Thread: Clean and Cleanse

Are these two words complete synonyms or is there some minor difference?
What word should I use when speaking of cleaning the soil from petroleum spills?

Can I use the word 'purification' here?

to me, cleanse has an assoication of thoroughness. To cleanse is to completely clean or remove.

Oil spills you usually clean up.

"cleanse" is a very high-level (highfalutin) word, a/k/a a $64 word. I just checked Multitran - I didn't see any particularly corresponding high-level word, so I recommend looking it up on Google and check out the contexts in which it occurs. If there were such a word, it would probably be a Church Slavic word.

OTOH "clean" is the normal everyday word that can be used for everything.

"purification" is way above and beyond the call of duty here, I mean it has nothing to do with мыть http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?HL=2&L1 ... rification

Cleanse means to make hygienic or pure, whereas clean just means to make not dirty.

Originally Posted by chaika

"cleanse" is a very high-level (highfalutin) word, a/k/a a $64 word. I just checked Multitran - I didn't see any particularly corresponding high-level word, so I recommend looking it up on Google and check out the contexts in which it occurs. If there were such a word, it would probably be a Church Slavic word.

OTOH "clean" is the normal everyday word that can be used for everything.

"purification" is way above and beyond the call of duty here, I mean it has nothing to do with мыть http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?HL=2&L1 ... rification

Cleanse isn't a very high-level word. If it is you must have very basic English. Scotcher gives a good explanation.

Somebody answer the poor man's question!

Cleanse is a fine choice WRT the cleaning of soil. Clean isn't enough and purify is too much when talking about soil.

I can think of situations where I might use purify with soil, but not if you are simply cleaning up an oil spill.

An example picked at random from the Internet:
"Various conventional techniques are used to cleanse soil or underground water of contaminants caused by underground pollution."

Sounds perfect.

Cleanse can also be used in a spiritual way:

"She needs to cleanse her spirit - get rid of the evil demons."

Cleanse and purify are much closer in meaning....though purify, to me, as more of an industrial meaning to it.

Ramil -

"There was an oil spill, but the land was cleaned up" (and I'd always add the "up". I think. ):
Four guys with spades and buckets turned up, dug out the black bits (and emptied the buckets on the neighbour's land ). There. Clean.

"There was an oil spill, but the land/ground was cleansed":
A special firm turned up with a truck and diggers, removed the upper layer of soil, took it to the cleansing plant where the soil was washed with detergents and rinsed, then put it back.

"There was an oil spill, but the soil was purified" (although I must say I don't like this construction very much. Maybe it's just me, but I'd probably only use the word "purify" for liquids ):
A special firm turned up with a truck, diggers, and men in white suits and masks; they removed the upper layer of soil, took it to the cleansing/purification plant where the soil was washed with detergents, rinsed, treated with chemicals, sterilized (etc, add your own! ). Then they put it back.




Sort of......


All this being said, in everyday use, you'd probably just use "cleaned up".