Abstract: An ultrasonic cleaning and drying machine and method in which batches of articles to be cleaned and dried are indexed along a path of travel which follows a compact loop through an ultrasonic cleaning and rinsing station, where the articles are cleaned and rinsed at a first location for a first predetermined timed interval, and a drying station, where the articles are subjected to drying at further locations for a second predetermined timed interval which is a multiple of the first predetermined timed interval, the further locations being equal in number to the multiple such that each batch of articles is cleaned and rinsed at the first location, and then is dried at each further location to complete the cleaning and drying along the compact loop and deliver a batch of clean and dry articles at the expiration of each first predetermined timed interval.