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Water and soap remove more than physical dirt―they attenuate guilt from one’s moral transgressions (Zhong & Liljenquist, 2006) and soften one’s judgment of others ’ misdeeds (Schnall, Benton, & Harvey, 2008). Conversely, immoral acts increase the appeal of physical cleansing (Zhong & Liljenquist, 2006). Such findings indicate that abstract thought about morality is grounded in concrete experiences of physical cleanliness (Lakoff & Johnson, 1999). Natural language use associates this moral-purity metaphor with specific body parts (e.g., “dirty hands,” “dirty mouth”), suggesting that the motor modality involved in a transgression may figure prominently in the embodiment of moral purity. If so, people should prefer purification of the “dirty ” body part over purification of other body parts. We tested this conjecture, which is compatible with th