---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always enjoyed cleaning. Even though…"
description: "\"“I've always enjoyed cleaning. Even though they tried to teach us laziness in school.”\" — Peter Høeg"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/peter-h-eg-3553_cleaning_i-ve-always-enjoyed-cleaning-even-though_2885208.jpg"
---

#  I've always enjoyed cleaning. Even though they tried to…

![“I've always enjoyed cleaning. Even though they tried to teach us laziness in school.” quote by Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/peter-h-eg-3553_cleaning_i-ve-always-enjoyed-cleaning-even-though_2885208.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/peter-h-eg-3553_cleaning_i-ve-always-enjoyed-cleaning-even-though_2885208.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/peter-h-eg-3553_cleaning_i-ve-always-enjoyed-cleaning-even-though_2885208.jpg)

> ““I've always enjoyed cleaning. Even though they tried to teach us laziness in school.””

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Cleaning can be a satisfying, purposeful activity despite societal messages that devalue effort.

**In simple terms:** Find joy in purposeful tasks.

Key Takeaway

Value diligent work.

Themes

work ethic satisfaction counter‑culture

Mood

content reflective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- household chores
- craft projects
- maintenance tasks

Key Concepts

mindful activity personal discipline

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes a task feel purposeful?
- How do you resist negative messaging?

A Different Perspective

Not all tasks are inherently meaningful.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/)

## Related quotes

> [We should get a Roomba for our Roomba. I feel bad for it because it works tirelessly, and at night I can hear it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-gosling/we-should-get-a-roomba-for-our-roomba-i-feel-bad-for-it-because-it/)

[Ryan Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-gosling/)

> [Anybody and everybody's going to get it. I'm not racing through my division. I'm cleaning it out. So if you want two L's, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-holloway/anybody-and-everybody-s-going-to-get-it-i-m-not-racing-through-my/)

[Max Holloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-holloway/)

> ['Washio' provides laundry and dry cleaning on demand. They pick it up, clean it, and return it within 24 hours - and often with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yael-cohen/washio-provides-laundry-and-dry-cleaning-on-demand-they-pick-it-up/)

[Yael Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yael-cohen/)

> [There's times when I'm cleaning the kitchen, and while I'm doing that, I'm singing and air guitaring with a broom to 'You Should Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/there-s-times-when-i-m-cleaning-the-kitchen-and-while-i-m-doing-that/)

[Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/)

> [ Any small business owner wears many hats. We \[New View Window Cleaning\] are the salesman, bookkeeper, scheduler, cleaner, customer complaint department, etc. If you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-evans/any-small-business-owner-wears-many-hats-we-new-view-window-cleaning/)

[Tony Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-evans/)

> [“For those who set out to clean the dirt of the world, the best broom is their own clean morals, because you can't clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/for-those-who-set-out-to-clean-the-dirt-of-the-world-the-best-broom/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [ I don't know that Brandy \[Burre\] would ever categorize herself as being trapped, but I felt like I saw her being trapped. When she's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/i-don-t-know-that-brandy-burre-would-ever-categorize-herself-as-being/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [He's getting dumped. And he doesn't even know it yet. He's probably eating a cheeseburger or flossing or picking up his dry cleaning, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/he-s-getting-dumped-and-he-doesn-t-even-know-it-yet-he-s-probably/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [“The house was clean, scrubbed and immaculate, curtains washed, windows polished, but all as a man does it - the ironed curtains did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/the-house-was-clean-scrubbed-and-immaculate-curtains-washed-windows/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [A lot of people approach their barn or horse like they are going to war, because it's been going badly. So you pick up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-meehl/a-lot-of-people-approach-their-barn-or-horse-like-they-are-going-to/)

Cindy Meehl

> [Western doctors are like poor plumbers. They treat a splashing tub by cleaning up the water. These plumbers are extremely apt at drying up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-parsons-burkitt/western-doctors-are-like-poor-plumbers-they-treat-a-splashing-tub-by/)

[Denis Parsons Burkitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-parsons-burkitt/)

> [My mother worked as a maid, cleaning the fraternity dorm of the local college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/my-mother-worked-as-a-maid-cleaning-the-fraternity-dorm-of-the-local/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [The thought processes that go through my head when I'm playing a game compared to the thought processes in real life are very, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-romero/the-thought-processes-that-go-through-my-head-when-i-m-playing-a-game/)

[John Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-romero/)

> [The government should set a goal for a clean environment but not mandate how that goal should be implemented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dixie-lee-ray/the-government-should-set-a-goal-for-a-clean-environment-but-not/)

[Dixie Lee Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dixie-lee-ray/)

> [The 6th of August in the morning we saw an opening in the land and we ran into it, and anchored in 7 and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-dampier/the-6th-of-august-in-the-morning-we-saw-an-opening-in-the-land-and-we/)

[William Dampier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-dampier/)

## More by Peter Høeg

> [“Time is something you have to hold on to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/time-is-something-you-have-to-hold-on-to/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [“When you are in the company of people who look down upon themselves as though they were animals, you too become like an animal.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/when-you-are-in-the-company-of-people-who-look-down-upon-themselves/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [“With age I have voluntarily chosen certain limitations. I don't have the energy to start over again. To learn new skills or fight my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/with-age-i-have-voluntarily-chosen-certain-limitations-i-don-t-have/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [“That was the way of the rule. They had so many to keep an eye on. As long as you kept a low profile,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/that-was-the-way-of-the-rule-they-had-so-many-to-keep-an-eye-on-as/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [“That was what we meant by science. That both question and answer are tied up with uncertainty, and that they are painful. But that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/that-was-what-we-meant-by-science-that-both-question-and-answer-are/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [I like him. I have a weakness for losers. Invalids, foreigners, the fat boy of the class, the ones nobody ever wants to dance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/i-like-him-i-have-a-weakness-for-losers-invalids-foreigners-the-fat/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [“There's no simple aritmetic for life's distribution of happiness and sorrow, no such thing as a standard share.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/there-s-no-simple-aritmetic-for-life-s-distribution-of-happiness-and/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [“She said she had been thinking about the way you remembered your past. What you remembered, she said, was a string of events and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/she-said-she-had-been-thinking-about-the-way-you-remembered-your-past/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [“The cookies combine butter and spices in such a way that you could eat a hundred of them and only realize how sick you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/the-cookies-combine-butter-and-spices-in-such-a-way-that-you-could/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [It's these small differences in people's karma that determine if we get up or remain lying on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/it-s-these-small-differences-in-people-s-karma-that-determine-if-we/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [There's a look of mischief in his eyes. 'Smilla. Why is it that such an elegant and petite girl like you has such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/there-s-a-look-of-mischief-in-his-eyes-smilla-why-is-it-that-such-an/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [When my mother didn't come back I realized that any moment could be the last. Nothing in life should simply be a passage from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/when-my-mother-didn-t-come-back-i-realized-that-any-moment-could-be/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [She was transparent, like a watercolor. As if she were about to dissolve in sound, in tones not yet created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/she-was-transparent-like-a-watercolor-as-if-she-were-about-to/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [“As far as I'm concerned, you could send all the cars in the world through a compactor and shoot them out through the stratosphere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/as-far-as-i-m-concerned-you-could-send-all-the-cars-in-the-world/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

> [I don't fall in love anymore. Just like I don't get the mumps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/i-don-t-fall-in-love-anymore-just-like-i-don-t-get-the-mumps/)

[Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

[Explore all 110 Peter Høeg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/)

## More Cleaning quotes

> [We should get a Roomba for our Roomba. I feel bad for it because it works tirelessly, and at night I can hear it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-gosling/we-should-get-a-roomba-for-our-roomba-i-feel-bad-for-it-because-it/)

[Ryan Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-gosling/)

> [The government should set a goal for a clean environment but not mandate how that goal should be implemented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dixie-lee-ray/the-government-should-set-a-goal-for-a-clean-environment-but-not/)

[Dixie Lee Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dixie-lee-ray/)

> [The thought processes that go through my head when I'm playing a game compared to the thought processes in real life are very, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-romero/the-thought-processes-that-go-through-my-head-when-i-m-playing-a-game/)

[John Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-romero/)

> [My mother worked as a maid, cleaning the fraternity dorm of the local college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/my-mother-worked-as-a-maid-cleaning-the-fraternity-dorm-of-the-local/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [Western doctors are like poor plumbers. They treat a splashing tub by cleaning up the water. These plumbers are extremely apt at drying up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-parsons-burkitt/western-doctors-are-like-poor-plumbers-they-treat-a-splashing-tub-by/)

[Denis Parsons Burkitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-parsons-burkitt/)

> [A lot of people approach their barn or horse like they are going to war, because it's been going badly. So you pick up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-meehl/a-lot-of-people-approach-their-barn-or-horse-like-they-are-going-to/)

Cindy Meehl

> [“The house was clean, scrubbed and immaculate, curtains washed, windows polished, but all as a man does it - the ironed curtains did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/the-house-was-clean-scrubbed-and-immaculate-curtains-washed-windows/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [He's getting dumped. And he doesn't even know it yet. He's probably eating a cheeseburger or flossing or picking up his dry cleaning, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/he-s-getting-dumped-and-he-doesn-t-even-know-it-yet-he-s-probably/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [ I don't know that Brandy \[Burre\] would ever categorize herself as being trapped, but I felt like I saw her being trapped. When she's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/i-don-t-know-that-brandy-burre-would-ever-categorize-herself-as-being/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [“For those who set out to clean the dirt of the world, the best broom is their own clean morals, because you can't clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/for-those-who-set-out-to-clean-the-dirt-of-the-world-the-best-broom/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [ Any small business owner wears many hats. We \[New View Window Cleaning\] are the salesman, bookkeeper, scheduler, cleaner, customer complaint department, etc. If you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-evans/any-small-business-owner-wears-many-hats-we-new-view-window-cleaning/)

[Tony Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-evans/)

> [There's times when I'm cleaning the kitchen, and while I'm doing that, I'm singing and air guitaring with a broom to 'You Should Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/there-s-times-when-i-m-cleaning-the-kitchen-and-while-i-m-doing-that/)

[Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/)

> ['Washio' provides laundry and dry cleaning on demand. They pick it up, clean it, and return it within 24 hours - and often with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yael-cohen/washio-provides-laundry-and-dry-cleaning-on-demand-they-pick-it-up/)

[Yael Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yael-cohen/)

> [Anybody and everybody's going to get it. I'm not racing through my division. I'm cleaning it out. So if you want two L's, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-holloway/anybody-and-everybody-s-going-to-get-it-i-m-not-racing-through-my/)

[Max Holloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-holloway/)

> [The 6th of August in the morning we saw an opening in the land and we ran into it, and anchored in 7 and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-dampier/the-6th-of-august-in-the-morning-we-saw-an-opening-in-the-land-and-we/)

[William Dampier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-dampier/)

Browse all 651 Cleaning quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I've always enjoyed cleaning. Even though they tried to teach us laziness in school.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Peter Høeg"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/i-ve-always-enjoyed-cleaning-even-though-they-tried-to-teach-us/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cleaning"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/i-ve-always-enjoyed-cleaning-even-though-they-tried-to-teach-us/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/peter-h-eg-3553_cleaning_i-ve-always-enjoyed-cleaning-even-though_2885208.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/peter-h-eg-3553_cleaning_i-ve-always-enjoyed-cleaning-even-though_2885208.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/peter-h-eg-3553_cleaning_i-ve-always-enjoyed-cleaning-even-though_2885208.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I've always enjoyed cleaning. Even though they tried to teach us laziness in school.” — Peter Høeg",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Peter Høeg",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I've always enjoyed cleaning. Even though...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/i-ve-always-enjoyed-cleaning-even-though-they-tried-to-teach-us/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/i-ve-always-enjoyed-cleaning-even-though-they-tried-to-teach-us/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
