ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

They are all smiles, the two women in charge of cleaning the altarpiece in Aarhus Cathedral, Denmark. To them, removing 11 years’ dust is an honourable job. ECJ’s Lotte Printz reports.

“I don’t think many of us actually love dusting in places where it is really filthy,” says the news reporter from Danish TV2 as she begins her report. “But these two women have a cleaning job that they’ve been looking forward to for a very long time.”

The fact that the news reporter is even present may say it all. This is no ordinary cleaning job. It happens only every 10th year and it is not carried out by just anybody.

The two cleaners are not even cleaners, but conservators from the National Museum in the capital city who have come all the way to Aarhus, Denmark’s second city, to clean one of its cathedral’s most precious jewels, its altarpiece from 1479. It was produced in Lübeck, one of the most veritable export centres for altarpieces of the day. Being 12 metres high and with its five wings, it is the largest altarpiece in Denmark.

A complete restoration was carried out by other museum staff between 1975 and 1980, and since then all that has been needed is a good ‘dusting’.

“That restoration is a job really well done,” says Conny Hansen who is the more experienced of the two conservators. “And I don’t think much has to be done with it for the next 70 years or so… as long as we dust it regularly,” she adds, meaning approximately every 10th year, although this time 11 years has passed as the cathedral was busy throughout 2017 when Aarhus was the European Capital of Culture.

If this is not done, the dirty areas can attract microorganisms and the colours may then degrade. The altarpiece is dusted annually from the ground, but once a decade they must go all in. Equipped with vacuum cleaners on their back and small brushes, the two women climb a scaffold to dust the altarpiece properly.

The whole cleaning process, including putting up the scaffolds, takes about a week. But the two women have been talking about this task for well over a year.

“I’ve even posted things on Facebook about it,” says Johanne Bornemann Mogensen with a huge smile. It’s her first time doing the job and her older colleague is passing on important knowledge and techniques. Next time it’ll be done will be in 2028 and then she herself may be in charge. Which she won’t mind one bit.

“Aarhus Cathedral’s altarpiece is one of the most important altarpieces from the Middle Ages in Denmark, so it’s an honourable job being allowed dusting it,” she says.

Even though she’s done it before, her older and more experienced colleague is no less enthusiastic.

True enthusiasm

“It’s the cream of conservation projects to be allowed to preserve this altarpiece. It makes us so happy. We are a chosen few who are permitted to get this close,” says Conny Hansen.

Watching the two women work and seeing how thrilled they are makes the beholder happy too. And, I’m sorry to say, the two ‘cleaners’ seem to smile a lot more than any other ordinary cleaner I’ve come across. What would it take for the cleaning industry to learn from these women’s enthusiasm, I dare ask? Could their high spirits be adapted in more ordinary cleaning in any way? To everybody’s benefit?