Clean vs. Cleanse: What's the Difference?
Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Updated on September 30, 2023
Clean means being free from dirt or pollution, while cleanse refers to the process of making something clean, often implying purification.
Key Differences
Clean and cleanse are related concepts, but they are used differently in the English language. Clean is an adjective describing something free from dirt, impurities, or pollutants, reflecting a state of purity or tidiness. It can also be a verb, indicating the act of removing dirt or impurities. For instance, a clean room is one that is tidy and free of dirt.
Conversely, cleanse is a verb denoting the act of making something clean, usually implying a thorough cleaning or purification. It is often associated with purifying the body, skin, or system from toxins or impurities. A cleanse often refers to a process that is more comprehensive and specific than a general cleaning, focusing on the elimination of impurities or toxins.
Clean, when used as an adjective, portrays the state or condition of being free of dirt or pollutants, emphasizing purity and orderliness. It can refer to various things like clean clothes, clean air, or clean energy, each representing the absence of contamination, pollution, or disorder.
In comparison, cleanse implies an action or a process focusing on purifying or detoxifying, often involving the removal of unwanted substances or toxins. Cleanse is commonly used in health and skincare contexts, symbolizing a restorative and rejuvenating process, like a skin cleanse or a body cleanse.
Clean and cleanse, while related, have subtle differences in their implications and usage. Clean represents a state of being free from impurities or a simpler act of cleaning, while cleanse involves a deeper, often more holistic process of purification and renewal.
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Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Adjective/Verb
Verb
Definition
Being free from dirt or impurities
The process of making something clean
Nature
Can be a state or an action
Always an action or process
Usage
Describes purity or the act of removing dirt
Refers to thorough cleaning or purifying
Example
Clean air
Cleanse the skin
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Clean and Cleanse Definitions
Clean
Free from dirt or impurities.
She always keeps her house clean.
Cleanse
To remove dirt or contaminants.
Cleanse the wound with antiseptic.
Clean
Morally unblemished.
He has a clean record.
Cleanse
To purify from impurities or toxins.
Many people cleanse their bodies by fasting.
Clean
Unencumbered.
He made a clean break from his past.
Cleanse
To eliminate undesirable elements.
The company needed to cleanse its reputation.
Clean
Complete or thorough.
It was a clean victory.
Cleanse
To clear or purge.
The rain helped to cleanse the air.
Clean
Free from dirt, stain, or impurities; unsoiled
A clean kitchen floor.
Clean clothes.
Cleanse
To free from dirt, contamination, or impurities
Cleansed the wound.
Clean
Free from foreign matter or pollution; unadulterated
Clean air.
Clean drinking water.
Cleanse
To treat (the body or an organ) with a regimen intended to remove impurities and promote health
Drank vegetable juice for a week to cleanse her digestive system.
Clean
Not infected
A clean wound.
Cleanse
To purify morally or spiritually
Cleanse the organization of corruption.
Cleansed of sin.
Clean
Producing relatively little pollution
A clean fuel.
A cleaner, more efficient engine.
Cleanse
To subject to ethnic cleansing.
Clean
Producing relatively little radioactive fallout or contamination
A clean nuclear bomb.
Cleanse
An act of cleansing
A cleanse of the digestive system.
Clean
Having no imperfections or blemishes; regular or even
A clean edge.
A smooth, clean joint.
Cleanse
(transitive) To free from dirt; to clean, to purify.
Clean
Not ornate or intricate; spare
"the clean lines and exquisite proportions of early modernism" (Judith Thurman).
Cleanse
(transitive) To spiritually purify; to free from guilt or sin; to purge.
Clean
Sharply defined; clear-cut
A clean outline against the sky.
Cleanse
(transitive) To remove (something seen as unpleasant) from a person, place, or thing.
Clean
Free from clumsiness; deft; adroit
A clean throw.
Cleanse
An act of cleansing; a purification.
I regularly visit the spa for a massage and a facial cleanse.
Clean
Devoid of restrictions or encumbrances
A clean bill of health.
Cleanse
To render clean; to free from fith, pollution, infection, guilt, etc.; to clean.
If we walk in the light . . . the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin.
Can'st thou not minister to a mind diseased,And with some sweet oblivious antidoteCleanse the suffed bosom of that perilous stuffWhich weighs upon the heart?
Clean
Thorough; complete
A clean getaway.
Cleanse
Clean one's body or parts thereof, as by washing;
Clean up before you see your grandparents
Clean your fingernails before dinner
Clean
Having few alterations or corrections; legible
Clean manuscript.
Cleanse
Purge of an ideology, bad thoughts, or sins;
Purgatory is supposed to cleanse you from your sins
Clean
Blank
A clean page.
Cleanse
To free from moral or spiritual pollution.
He sought to cleanse his soul through prayer.
Clean
Morally pure; virtuous
Led a clean life.
Clean
Having no marks of discredit or offense
A clean voting record.
Clean
Fit for all readers, listeners, or audiences; not ribald or obscene
A clean joke.
Clean
Honest or fair
A clean fighter.
A clean competition.
Clean
Not carrying concealed weapons or drugs.
Clean
Innocent of a suspected crime.
Clean
Free from narcotics addiction.
Clean
Showing no evidence of using banned or performance-enhancing substances
Proven to be clean before the race.
Clean
So as to be unsoiled
Wash the dishes clean.
Clean
In a fair manner
Played the game clean.
Clean
In a clean or nonpolluting manner
A fuel that burns clean.
Clean
(Informal) Entirely; wholly
Clean forgot the appointment.
Clean
To rid of dirt, rubbish, or impurities
Clean a room.
Clean a suit.
Clean
To get rid of (impurities or dirt, for example); remove
Cleaned up the trash.
Cleaned off the stains.
Clean
To prepare (fowl or other food) for cooking, as by removing the entrails or fat.
Clean
To remove the contents from; empty
Cleaned my plate.
Clean
(Sports) To lift (a barbell) from the floor to the shoulders in one motion.
Clean
To undergo or perform an act of cleaning.
Clean
Free of dirt or impurities or protruberances.
Clean
Not dirty.
Are these dishes clean?
Your room is finally clean!
Clean
In an unmarked condition.
Put a clean sheet of paper into the printer.
Clean
(aerodynamics) Allowing an uninterrupted flow over surfaces, without protrusions such as racks or landing gear.
Clean
(aviation) Having the undercarriage and flaps in the up position.
Clean
Empty.
The cargo hold is clean.
Mister, I want to see a clean dinner plate or there'll be no dessert for you.
Clean
(of metal) Having relatively few impurities.
Clean steel
Clean
Free of immorality or criminality.
Clean
Pure, especially morally or religiously.
Our kids can watch this movie because it is clean.
Clean
Not having used drugs or alcohol.
I've been clean this time for eight months.
Clean
(of criminal, driving, etc. records) Without restrictions or penalties, or someone having such a record.
Unlike you, I’ve never caused any accidents — my record is still clean!
Clean
(informal) Not in possession of weapons or contraband such as drugs.
I'm clean, officer. You can go ahead and search me if you want.
Clean
(informal) Devoid of profanity.
Clean
Smooth, exact, and performed well.
I'll need a sharper knife to make clean cuts.
A clean leap over a fence
Clean
(obsolete) Total; utter. still in "clean sweep"
Clean
(informal) Cool or neat.
Wow, Dude, those are some clean shoes ya got there!
Clean
(health) Being free of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
I want to make sure my fiancé is clean before we are married.
Clean
That does not damage the environment.
Clean energy;
Clean coal
Clean
Free from that which is useless or injurious; without defects.
Clean land;
Clean timber
Clean
Free from restraint or neglect; complete; entire.
Clean
Well-proportioned; shapely.
Clean limbs
Clean
Ascended without falling.
Clean
Removal of dirt.
This place needs a clean.
Clean
(weightlifting) The first part of the event clean and jerk in which the weight is brought from the ground to the shoulders.
Clean
(transitive) To remove dirt from a place or object.
Can you clean the windows today?
Clean
(transitive) To tidy up, make a place neat.
Clean your room right now!
Clean
To remove equipment from a climbing route after it was previously lead climbed.
Clean
(intransitive) To make things clean in general.
She just likes to clean. That’s why I married her.
Clean
To remove unnecessary files, etc. from (a directory, etc.).
Clean
To brush the ice lightly in front of a moving rock to remove any debris and ensure a correct line; less vigorous than a sweep.
Clean
To purge a raw of any blemishes caused by the scanning process such as brown tinting and poor color contrast.
Clean
(video games) clean up
Clean
To remove guts and/or scales of a butchered animal.
Clean
Fully and completely.
He was stabbed clean through.
You must be clean mad.
Clean
Free from dirt or filth; as, clean clothes.
Clean
Free from that which is useless or injurious; without defects; as, clean land; clean timber.
Clean
Free from awkwardness; not bungling; adroit; dexterous; as, a clean trick; a clean leap over a fence.
Clean
Free from errors and vulgarisms; as, a clean style.
Clean
Free from restraint or neglect; complete; entire.
When ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of corners of thy field.
Clean
Free from moral defilement; sinless; pure.
Create in me a clean heart, O God.
That I am whole, and clean, and meet for Heaven
Clean
Free from ceremonial defilement.
Clean
Free from that which is corrupting to the morals; pure in tone; healthy.
Clean
Well-proportioned; shapely; as, clean limbs.
Clean
Without limitation or remainder; quite; perfectly; wholly; entirely.
All the people were passed clean over Jordan.
Clean
Without miscarriage; not bunglingly; dexterously.
Clean
To render clean; to free from whatever is foul, offensive, or extraneous; to purify; to cleanse.
Clean
A weightlift in which the barbell is lifted to shoulder height and then jerked overhead
Clean
Make clean by removing dirt, filth, or unwanted substances from;
Clean the stove!
The dentist cleaned my teeth
Clean
Remove unwanted substances from, such as feathers or pits;
Clean the turkey
Clean
Clean and tidy up the house;
She housecleans every week
Clean
Clean one's body or parts thereof, as by washing;
Clean up before you see your grandparents
Clean your fingernails before dinner
Clean
Be cleanable;
This stove cleans easily
Clean
Deprive wholly of money in a gambling game, robbery, etc.;
The other players cleaned him completely
Clean
Remove all contents or possession from, or empty completely;
The boys cleaned the sandwich platters
The trees were cleaned of apples by the storm
Clean
Remove while making clean;
Clean the spots off the rug
Clean
Remove unwanted substances from
Clean
Remove shells or husks from;
Clean grain before milling it
Clean
Free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits;
Children with clean shining faces
Clean white shirts
Clean dishes
A spotlessly clean house
Cats are clean animals
Clean
Free of restrictions or qualifications;
A clean bill of health
A clear winner
Clean
(of sound or color) free from anything that dulls or dims;
Efforts to obtain a clean bass in orchestral recordings
Clear laughter like a waterfall
Clear reds and blues
A light lilting voice like a silver bell
Clean
Free from impurities;
Clean water
Fresh air
Clean
Without difficulties or problems;
A clean test flight
Clean
Ritually clean or pure
Clean
Not spreading pollution or contamination; especially radioactive contamination;
A clean fuel
Cleaner and more efficient engines
The tactical bomb is reasonably clean
Clean
(of behavior or especially language) free from objectionable elements; fit for all observers;
Good clean fun
A clean joke
Clean
Free from sepsis or infection;
A clean (or uninfected) wound
Clean
Morally pure;
Led a clean life
Clean
(of a manuscript) having few alterations or corrections;
Fair copy
A clean manuscript
Clean
Of a surface; not written or printed on;
Blank pages
Fill in the blank spaces
A clean page
Wide white margins
Clean
Marked by or calling for sportsmanship or fair play;
A clean fight
A sporting solution of the disagreement
Sportsmanlike conduct
Clean
Thorough and without qualification;
A clean getaway
A clean sweep
A clean break
Clean
(of a record) having no marks of discredit or offense;
A clean voting recor
A clean driver's license
Clean
Not carrying concealed weapons
Clean
Free from clumsiness; precisely or deftly executed;
He landed a clean left on his opponent's cheek
A clean throw
The neat exactness of the surgeon's knife
Clean
Free of drugs;
After a long dependency on heroin she has been clean for 4 years
Clean
Completely; used as intensifiers;
Clean forgot the appointment
I'm plumb (or plum) tuckered out
Clean
In conformity with the rules or laws and without fraud or cheating;
They played fairly
Clean
Simple and clear.
He gave a clean explanation of the concept.
FAQs
Is clean only used to describe physical cleanliness?
No, clean can also describe moral or spiritual purity, as well as clarity in expression.
Can cleanse refer to a moral or spiritual purification?
Yes, cleanse can imply a moral or spiritual purification, as in cleansing one's soul.
Can one cleanse their reputation?
Yes, cleansing a reputation refers to removing undesirable elements or perceptions to restore it.
Does clean air mean it’s purified?
Clean air typically means it is free from pollutants and contaminants, so it can be considered purified.
Can a clean design refer to its aesthetics?
Yes, a clean design typically means it has a simple, uncluttered, and clear aesthetic.
Can cleanse mean to clear something?
Yes, to cleanse can also mean to clear or purge something of undesirable elements.
Can clean be used as a verb?
Yes, clean can be used as a verb meaning to make something free from dirt or impurities.
Is cleanse more thorough than clean?
Typically, yes, cleanse often implies a more thorough and specific cleaning or purifying process.
Is a clean break referring to cleanliness?
No, a clean break usually means a complete and clear separation or change.
Is cleansing always related to health?
No, while often used in health contexts, cleansing can refer to purifying or cleaning anything from substances to reputations.
Is cleansing always physical?
No, cleansing can also be moral, spiritual, or emotional, referring to purifying aspects beyond the physical.
Can a cleanse be a diet?
Yes, a cleanse can be a diet aimed at detoxifying the body by eliminating toxins.
Can clean refer to a complete action?
Yes, clean can refer to thoroughness or completeness in action, like a clean sweep.
Can you clean your conscience?
Yes, cleaning one's conscience typically means resolving moral or ethical dilemmas and guilt.
Is cleaning the same as sanitizing?
No, cleaning removes
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
