The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word SWEEP
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
W
E
E
P
More clues leading to the result SWEEP
- Range is clear
- Dust benches erected around start of evensong
- Curving drive is clean
- Push church seating back to accommodate end of cortege
- Clean close to aisle in upturned seats
- Kind of 15, one often dirty? It could be clean
- Gradually escape, spanning wide range
- Sooty’s pal Soo’s beginning to cry
- Goes around skirting with brush
- Puppet that’s small? Small and quiet
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Kind of 15/It could be clean" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case kind of 15/it could be clean = sweep.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SWEEP mean?
SWEEP noun- A single action of sweeping.
- The person who steers a dragon boat.
- A person who stands at the stern of a surf boat, steering with a steering oar and commanding the crew.
- A chimney sweep.
- A methodical search, typically for bugs (electronic listening devices).
- A batsman's shot, played from a kneeling position with a swinging horizontal bat.
- A lottery, usually on the results of a sporting event, where players win if their randomly chosen team wins.
- A flow of water parallel to shore caused by wave action at an ocean beach or at a point or headland.
- A throw or takedown that primarily uses the legs to attack an opponent's legs.
- Violent and general destruction.
- A movable templet for making moulds, in loam moulding.
- In the game casino, the act of capturing all face-up cards from the table.
- The compass of any turning body or of any motion.
- Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, etc. away from a rectilinear line.
- A large oar used in small vessels, partly to propel them and partly to steer them.
- A rowing style in which each rower rows with oar on either the port or starboard side.
- (refining) The almond furnace.
- A long pole, or piece of timber, moved on a horizontal fulcrum fixed to a tall post and used to raise and lower a bucket in a well for drawing water.
- Any of the blades of a windmill.
- (in the plural) The sweepings of workshops where precious metals are worked, containing filings, etc.
- Any of several sea chub in the kyphosid subfamily Scorpidinae.
- An expanse or a swath, a strip of land.
- To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush.
- To move through a (horizontal) arc or similar long stroke.
- To search (a place) methodically.
- To travel quickly.
- To play a sweep shot.
- To brush the ice in front of a moving stone, causing it to travel farther and to curl less.
- To move something in a long sweeping motion, as a broom.
- To win (a series) without drawing or losing any of the games in that series.
- To defeat (a team) in a series without drawing or losing any of the games in that series.
- To remove something abruptly and thoroughly.
- To brush against or over; to rub lightly along.
- To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence, to carry in a stately or proud fashion.
- To strike with a long stroke.
- To row with one oar to either the port or starboard side.
- To draw or drag something over.
- To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an instrument of observation.
- (including) to vacuum a carpet or rug