That "Sponja Gedoila," Pre-Passover Custom

For many, many years it would annoy me that although the house was clean of chametz, the forbidden leavened foods in time for the ceremonial bedikat chametz, when the head of the house checks and finds "planted" chametz, the house would just be a dirty mess. I didn't grow up with this part of Jewish Law. My mother made sure the kitchen was clean of chametz, but not the  rest of the house and my father didn't do any searching followed around by giggling children.

A number of years ago, after about  fifteen years of marriage, if I remember correctly, my husband was in miluim, army reserves and I did some of my Passover shopping in Jerusalem with a neighbor. He told me about his wife's family custom, the "Sponja Gedoila," which she grew up with being from a family that had been in Jerusalem for many generations.

Just before bedikat chametz she washes the floors of the entire house. And ever since, I do it. too. This isn't a thorough cleaning, which had just been done recently. I just quickly go over all of the floors with a damp cloth, Israeli style. In Israel most floors can be cleaned like that. If your home is carpeted, then you'd do a quick run with the vacuum cleaner and wash the toilet and kitchen floors.

And then I sit in my favorite corner of the couch while my husband does the ritual inspection.

Have a Healthy Chag Kasher v'Sameach all of you!