The Besom, Other wise known as a broom.
it was traditionally hand made from willow of hazel wood, depending on what was freely available at the time. Not only was it a domestic cleaning tool but it was symbolic as well.
as sweeping out the dirt you would effectively sweep out all the negative energy that had bulit up in that room or property. the sweeping is usually done from east to west.
I think that it was thought, that as you sweep out the negative energy it would be caught with the rising sun and then it be diminished but the sun when it set in the envening. I dunno, thats just my theory.