spot clean

A form of spot-clean — To clean only those parts that are soiled, rather than cleaning the entire thing, area, etc.

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Meanings

verbspot clean (third-person singular simple present spot cleans, present participle spot cleaning, simple past and past participle spot cleaned)

present singular third person spot cleans · participle present spot cleaning · participle past spot cleaned · past spot cleaned

  1. alternativeAlternative form of spot-clean.

    Spot clean the area with dry-solvent spot cleaner .)

    2004, Vicki Christian, Girls Just Wanna Have Clean!, page 37
    2 more examples

    Examine the stain and spot clean it with an appropriate cleaner.

    2011, Laura Ehrlich, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Quilting Basics

    The cleaning kit will be used to spot clean along the way and to thoroughly clean storage surfaces before replacing your sorted items.

    2012, MaryAnne Bennie, From Stuffed to Sorted, page 12
Cite this entry
APA

spot clean. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spot%20clean

MLA

“spot clean.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spot%20clean. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spot clean,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spot%20clean.

Source: spot clean on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.