List cleansing occurs after a database has been run through the CASS certification process. This is the time to check for any non mailable, incomplete or otherwise imperfect addresses.
Typically this happens because of 2 reasons:
Fields are commonly left blank, such as the name fields, or parts of the address fields.
The CASS certification could not find a missing component of the address or improve the address quality when it compared it to the USPS addresses database.
Our options at this point in the list cleansing process are:
If a name is missing we can fill it in with a static such as “or Current Resident” or “ To Our Friends At”
If the record is completely empty or almost empty (no data elements) then we would delete the whole record.
For the non automation compatible records we can send them back to you to fix or we can give you an estimate for us to fix them.
Lists often contain extraneous information that is unnecessary for the mailing process, and could even hinder it. List cleansing can only do so much. Getting rid of (and replacing if necessary) that information in an efficient way is facilitated through search and replace.
Search and Replace involves removing information within a list that is not required for mailing, as well as replacing information as required that may be missing.
To ensure accurate delivery, you need to make sure that your list is as clean as possible. Demographic information is often provided with purchased lists, and while it’s great to have that, it doesn't belong in the mailing fields. Using search and replace can help.
We work with software that allows us to Search and Replace by string, word, field or pattern. This makes the process easy and quick.
LIST CLEANSING 
