A CO2laser‐based system was used to provoke the vapor‐assisted removal of contaminating particles from different kinds of surfaces. Particles of alumina, silicon carbide, boron carbide, and cerium dioxide, with a size as small as 0.1 &mgr;m, have been efficiently removed from silicon, gold, and silicon dioxide surfaces. The dependence of the cleaning efficiency on the laser fluence was investigated; a threshold was found at 0.65 J/cm2and the efficiency was highest for a fluence ranging from 2.9 to 3.2 J/cm2for silicon, and 3.2 J/cm2for gold and silicon dioxide surfaces. The amount of the water vapor which condenses at the surface was also found to play a major role, the best results being obtained with a condensed thickness calculated to be 6 &mgr;m. The zeta potential value of the contaminant particles with respect to that of the surface greatly influences the cleaning process. ©1996 American Institute of Physics.