Puhastamisel

Puhastamisel is an Estonian linguistic form used to express the time or circumstance of cleaning, roughly translating to “during cleaning” or “in the process of cleaning.” It functions as a nominalized form derived from the verb puhastama (to clean) and is commonly encountered in instructional, procedural, and safety texts.

The form is created by combining the stem of the related noun or verb with the suffix -misel, which marks a temporal or circumstantial relation. This makes puhastamisel suitable for linking actions to the specific act of cleaning, without naming a subject performing the action. It can appear in sentences that describe requirements, precautions, or steps that apply while cleaning is underway.

Usage and examples:

- Puhastamisel tuleb kasutada sobivaid kaitsevahendeid. (During cleaning, appropriate protective equipment must be used.)

- Puhastamisel võivad tekkida tolm ja kemikaalide aurud, seetõttu on soovitatav ventilatsioon. (During cleaning, dust and chemical fumes may occur, so ventilation is recommended.)

- Puhastamisel jälgige tootja juhiseid. (During cleaning, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.)

Relation to other forms:

- Puhastus or puhastamine refer to the process or result of cleaning as a noun.

- Puhastama is the verb “to clean,” whose various nominalizations and participial forms are used across Estonian grammar to express timing and circumstance.

Overall, puhastamisel is a neutral, formal construction used to situate actions within the act of cleaning, particularly in manuals, guidelines, and procedural writing.