The invention provides a barrel type kelp cleaner. The barrel type kelp cleaner comprises an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder, wherein a plurality of layers of cleaning chambers are arranged in the inner cylinder; the cleaning chambers in every two adjacent layers are communicated or isolated by partition plates; when kelps are cleaned in one cleaning chamber, the cleaning chambers in all layers are isolated by the partition plates, and when the kelps enter the next layer of the cleaning chamber, the partition plates are opened, so that the cleaning chambers in all layers are communicated,and the kelps are convenient to enter; a vortex generating device is arranged between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder; through the vortex generating device, a water current vortex is produced to clean the kelps in the inner cylinder and remove impurities on the kelps; a delivery mechanism is arranged below the inner cylinder, so that the cleaned kelps can be delivered; and a shearing delivery mechanism is arranged above the outer cylinder to shear the kelps and deliver the sheared kelps to the inner cylinder for cleaning. The whole barrel type kelp cleaner disclosed by the inventionis high in automation degree, labor cost is saved, the kelps can be cleaned in a layering manner, and the cleaning efficiency is high.