A cleaning solution for semiconductor substrates comprising a nonionic surface active agent of the formula (1) and/or the formula (2), a chelating agent and a chelating accelerator: CH.sub.3--(CH.sub.2).sub.l--O--(C.sub.mH.sub.2mO).sub.n--X (1) wherein l, m and n independently represent a positive number, and X represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group; CH.sub.3--(CH.sub.2).sub.a--O--(C.sub.bH.sub.2bO).sub.d--(C.sub.xH.sub.2x- O).sub.y--X (2) wherein a, b, d, x and y independently represent a positive number, b and x are different, and X represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group.