The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of different surface cleaning methods on the shear bond strength (SBS) of zirconia ceramic surfaces. Seventy polished and cleaned zirconia disk specimens of 8mm in diameter and 3.4mm in thickness were immersed in fresh saliva. They were then pressed into a freshly mixed silicone disclosing medium. Six different cleaning methods were applied to the tested groups; they were airborne-particle abraded (AA), covered with a cleaning paste (Ivoclean (R)) (IV), etched with orthophosphoric acid (PA), immersed in alcohol (AL), rinsed with tap water only (WA), or cleaned with steam (SC). No surface cleaning was done after saliva immersion and silicone disclosing medium contamination to the control group (CC). The specimens were then bonded to an adhesive resin cement using polyethylene tubes. SBS was determined using a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 1mm/min. The specimens were also examined with a scanning electron microscope and a stereomicroscope. Group AA yielded the highest SBS value (7.01 +/- 1.4MPa) among the groups, while Group WA had the lowest SBS value (3.03 +/- 0.8MPa). The SBS values of Group AA (7.01 +/- 1.4MPa) and IV (6.2 +/- 1.7MPa) were also significantly higher than those of the remaining four groups (p<0.05). Within the limitations of this in vitro study, it was concluded that among the various cleaning methods tested, airborne-particle abrasion and Ivoclean (R) paste were effective in cleaning the zirconia surface.