Synonyms and antonyms of To make things cleaner or tidier in British Thesaurus

clean up ()

to make a place completely clean and tidy

clear out ()

to make a place or container clean or tidy by removing things that are not wanted and getting rid of any dirt or dust in it

clean (verb)

to remove the dirt from something

sort out ()

to get rid of things that you do not need and arrange things that you do need tidily

clean out ()

to make a place or container clean or tidy by removing objects that are not wanted and getting rid of any dirt or dust in it

tidy (verb)

to make a place look better by putting things in the correct place

pick up after ()

to make a place clean and tidy, especially after someone else has used it

brush (verb)

to make something clean or tidy using a brush

pick up ()

to lift things up and put them in the place where they are kept in order to make a place tidy

straighten up ()

to make something tidy

brush (verb)

to remove something from an object using a brush

brush down ()

to clean someone or something using your hands or a brush

change (verb)

if you change a bed or change the sheets, you put clean sheets, covers etc on the bed

clean (verb)

to remove the dirt and dust in a house or other building

clean down ()

to remove the dirt from something, especially from an upright surface

clean out ()

to remove objects from a place or container in order to make it tidy

clean up ()

to remove objects from a place in order to make it completely clean and tidy

clean up after ()

to clean a place after someone has made it dirty or untidy

clear away ()

to remove something that you have finished using or no longer want in order to make a place tidy

clear out ()

to remove things that are not wanted from a place or container in order to make it tidy

clear the table ()

to take away from a table all the dishes and the knives, forks etc after people have finished eating

clear up ()

to make a place tidy by removing things that you have finished using or no longer want

clear up after ()

to make a place tidy after someone else has made it untidy

declutter (verb)

to get rid of things you do not need or want from your home or another place

decontaminate (verb)

to remove a dangerous or poisonous substance from something

descale (verb)

to remove the white powder that forms on metal containers when the water in them contains a lot of chemicals

disentangle (verb)

to remove knots in rope, wool etc

do (verb)

informal to clean something, or to make a place tidy

do out (informal)

informal to make a room, cupboard, or drawer thoroughly tidy and clean

dry (verb)

to wipe the water off dishes after they have been washed

dust (verb)

to wipe the dust off the surface of something such as furniture

dust down ()

to wipe dust or dirt off the surface of something

dust off ()

to wipe dust or dirt off the surface of something

dust yourself off ()

to wipe dust or dirt off your clothes

fix up ()

to clean, repair, or decorate something

freshen (verb)

to make something fresher, cleaner, or more attractive

fumigate (verb)

to treat a place or object with fumes from chemicals in order to kill bacteria or insects

give someone/something the once-over ()

to clean something very quickly

go over ()

to clean something, especially quickly

hoover (verb)

British to clean a carpet or floor with a vacuum cleaner

hoover up (British)

British to clean the dirt or dust from a carpet or floor with a vacuum cleaner

lay (verb)

if you lay the table or lay a place at a table, you prepare a table for a meal by putting forks, knives, spoons, dishes etc on it. The usual American word is set

make a bed ()

to arrange the covers on a bed so that they are tidy

pick up (American)

American to make a place clean and tidy

purify (verb)

to make something clean by removing dirty or harmful substances from it

restore (verb)

to clean and repair something old and dirty or damaged so that it looks the same as it did originally

sandblast (verb)

to clean a surface with a special machine that uses high pressure to shoot sand against it

sanitise ()

a British spelling of sanitize

sanitize (verb)

to make something clean and healthy, especially by killing bacteria

set the table ()

to put knives, forks, plates etc on a table at each place where a person will eat

set the table ()

to put all the dishes, forks, knives etc needed for a meal onto a table

shake out ()

to shake a cloth, sheet, piece of clothing etc so that dust and dirt fall off

smarten up ()

to improve the appearance of something, for example by cleaning or painting it

sterilise ()

a British spelling of sterilize

sterilize (verb)

to kill all the bacteria on or in something and to make it completely clean, for example by heating it to a very high temperature. Equipment is sterilized in a machine called a sterilizer.

strip (verb)

to remove sheets and other covers from a bed

sweep (verb)

to clean a floor, the ground, or another surface using a broom (=brush with a long handle)

sweep (verb)

to clean something such as a chimney with a long brush

sweep up ()

to clean and remove dirt, glass, dust etc from a floor or the ground using a brush or broom

tidy away ()

to put things back in their correct place after you have been using them

tidy out ()

to make a room or cupboard look better by removing things that you do not want

tidy up ()

to make small changes to something in order to make it better

tidy up after ()

to make a room look tidy after someone else has made it untidy

tuck in ()

to put the end of something such as a piece of clothing under or behind another piece in order to make it tidy

tuck into ()

to put the end of something such as a piece of clothing under or behind another piece in order to make it tidy

vacuum (verb)

to clean a room using a vacuum cleaner

valet (verb)

British to clean a car