noun
housecleaning; cleaning dust and soot from rooms
General cleaning of a house, especially removing dust and soot. Can be used for ordinary cleaning, not only the year-end tradition.
年末に家中のすす払いをした。
We did a thorough housecleaning at the end of the year.
古い家はすす払いが大変だ。
Cleaning soot and dust in an old house is hard work.
noun
year-end big house cleaning; traditional December 13th cleaning
Specifically refers to the traditional Japanese custom of a major house cleaning done on December 13th (or around that time) to welcome the New Year. Often associated with preparing for the New Year deities.
See also: 煤掃き
日本では、12月13日を「すす払いの日」と呼ぶことがある。
In Japan, December 13th is sometimes called 'Susuharai Day'.
昔は、すす払いをしてから正月の準備を始めた。
In the old days, people started preparing for the New Year after doing the susuharai cleaning.
Compound of 煤 (すす, soot) and 払い (はらい, sweeping away), from the verb 払う (はらう, to sweep away). The word originally referred to the act of removing soot from traditional Japanese homes, especially before the New Year.