Lave means to make in Danish
It's good that I am washing myself = Es bueno que me esté lavando.
(That's a literal translation: I don't think anyone would use "lavar" for washing yourself, more likely "bañando" [bathing] or "aseando" [cleaning] --at least not in Mexico, but what's idiomatic does vary quite a bit from country to country. Although for "wash your face" you would say "lávate la cara", using the verb "lavar".)
I am washing it = Lo estoy lavando.
Here are some sentences where I would use "lave" or "lavé":
Dile que lo lave mañana= Tell him/her to wash it tomorrow
Lavé las cortinas con agua caliente = I washed the curtains in hot water.
It also means "to wash" in English.