noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cleanser
before 1000; Middle English; Old English clǣnsere; see cleanse, -er 1
Explanation
A substance you use to scour, scrub, or wash something is a cleanser. Even if you sweep the kitchen floor every day, eventually you'll need to give it a deep clean with a mop and a cleanser. Cleanser and cleaner are very similar, and they can be swapped in usage. However, it's more common to save cleanser for the stuff used to do the cleaning, rather than the person who cleans. You might wash your face with a special cleanser every night, or sprinkle a powerful cleanser in the tub to get it extra clean. And a palate cleanser is something (like sorbet) that clears tastes from your mouth before you taste something else.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It's a charming palate cleanser after the familial drama of the album's final third.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
By the time you’re invited to nibble the pulp off seeds straight from a tamarind pod, a palate cleanser before dessert, you may have forgotten that the island you’re on is Manhattan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
The company just released its hydrating cream cleanser, joining other bestselling products like hand wash, face and body moisturizer, cleansing wipes and face and body oil.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 5, 2026
Executives will clearly be hoping for a fresh start - a palate cleanser if you like - for the show as well as for the wider TV industry.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2025
For years Mama begged him to at least wash his face in the morning and even got him special men’s woodsy-scented foaming face cleanser, but he didn’t touch it.
From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan
Using multiple exfoliants, acid-based cleansers or granular scrubs can be too harsh.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry thinks dupes are fine to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2025
“They always bring you down to the ground so that I could take off again somewhere else somewhat different. Kind of like palate cleansers in that way,” she says.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 7, 2024
Non soap cleansers are often labeled with things like “non-soap,” “soap-free,” “sulfate-free,” or “pH neutral”.
From National Geographic ● Nov. 28, 2023
Fruits are cleansers, both of the alimentary tract and of the blood.
From Maintaining Health Formerly Health and Efficiency by R. L. Alsaker
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