Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Cleanse \Cleanse\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Cleansed}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Cleansing}.] [AS. cl[=ae]nsian, fr. cl[=ae]ne clean. See
   {Clean}.]
   To render clean; to free from fith, pollution, infection,
   guilt, etc.; to clean.

         If we walk in the light . . . the blood of Jesus Christ
         his son cleanseth us from all sin.       --1 John i. 7.

         Can'st thou not minister to a mind diseased, And with
         some sweet oblivious antidote Cleanse the suffed bosom
         of that perilous stuff Which weighs upon the heart?
                                                  --Shak.

Source : WordNet®

cleansing
     adj 1: cleansing the body by washing; especially ritual washing of
            e.g. hands; "ablutionary rituals" [syn: {ablutionary}]
     2: acting like an antiseptic [syn: {purifying}]

cleansing
     n : the act of making something clean; "he gave his shoes a good
         cleaning" [syn: {cleaning}, {cleanup}]