scrub
v.v. to clean something by rubbing it very hard with a brush or a rough cloth. You usually do this when something is very dirty and soap alone is not enough.
v. to clean or wash a surface by applying hard pressure and friction, typically with a brush or abrasive cloth. Often used in medical contexts to describe the thorough washing of hands before surgery.
You need to scrub the floor to get the mud off.
The surgeon must scrub her hands and forearms thoroughly before entering the operating room to maintain a sterile environment.
After years of neglect, the stone walls required a team of specialists to scrub away the thick layers of soot and grime that had accumulated from the nearby factory.
Late Middle English in the sense of "stunted tree," a variant of shrub, possibly under Old Norse influence.
From Middle English scrobben (“groom a horse with a currycomb”); from Middle Dutch schrobben (“clean by scrubbing”).
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.