abstergent
adj.describing something that cleanses or removes dirt and impurities. It is often used to talk about strong chemicals or processes that make things very clean.
adj.relating to the act of cleansing or the removal of impurities. Often describes substances or processes that have a strong, purifying effect.
“The doctor used an abstergent to clean the wound.”
“The company developed a new abstergent that can remove heavy metals from industrial water without damaging the pipes.”
“In the context of religious ritual, the use of an abstergent is not merely physical but symbolic, representing the purification of the soul from moral corruption.”
From French, from Latin abstergens, present participle of abstergeo (“wiping off”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.