Cleaner means more free from dirt, mess, or clutter. When your room is cleaner than it was yesterday, you've removed some of the scattered clothes, old snack wrappers, or dust that made it messy. A cleaner kitchen has fewer dirty dishes and crumbs on the counter. After washing your hands, they're cleaner than before.

Your homework looks cleaner when you erase smudges and rewrite sloppy parts. A river becomes cleaner when pollution decreases. Athletes wear cleaner uniforms at the start of a game than at the end.

Cleaner can also mean a person whose job involves cleaning, or a substance used for cleaning. A house cleaner might vacuum, dust, and scrub bathrooms in homes or office buildings. Window cleaners wash the glass on skyscrapers. You might also use a spray cleaner to wipe down your desk, or take your winter coat to the dry cleaner to remove stains.

The phrase come clean means to tell the truth about something you've been hiding. When someone comes clean about breaking a vase, they're admitting what really happened instead of making excuses.