Clean Sweep

Brushes, brooms, vacuums and floor polishers - everything you need for a tidy home.

Before electricity became widely available to homes across Australia, house cleaning was performed using brushes, brooms and cloths - and lots of 'elbow grease’! Although electricity was introduced in Australia in the 1880s there was not a reliable supply until after the Second World War. There was a post-war boom in labour-saving home devices as many women returned to life as a homemaker, and vacuum cleaners were amongst the most popular items.

Exhibit currently on display at Redcliffe Museum.