A printing screen cleaning apparatus and a method for cleaning a printing screen by employing the cleaning apparatus which includes a cleaning head having a wiping member and a backup member for sucking the paste via a wiping member while sliding the wiping member on a lower surface of the printing screen. The backup member includes a suction port provided in a suction region of a backup surface of the backup member. The backup member also has a groove that extends parallel to the suction region and approximately perpendicular to the sliding direction of the wiping member. The groove partially releases the backup of the wiping member.