The removal of an email address from an email list when the address owner complains about receiving spam messages. In this scenario, the e-mail list was not created using opt-in subscription lists. Only those who complain about being spammed are removed, and others on the list who do not complain will continue to be spammed. Listwashing will produce a “clean” list of email recipients — the remaining people who do not or have not objected to receiving the unsolicited email.