cleaner

 
Pronunciation: /ˈkliːnə/

noun

  • a person or thing that cleans something, in particular:
  • a person employed to clean the interior of a building: she’s one of the office cleaners
  • (the cleaners) a shop where clothes and fabrics are dry-cleaned: my suit’s at the cleaners
  • a device for cleaning, such as a vacuum cleaner.
  • a chemical substance used for cleaning: an oven cleaner

Phrases

take someone to the cleaners

informal
take all someone’s money or possessions in a dishonest or unfair way: he had a lot of dishonest partners who really took him to the cleaners
inflict a crushing defeat on someone: his team were taken to the cleaners by the Australians in the first Test