Abstract: An apparatus and method for cleaning flexographic printing plates which are mounted on a printing cylinder of a flexographic printing press, whereby the printing plates are scrubbed to remove ink, foreign matter and residue resulting from the flexographic printing press, followed by a rinsing of the residue from the printing plates, with the centralized collection of such residue for proper disposal, and the drying of the printing plates by directing pressurized air onto the printing plate to remove excess moisture without the need to remove the printing plates from the printing cylinder.