Other forms: abstergents
An abstergent is a cleansing agent, like soap or hydrogen peroxide. If a substance is abstergent, it can be used to wash away impurities.
You'll most often see the word abstergent used in medical or botanical texts (as some plants, such as witch hazel, have abstergent properties). The word can be used as either a noun, as in "Soap is a common abstergent in households and medical clinics," or an adjective, as in "The doctor used an abstergent solution to clean the wound." The word comes from the Latin ab-, meaning "away," and stergere, meaning "to wipe."