Among government officials and activists, the concept of “clean arms exports” is frequently invoked to describe either current or idealized arms transfer practices. It appeared repeatedly in over half of my interactions with participants, and less prominently, but still consistently, across interviews and focus groups. Following the meaning in use of the concept, “clean arms exports” entails arms transfers adhering to requirements of transparency, lawfulness, legitimacy, caution, and careful assessment of potential risks. Meanwhile, references to dirty are used to characterize problematic practices such as the “unprecedented arms dumping” within the Russia-Ukraine War (FOAT, 2023).