🧹

Broom

bruːm
Objects Unicode 11.0 common

Meanings

1
Household · Cleaning Common

A cleaning tool with bristles attached to a long handle, used for sweeping floors and removing dust or debris.

Used to represent cleaning activities, housework, or tidying up spaces.

Just finished cleaning the entire apartment! 🧹✨ So satisfying! 📋 Social media post
Weekend chore list: 🧹 🧽 🧴 🧺 📋 Text message

Often associated with domestic labor and household maintenance, particularly in contexts discussing chores or cleaning.

2
Fantasy · Halloween Common

A symbolic object associated with witches, witchcraft, and magical practices, particularly in Western folklore and Halloween imagery.

Used in contexts related to witches, magic, Halloween, or fantasy themes.

My Halloween costume this year: witch hat 🧙‍♀️, black dress, and of course a 🧹! 📋 Social media post

The witch's broom (broomstick) has strong associations with Halloween imagery and witchcraft in Western popular culture.

3
Sports · Recreation Uncommon

Represents the sport of broomball or, in fantasy contexts, the fictional sport of Quidditch from Harry Potter.

Used when discussing these specific sports or making Harry Potter references.

Harry Potter marathon this weekend! Can't wait to see all the 🧹 Quidditch matches again! 📋 Fan discussion

The broom emoji in sporting contexts is strongly influenced by the Harry Potter franchise, where broomsticks are used for flying and playing Quidditch.

Combos with 🧹

🧹✨
Cleaning that produces satisfying results or a sparkling clean space.
Often used to show completion of cleaning tasks with pride in the results.
🧹🧙‍♀️
Witch with broomstick, referencing traditional witch imagery.
Used in Halloween contexts or when discussing witchcraft themes.
🧹🏠
House cleaning or domestic chores.
Commonly used when discussing household maintenance or cleaning schedules.

Culture

The association between witches and broomsticks dates back to medieval Europe, where the broom became linked to witchcraft through folklore about night-flying and magical practices.

The broom emoji often appears in discussions about the gendered nature of household labor, as cleaning tasks have historically been assigned to women.

Despite technological advances in cleaning tools, the traditional broom remains culturally significant enough to warrant emoji representation over newer cleaning devices.

United Kingdom In British English, may be called a 'besom' when referring to traditional brooms made of twigs, particularly in folklore contexts.
Gen_X: Typically used literally to represent cleaning activities or household chores in messaging.
Gen_Z: Often used ironically in 'clean girl aesthetic' content or witch-themed posts. Popular in TikTok cleaning videos and Halloween content.
Older: Used sparingly, mainly in practical contexts about actual cleaning activities or household maintenance.
Millennials: Commonly used in household management contexts, cleaning schedule posts, and Harry Potter nostalgia references.

History

2018

Added to Unicode 11.0 as part of expanded household items category.

Growing demand for domestic and cleaning-related emoji representations.

2019

Gained popularity in witch-themed social media content and Halloween posts.

Rising interest in witchcraft aesthetics and 'witch positivity' on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.