Cleaning agents or hard-surface cleaners are substances used to remove dirt, including dust, stains, foul odors, and clutter on surfaces. Purposes of cleaning agents include health, beauty, removing offensive odor, and avoiding the spread of dirt and contaminants to oneself and others. Some cleaning agents can kill bacteria and clean at the same time. Others, called degreasers, contain organic solvents to help dissolve oils and fats.
Using a mix of acidic vinegar and soap to clean a plastic surface
Fabuloso multipurpose cleaner and generic surface cleaners
Dirt is any matter considered unclean, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty.
Common types of dirt include:Debris: scattered pieces of waste or remains
Dust: a general powder of organic or mineral matter
Filth: foul matter such as excrement
Grime: a black, ingrained dust such as soot
Soil: the mix of clay, sand, and humus which lies on top of bedrock. The term 'soil' may be used to refer to unwanted substances or dirt that are deposited onto surfaces such as clothing.
The great dust heap of London at Battle Bridge in 1836, next to the Smallpox Hospital
Dirty Dicks is a Bishopsgate pub named after Dirty Dick, who once owned it and was notoriously filthy.
Dirt-covered sidewalk in Brooklyn, NYC being swept during a community clean-up
