Unlike the other expression, "clean out" usually is not mostly about cleaning: "The thieves hacked into my bank account and they cleaned me out" means they stole everything that was there. It can be used in a cleaning context as well to describe a very thorough cleaning of a specific place while removing all unwanted objects: "Jack's room was a mess. His toys and dirty laundry were scattered everywhere. It took me an hour to clean it out."

Clean" generally means to remove dirt or any unwanted material from something. "Clean up" usually means to tidy or organize an area by removing unnecessary objects or mess. "Cleanse" often refers to the process of removing toxins from the body or purifying something.

"clean out" generally refers to the act of removing everything from a space or object in order to make it completely empty. It may also refer to the act of removing unnecessary or unwanted items or people from a situation or organization. For example, "I need to clean out my closet and donate all the clothes I don't wear anymore" or "The CEO decided to clean out the management team and hire new leaders."

People were reluctant to clean out their "collections" in the house, lest some endearing memories part from them. Cleaning would not tidy up the eye-sore mess in the garage. Nonetheless, we clean around the house to stay healthy and clean up turmoils in our minds through meditation from time to time.