The laser cleaning technology with the use of short pulsed lasers on material surface for a rapid cleaning has a broad application prospect in the industrial fields of manufacturing, production and repairing, and so on. Three typical laser cleaning methods of laser ablation cleaning, liquid film assisted laser cleaning, and laser shockwave cleaning are introduced. The research status at home and abroad of laser cleaning technology is reviewed. Some representative applications of laser cleaning technology are listed based on the own charateristics of cleaning materials, and their development directions in the domestic manufacturing are prospected.