Laser cleaning is based on the so-called laser ablation. During it, the cleaned material interacts with very strong light radiation. When radiation hits impurities, it is absorbed and subsequently breaks the covalent chemical bonds in the molecules and their disintegration. In this way, e.g. rust, old coatings, mineral oils and other grease, soot, metal complexes , etc. can be very effectively removed. The underlying material itself does not absorb the beam, but reflects it. Therefore, there is no transfer of energy and no disturbance of its surface.

The interaction of the laser beam with the contaminated material is accompanied by a number of physical processes, mainly sublimation, melting, evaporation, shock waves, acoustic effect, etc. These phenomena can be used very effectively in practice when removing various impurities from various materials and according to various requirements. By appropriately setting the individual parameters of the pulse laser , such as the energy of the pulse, its length, frequency, trajectory of the light beam, etc., it is possible to choose, for example, between a very intensive coarse removal of impurities, or, on the contrary, a gentle cleaning, when it is desirable, for example, to preserve a certain patina of historical subjects.