INDEX:
1. not dirty
2. completely clean so that diseases cannot spread
3. when you keep things clean to prevent disease
4. to clean a room, house etc
5. to make something clean with a cloth
6. to clean something with a brush
7. to clean something with a special cleaning machine
8. someone whose job is to clean things
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ DIRTY
clean something with water, soap etc : ↑ WASH
to remove dirt, marks etc from something : ↑ REMOVE (3-4, 7)
see also
↑ TIDY
↑ SHINE/SHINY
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1. not dirty
▷ clean /kliːn/ [adjective]
not dirty :
▪ He changed into a clean shirt.
▪ I’ll put some clean sheets on the bed.
▪ A large house is difficult to keep clean.
nice and clean/lovely and clean
British very clean
▪ Our hotel room was lovely and clean.
▷ spotlessly clean/spotless /ˌspɒtləsli ˈkliːnǁ ˌspɑːt-, ˈspɒtləsǁˈspɑːt-/ [adjective]
completely clean - use this especially about clothes, rooms, or houses :
▪ Nina keeps the kitchen absolutely spotless.
▪ He was wearing a spotlessly clean white shirt.
▷ immaculate /ɪˈmækjɑlɪt, ɪˈmækjɑlət/ [adjective]
things that are immaculate are completely clean and look new :
▪ She wore an immaculate grey suit and a tasteful, blue woven hat.
▪ The house was absolutely immaculate.
▷ spick and span /ˌspɪk ən ˈspæn/ [adjective phrase]
a room or house that is spick and span is very clean and tidy :
▪ Every room in the house was spick and span.
▪ We’ll have the place spick and span in no time.
2. completely clean so that diseases cannot spread
▷ clean /kliːn/ [adjective]
▪ Three out of five people in developing countries have no easy access to clean water.
▪ The department is responsible for maintaining the bedrooms and public rooms in a clean and sanitary condition.
▷ pure /pjʊəʳ/ [adjective]
water or air that is pure is completely clean and does not contain anything harmful such as dirt or bacteria :
▪ It felt good to get away from the city and breathe in some pure mountain air.
▪ The water in the lake is so pure you can drink it.
purity /ˈpjʊ ə rɪti, ˈpjʊ ə rəti/ [uncountable noun]
▪ There is concern about the purity of our tap water.
▷ hygienic /haɪˈdʒiːnɪkǁ-ˈdʒe-, -ˈdʒiː-/ [adjective]
extremely clean so that diseases are unlikely to spread :
▪ Cleansall kills germs as well, leaving your kitchen clean and hygienic.
hygienic conditions
▪ Meat products must always be kept in hygienic conditions.
▷ sterile /ˈsteraɪlǁ-rəl/ [adjective]
completely clean, free from bacteria, and safe for medical or scientific purposes :
▪ Red Cross officials say they are running short of disinfectant and sterile bandages.
▪ Giving blood is perfectly safe. All equipment is sterile, used once and thrown away.
3. when you keep things clean to prevent disease
▷ hygiene /ˈhaɪdʒiːn/ [uncountable noun]
the practice of keeping yourself and the place where you live or work clean, so that diseases cannot spread :
▪ Restaurants may be closed down if they fail to maintain minimum standards of hygiene.
▪ Schools should have policies to ensure good hygiene in kitchen areas.
personal hygiene
the practice of keeping your body clean
▪ A healthy lifestyle includes having a nutritious diet and good personal hygiene.
▷ disinfect /ˌdɪsɪnˈfekt, ˌdɪsənˈfekt/ [transitive verb]
to use chemicals to clean a place, a piece of equipment, or a wound, in order to prevent disease :
▪ The nurse cleaned and disinfected the cuts on his hands.
▪ Disinfect the toilet regularly using bleach.
▷ sterilize also sterilise British /ˈsterɪlaɪz, ˈsterəlaɪz/ [transitive verb]
to make something safe to use by heating it or using chemicals, in order to kill all bacteria and prevent disease - use this about medical or scientific equipment, or babies’ bottles :
▪ Has the needle been sterilized?
▪ Babies’ bottles can be sterilized simply by boiling them in water.
4. to clean a room, house etc
▷ clean /kliːn/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to make something clean by removing the dirt, dust etc :
▪ I clean the windows every Saturday.
▪ Tony was cleaning the inside of his car.
▪ How often do you clean the kitchen?
clean something up/clean up something
remove dirt by cleaning, especially in a room, from a floor etc
▪ There was mud all over the carpet, and it took me a long time to clean it up.
clean your teeth
British
▪ I always clean my teeth last thing at night.
clean behind/under etc
▪ Make sure you clean behind the stove.
cleaning [uncountable noun]
when you clean things, especially in a room, or a house :
▪ I spent the whole weekend cleaning.
do the cleaning
▪ Her husband does most of the cleaning.
▷ clean out /ˌkliːn ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to completely clean a room, cupboard etc, especially by taking everything out and putting it back in neatly :
clean out something
▪ The apartment needs to be cleaned out before a new tenant can move in.
▪ I think it’s time we cleaned out the garage.
clean something out
▪ We really need to clean the refrigerator out.
▷ spring-clean /ˌsprɪŋ ˈkliːn/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to clean your whole house very thoroughly, including things that you do not clean very often :
▪ Barry spent the day spring-cleaning.
▪ I want to spring-clean the whole apartment before Easter.
▷ housework /ˈhaʊswɜːʳk/ [uncountable noun]
the things that you do to keep your house clean and tidy :
▪ Housework takes up most of my time in the evenings.
do (the) housework
▪ I hate doing housework so I pay someone to do it for me.
5. to make something clean with a cloth
▷ wipe /waɪp/ [transitive verb]
to remove dirt or liquid from something using a slightly wet cloth :
▪ The waiter was wiping the tables.
wipe something up
▪ If you spill any paint, wipe it up immediately.
wipe up something
▪ Wipe up all that mess before you begin cooking.
▷ dust /dʌst/ [transitive verb]
to remove dust from furniture, shelves etc using a soft cloth :
▪ She decided to dust the dining room furniture again.
dust behind/under etc
▪ A thorough cleaning includes dusting under the wardrobes.
▪ She didn’t often dust behind the pictures.
▷ polish /ˈpɒlɪʃǁˈpɑː-/ [transitive verb]
to make something clean and shiny, for example your shoes or a piece of furniture, by rubbing it with a cloth or brush :
▪ He polished the piano until the wood shone.
▪ a polished wooden floor
▷ shine /ʃaɪn/ [transitive verb]
to make shoes clean and shiny by rubbing or polishing them with a brush or cloth and shoe polish :
▪ If you’re coming, you’d better shine your shoes and put on a clean shirt.
have/get your shoes shined
▪ You should have your shoes shined before the interview.
shine [singular noun]
▪ Those shoes need a shine to be shined .
6. to clean something with a brush
▷ brush /brʌʃ/ [transitive verb]
to clean something with a brush :
▪ You should brush your jacket -- it’s covered in dust.
brush something off
▪ I brushed the crumbs off the sofa.
brush your teeth
▪ Have you brushed your teeth yet?
▷ scrub /skrʌb/ [transitive verb]
to clean something by rubbing it hard with a brush and some water or soap :
▪ Part of my job was to wash the dishes and scrub the floors.
▪ Scrub the potatoes and boil them for 5-10 minutes.
▷ sweep /swiːp/ [transitive verb]
to clean the floor or the ground using a brush with a long handle :
▪ When everyone had left, Ed swept the floor.
sweep up something/sweep something up
remove something from a floor by sweeping
▪ Can you help me sweep up all the pieces of glass?
▷ scour /skaʊəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to rub a cooking pan or hard surface with a piece of rough material in order to clean it :
▪ I scoured the pots and pans.
▪ Scour the bowl with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda.
7. to clean something with a special cleaning machine
▷ vacuum also hoover British /ˈvækjuəm, -kjʊm, ˈhuːvəʳ/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to clean something using a special machine that sucks dirt up off the floor etc :
▪ Have you vacuumed the carpets?
▪ You do the hoovering and I’ll finish the kitchen.
8. someone whose job is to clean things
▷ cleaner /ˈkliːnəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who is paid to clean a house or office :
▪ We finish work at six, and then the cleaners come in.
▪ a window cleaner
▷ cleaner’s/dry cleaner’s /ˈkliːnəʳz, ˌdraɪ ˈkliːnəʳz/ [countable noun]
a shop where you can take your clothes to be cleaned, especially with chemicals, not water :
▪ My suit is at the dry cleaner’s.
▪ Can you collect my dress from the cleaner’s?