The quality, state, or action of cleansing or removing impurities from a surface or wound.
From Latin detergence, derived from detergere (to wipe away), with the suffix -ence indicating a state or quality.
The detergence of modern soaps is so effective because they don't just dilute dirt—they actually break the chemical bonds that hold dirt to skin, which is why people obsessed over detergency in the soap-making revolution of the 1800s.
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