Why Cleaning Has Meaning

This might at first sight seem an offbeat statement, but this is one of the most unusual books I have read for some time. The author founded an ecological cleaning company 25 years ago and was for many years responsible for cleaning the Goetheanum buildings - the headquarters of the international anthroposophical movement. One of her first discoveries was the general indifference and lack of respect shown by employers to cleaners, which led her to ask three questions: the first is how to handle this indifference, the second is the effect that the state of a room has on people, and the third relates to what changes can be brought about by the activity of caring for the space. This leads immediately to the next theme, how cleaning implies caring and nurturing. It also creates the space for something new. She relates an unusual incident involving the Bulgarian teacher Aivanhov, who came to her in a dream after his death, showed her room and remarked that the time had come to understand the importance of the work she did. This book is part of the outcome, and the reader may be astonished to learn that the room shown by Aivanhov was one that she had never cleaned before but which she encountered the following morning. Many cultures have a tradition of spring-cleaning, which seems to have been lost in more modern times. To clean is to create order, and, as many people have discovered, it also helps create a state of the inner balance. Disorder results from the accumulation of small decisions and the inability to let go and throw things out. This is beautifully expressed in a poem by Hermann Hesse about bidding farewell: 'we must prepare for parting and leavetaking or else remain the slaves of permanence.' Linda also emphasises the importance of rhythm and provides practical guidance for readers who want to put her recommendations into practice; you will almost certainly be galvanised into action by reading this insightful book.