houseclean

verb

house·​clean ˈhau̇s-ˌklēn 

housecleaned; housecleaning; housecleans

intransitive verb

1

: to clean a house and its furniture

2

: to get rid of unwanted or undesirable items or people

transitive verb

1

: to clean the surfaces and furnishings of

2

: to improve or reform by ridding of undesirable people or practices

housecleaning

ˈhau̇s-ˌklē-niŋ 

noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Spending on things like housecleaning services or grocery delivery left people feeling more satisfied than spending on things like new clothes and wine. —Ashley Whillans And Michael Norton, WSJ, 10 Sep. 2017

If a company tells you it is bonded, know that doesn’t mean much: The bonds housecleaning services buy protect the company, not you. —Kevin Brasler, The Seattle Times, 28 Apr. 2017

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from housecleaning

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1