Liquid-assisted cleaning technology utilizing a nanosecond laser pulse is effective for removing submicron particulates from a variety of solid substrates. In the technique, saturated vapor is condensed on a solid surface to form a thin liquid film and the film is evaporated explosively by laser heating. The present work studies the role of liquid-film evaporation in the cleaning process. First, optical interferometry is employed for in-situ monitoring the displacement of the laser-irradiated sample in the cleaning process. The experiments are performed for estimating the recoil force exerted on the target with and without liquid deposition. Secondly, time-resolved visualization and optical reflectance probing are also conducted for monitoring the phase-change kinetics and plume dynamics in vaporization of thin liquid layers. Discussions are made on the effect of liquid-film thickness and dynamics of plume and acoustic wave. The results confirm that cleaning force is generated when the bubble nuclei initially grow in the strongly superheated liquid.