# clean up

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/clean-up
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to make a place or person clean and tidy by removing dirt or mess. You use this when you want to fix a messy room or get clean after a dirty job.

For teachers: to remove dirt, mess, or unwanted items from a place or person. The verb is optionally transitive and often implies a restorative action to return a space to its original state.

## Examples

- We need to clean up the kitchen after dinner.
- After the party ended at midnight, the hosts spent an hour cleaning up the living room and washing the glasses.
- The local government launched a massive initiative to clean up the industrial waste that had accumulated along the riverbanks over several decades.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I need to clean up my hands." but "I need to wash my hands." — Learners often use 'clean up' for body parts when 'wash' is the standard collocation for personal hygiene.

## Usage notes

- The object can sit between 'clean' and 'up' or after the whole phrase.
- Teaching tip: Contrast with 'clean' to show that 'clean up' often focuses on the act of tidying a specific mess rather than routine maintenance.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.