This paper discusses the progress of ultrasonic cleaning technologies in theoretical research and equipment application. Firstly， the observation of cavitation effect， the motion characteristics of cavitation bubble and the measurement of cavitation intensity in ultrasonic cleaning are discussed， and the effects of frequency， power， temperature and other factors on the effect of ultrasonic cleaning are mainly introduced from numerical simulation and experimental analysis. Then， the research on the directivity and impedance matching of transducer in cleaning equipment and the research status of frequency automatic tracking technology in recent years are discussed， and the application of different ultrasonic cleaning technology in various fields is introduced. Finally， in view of the existing problems in the research of ultrasonic cleaning technology， the paper puts forward the future research suggestions of ultrasonic cleaning technology and the direction of equipment development.