Sweeping the floor after dark invites illness or bad luck by morning.

Avoid Sweeping After Dark to Prevent Illness

Details

According to this superstition, household sweeping should not occur after sunset. It is believed that sweeping after dark symbolically or literally drives away prosperity, good energy, or health—resulting in illness or misfortune by morning. Some variations state that sweeping at night might disturb spirits residing in the home or sweep away blessings accrued during the day. Others suggest practical origins, such as accidentally sweeping away lost items or money that couldn’t be seen clearly in dim lighting. The practice typically includes an unspoken rule to finish cleaning chores before twilight, especially in rural households. Items commonly associated with this belief include the broom (considered a spiritually charged tool) and the hearth (as a domestic spiritual center). In highly traditional settings, elders may admonish younger members for nighttime cleaning due to this belief.

Historical Context

The taboo against nighttime sweeping is seen in several cultures, including Indian, African, Southeast Asian, and Latin American traditions. In Hindu households, sweeping after sunset is considered to drive away Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and health. In some African communities, sweeping at night is believed to stir malevolent energies or disturb ancestral spirits. In rural agrarian societies, domestic cleanliness held symbolic connections with health, fortune, and harmony with nature. Without electric lighting, sweeping after dark may have also been seen as wasteful or risky. Combined with wider beliefs linking nightfall to danger and spiritual activity, this developed into a generalized superstition. The emphasis on timing reflects how deeply daily routines were tied to solar cycles, practicality, and spiritual cosmology.

Modern Relevance

While less common in urban societies today, the superstition is still practiced among older generations or in rural communities, especially in South Asia and parts of Africa. In Indian households, sweeping after dusk is occasionally discouraged, especially during festivals or spiritual observances. Some feng shui interpretations in East Asia reference similar beliefs about energy flow and cleanliness. Though modern cleaning practices and artificial lighting have reduced literal adherence, the symbolic implications of order, health, and respect for tradition continue. On social media, such beliefs resurface occasionally in cultural storytelling TikToks and lifestyle influencers embracing ancestral wisdom or minimalist living. In the wellness community, symbolic scheduling of chores (like avoiding cleaning at night) is sometimes presented as part of intentional, mindful living.

Sources

Doniger, Wendy. The Hindus: An Alternative History. Penguin, 2009.

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