Why Cleaning?

How many ways do we toss around the term “clean?”

“He clean.” “He casket sharp.” “They cleaned up at the sale this weekend.” “He bit his head clean off.”

Colloquialisms? Yes. But those sayings are all just examples of how prevalent the word and the task are in the Black community.

Cleaning the toilet? Get the Comet or the Ajax. And make sure you “season” it for a few minutes before scrubbing.

Cleaning the yard? Get every weed, stick and errant leaf before you consider yourself done.

And greens? Get the Dawn, baking soda, sea salt, vinegar… you name it.

From our cars to our food to our legs (!), our cleaning traditions have stood the test of time.

So naming our second issue The Clean Issue was a no-brainer. Black folks are the undisputed experts in proper cleaning, and this issue is a loving nod to our collective traditions and tasks.

So sit back in your newly vacuumed recliner, toss that soft throw over your legs and read all about our cleaning traditions on your dust-free phone or laptop.