rinse down

Related to rinse down: rinse off

rinse down

1. To clean dirt or residue off of someone or something by spraying it with a liquid, especially water. A noun or pronoun can be used between "rinse" and "down." We'll need to rinse down the side of the house and let it dry before we start painting. The dog is covered in mud, so take him out back and rinse him down with a hose.
2. To use the force of water or another liquid to remove something into or toward something else. A noun or pronoun is used between "rinse" and "down." Don't rinse those bits of food down the sink—they'll clog up the drain. Luckily it started raining, which rinsed all that splattered paint into the gutter.
3. To drink something in order to aid the act of eating or swallowing. A noun or pronoun can be used between "rinse" and "down." I could use a cold soda to rinse down these fries. If she struggles to swallow that pill, give her some more water to rinse it down.
See also: down, rinse
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

rinse someone or something down

to wash or clean someone or something with water or other fluid. I rinsed him down for an hour and still didn't get the smell of skunk off him. I had to rinse down the driveway.
See also: down, rinse

rinse something down (with something)

to wash something down one's throat with a liquid; to follow something that one has eaten with a drink to aid its going down. Alice rinsed the cheeseburger down with a milkshake. She rinsed down the sandwich with a drink.
See also: down, rinse
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • not do (someone or oneself) any favors
  • (Is) this taken?
  • interpret for
  • interpret for (someone)
  • rescue from
  • rescue from (someone or something)
  • identify with
  • attune to
  • ask back
  • orient to (something)
References in periodicals archive
Never throw amalgam in the trash, rinse down the sink or place in a biohazard bag.
"You basically rinse down the panels and make sure there's not dust on them."
Clean out every nook and cranny and then give the greenhouse a good rinse down.