A substrate cleaning method is used for performing scrub cleaning of a surface of a substrate. The substrate cleaning method includes rotating a roll cleaning member and a substrate respectively in one direction while keeping the roll cleaning member in contact with the substrate in a cleaning area, and supplying a cleaning liquid to a surface of the substrate to scrub-clean the surface of the substrate in the presence of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning area. The cleaning liquid is supplied initially to an inverse-direction cleaning area of the cleaning area where the relative rotational velocity between the roll cleaning member and the substrate is relatively high, and thereafter to a forward-direction cleaning area of the cleaning area where the relative rotational velocity between the roll cleaning member and the substrate is relatively low while the substrate makes one revolution on a central axis thereof.