Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for cleaning diesel particulate filters (DPFs) or similar items. Various combinations of features include: a multi-cell cleaning head; contemporaneous/simultaneous cleaning from both directions through the DPF (controlled so that no cell is simultaneously pressured from both ends); rotary or other movement of the heads across a static DPF, or a combination of movements of the DPF and the head(s); controlled positioning of the DPF with respect to the heads; gravity collection of removed ash/debris, separate from internal filtering of air within a cleaning cabinet; and others.