Checklist for Tevilah

Many women find it helpful to have a checklist of basic mikveh preparations. You can review this list just before immersing to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything.

1. Is this the right night?

You counted the four- or five-day minimum after becoming niddah, before beginning the shivah neki’im.
You did the hefsek taharah one week ago (e.g., hefsek on Monday afternoon for a Monday night tevilah).
You completed your shivah neki’im, including the required bedikot.

2. Have you removed all chatzitzot?

Clothing, jewelry, bandages, contact lenses
Dirt, ink, makeup
Contraceptive ring or patch (or other medical patch)
You trimmed and cleaned your nails.
You removed hair that you are particular about.
You soaked (or removed) scabs.

3. Did you do a thorough chafifah?

You washed your hair with warm water and shampoo.
You combed the hair on your head, and combed other hair or separated it with your fingers
You washed your body, taking care to clean folds and creases, eyes, ears, nose, nipples, navel, teeth, and toes.

4. Did you inspect yourself (iyun)?

You checked visible areas by looking (perhaps with the aid of a mirror), and checked other areas by touch.

Users of Internet filtering services: This site discusses sensitive subjects that some services filter without visual indication. A page that appears 100% complete might actually be missing critical Jewish-law or medical information. To ensure that you view the pages accurately, ask the filtering service to whitelist all pages under yoatzot.org.

All health and health-related information contained within Nishmat's Women's Health & Halacha Web site is intended to be general in nature and should not be used as a substitute for consulting with your health care professional. The advice is intended to offer a basis for individuals to discuss their medical condition with their health care provider but not individual advice. Although every effort is made to ensure that the material within Nishmat's Women's Health & Halacha Web site is accurate and timely, it is provided for the convenience of the Web site user but should not be considered official. Advice for actual medical practice should be obtained from a licensed health care professional.