A cleaning apparatus and color printing machine having an ultrasonic cleaner and a cleaning blade is disclosed for removing residual toner, toner additive films, spots and comets off the imaging surface. The toner additives used during development leave more than one layer of toner additive films on the surface. An ultrasonic cleaner that has a tip velocity ranging from about 1500 mm/sec to about 3000 mm/sec is used in combination with a blade that has sufficient hardness to remove the thick toner additive films without damaging the surface. The build up of toner additive films cause copy defects. The vibrational motion of the ultrasonic cleaner reduces friction between the blade and the surface and enables the dislodgment of toner additive films, spots, comets and residual toner off the surface.