Preparation (Chafifah)

To prepare for mikveh immersion, a woman cleans herself thoroughly and removes any foreign object (chatzitzah) that might intervene between her body and the water of the mikveh. This process is called chafifah (cleansing).

Immediately prior to immersion, she checks her body and hair to ensure that they are free of chatzitzot. This is called iyun (inspection). This section discusses both steps in detail.