Observed to be not all washed up (3)
I believe the answer is:
saw
'observed' is the definition.
(seen)
I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for saw that I've seen before include "Hand tool; proverb" , "Observed; tool" , "Viewed; adage" , "Grasped" , "Spotted" .)