A quick history lesson for all of you today!
We thought we would let you all in on a secret…cleaning has been around since Ancient Times. Yes, really it has.
Before there was nearly any technology that could help with every day cleaning, there were ancient civilizations that were very creative in order to maintain cleanliness. The ancient Mesopotamian societies cleaned their living quarters with the byproducts of their agricultural harvest. Taking straw and other materials unfit for human use, they wove them together with a stick and made a small broom. Now that was creative! While nothing like today’s technologically advanced brooms, the ancient people were able to clean their homes fairly well with their brooms.
It wasn’t only the Mesopotamians who were good at cleaning their homes with primitive cleaning tools. The Greeks and Romans also took great pride in their ability to maintain cleanliness. For them it enhanced their perception of superiority in the Mediterranean and the known world. While ancient Mesopotamian cultures typically had grass or dirt floors, many of the Greek and Roman buildings were made of stone and required extra attention.
Of course, there were plenty of slaves that could wash the stone and keep the building clean for the ancient Greek and Roman rulers. Legions of these slaves were used in order to scrub the stone on a routine basis in order to remove the dirt and grime.
An interesting sidebar, house cleaning in ancient times was considerably different from what it is today. Without technology, it was harder to maintain the same level of hygiene that we currently take for granted. Even with slaves and primitive brooms, the ancient peoples were incredibly dirty compared to modern individuals. Bathing was infrequent, teeth were rotten, but arguably the only aspect of the ancient lives that had a measure of cleanliness was the cleaning of the home.
At least today we care about bathing as well as our teeth in addition to clean homes. It’s good to see that we have come a long way from ancient times!
–doreen
