Cleaning and cleanliness have always been part of people's beliefs as well as a regular activity structured to meet people's health and hygiene needs. Being clean is not only an effort of personal care but also exists as a part of protecting the environment and preventing diseases.

In ancient times, people perceived cleanliness as related to religion, and still do. For example, for the Jews, cleansing was part of communicating with God. The Greeks believed that they were protected through cleanliness and beauty. In the Roman Empire, the importance of cleanliness in terms of health was understood and people were taught to take a bath.

In Islam, great importance is given to cleanliness. A Muslim can't perform his daily prayers without making sure he is clean, his clothes are clean and the area in which he is going to pray is clean.

Eastern Roman Emperor Heraclius and the Prophet Muhammad would send each other emissaries and letters. It is a famous anecdote that during that time, once Heraclius sent many gifts and also a doctor. The prophet assigned the doctor a house, but after days and months the doctor had no patients, so he came to the Prophet Muhammad and said: "I have come here to serve. I have had no patients until today. I have sat, eaten, been comfortable. I should return now." So, the Prophet Muhammad replied: "As you wish. If you stay more, to serve and to treat guests is the duty of Muslims. If you go, go well. But know this, if you stayed here for years, you would have (no patients) ... Islam has shown the way of not getting sick. My ashab (companions) pays close attention to cleanliness."

In ancient times, cleaning was usually done by visiting water sources and rivers. These water sources were used by people for bathing, washing clothes and other cleaning processes.

In the Middle Ages, sanitation was treated as a practice and became part of daily life with regular activities such as frequent hand washing, bathing and washing clothes. In addition, an industry was created to achieve more effective cleaning by installing infrastructure systems, waterways and other facilities.

Today, people strive to maintain a healthy lifestyle by cleaning regularly. Our homes, workplaces and public areas are frequently cleaned and disinfected. Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, we have become hyper-aware of being clean. People have become more conscious of personal hygiene and have realized that even simple procedures such as hand washing play an important role in preventing diseases.

With the Industrial Revolution, new cleaning materials and tools were developed to make cleaning homes easier. In the 20th century, cleaning could be done more easily and quickly with advancements in product variety and technological devices.

Today, many institutions and organizations around the world carry out campaigns to increase awareness of cleaning and hygiene.

House cleaning is one of the most basic needs for people. However, from the observance of history to the present day, the tools used for cleaning one's house were limited. In recent years, there has been a great change in the products used for household cleaning, thanks to the developments and ideas that have emerged. So, let's take a look at historical tools and more modern and technological new home cleaning products.

Ancient times

In ancient times, cleaning tools and materials varied according to time and region.

• Broom: Generally made of straw with a wooden or metal handle, brooms were used for many millennia, and they still function perfectly and adequately today. They were used for busy doorways, courtyards and hard floors inside homes.
• Hand broom: It was a small broom used to clean fine dust inside homes.
• Hand washing bowls: There was usually a deep bowl filled with water outside the houses.
• Soap: There were many types of soap used for cleaning. These were often used in homes for washing hands or washing clothes.
• Hand mill: It was used to grind or pulverize some materials used for cleaning. For example, sodium hydroxide (ash) used in soap ingredients was sometimes ground by hand mills.
• Vinegar: Vinegar was used as a cleaner and disinfectant, usually mixed with water.
• Sawdust or straw: In some places, especially in warehouses and woodworking workshops, sawdust or straw was used for cleaning.
• Olive oil: Olive oil is used as a cleaner in some places. It was often used to clean joints and walls or floors.

Modern era

So, in the end, historical home cleaning products were quite limited, and people used simple tools to clean their homes, tools which they couldn't naturally obtain. However, today, with developments in technology, the products used for household cleaning have been diversified and advanced.

• Robot vacuum cleaners: The robot vacuum is one of the most popular household cleaning products of modern times. These devices automatically sweep all floors in the house, picking up dust, dirt and other debris. Robot vacuums are usually controllable and programmable devices over Wi-Fi.
• Steam cleaners: Steam cleaners are another technological product used to clean floors, walls, furniture and other surfaces in homes. These devices heat the water to turn it into steam and spray the steam onto the surfaces. Steam cleaners provide a powerful cleaning action and work more effectively if used with chemical cleaners.
• Vacuum cleaners: Vacuum cleaners are another technological product used to clean floors, carpets and other surfaces in homes. These devices suck air using a motorized fan and collect dust, dirt and other debris with or without a bag.
• High-pressure cleaners: High-pressure cleaners are used to clean exterior surfaces, garden furniture, vehicles and other surfaces in homes. These devices spray water vigorously and clean surfaces quickly and effectively. Chemical cleaners are generally not needed when using these.
• UV-C sterilization lamps: UV-C sterilization lamp is another technological product used for the sterilization of surfaces in homes. These lamps destroy bacteria, viruses and other harmful microorganisms using UV-C rays.