A detergent and a method for washing applicable to selectively permeable membranes for proposed, which can attain washing of selectively permeable membranes deteriorated in its membrane performance, such as the flux, in an efficient manner within a brief time at a higher detergent effect without causing deterioration of the selectively permeable membranes and without damaging safety to human and to environment with superior handling aspect.The detergent contains a polyol having a molecular weight not higher than 400 and, if necessary, an organic solvent.