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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

spot-clean en · VERB

Meanings

  1. To clean only those parts that are soiled, rather than cleaning the entire thing, area, etc.
    • “You can ruin the cloth if you try to spot-clean it,” warns Susan Fritz, co-owner of Denver Doll Hospital, a doll-cleaning and restoration business. 1999, Jeff Bredenberg, Clean It Fast, Clean It Right, page 151:
    • If you need to spot-clean a dryclean-only fabric, try using Energine Cleaning Fluid, available at grocery and hardware stores. 2002, Linda Cobb, The Queen of Clean's Complete Cleaning Guide:
    • To spot-clean, you can either use a dry-cleaning solution or a very mild, nonperfumed soap or Woolite and water. 2011, Mark Montano, Carly Sommerstein, Window Treatments and Slipcovers For Dummies, page 68:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
spot-cleans Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
spotclean alternative lexicographic
spot clean alternative lexicographic
spot-cleaning Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
spot-cleaned Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
spot-cleaned Tense=Past lexicographic