Laser cleaning technology has many advantages, such as non-contact, high cleaning accuracy, minor damage to the substrate, and being environmentally friendly. It plays an increasingly important role in intelligent manufacturing. With the development of laser cleaning technology, the need for rapid detection and accurate evaluation of laser cleaning quality is becoming increasingly urgent. The laser interacts with the layer to be cleaned and the substrate during laser cleaning. By collecting and analyzing the light, sound, and other signals and surface characteristics changes during the interaction between laser and substance, real-time characterization of the cleaning process and results can be realized, which is gradually widely used in the automated laser precision cleaning process. This review summarizes the working principle and research progress of laser cleaning monitoring technologies such as acoustic wave monitoring, spectral, and image monitoring. The possible future development and trend of laser cleaning monitoring technology are also discussed.