard

Stress balls (flour filled) — sell, even if your custom is not to sell chometz gamur, and put away

Sugar (confectioners’, brown) — put away

Sunflower oil — put away

Tallis katan with tzitzis (frayed or pasul) — sheimos genizah recommended; otherwise wrap and discard honorably

Tallis katan without tzitzis (frayed or pasul) — discard honorably

Tzitzis (strings) — sheimos genizah recommended; otherwise wrap and discard honorably

Vinegar — put away

Vitamin supplements — put away

Wedding invitations — may be discarded

Wheat germ — sell, even if your custom is not to sell chometz gamur, and put away

Whiskey — sell, if your custom is to sell whiskey; otherwise discard

Yeast (baker’s, powdered, extract) — put away

Yeast (brewer’s) — sell, if your custom is to sell chometz gamur; otherwise discard

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 786)