Evidence in the improvement of the cleaning efficiency in the case of laser assisted surface decontamination wherein the phenomenon of thermophoresis has been exploited to prevent re-deposition of minute particulates is reported. The thermophoresis effect was made to set in by providing an appropriate temperature gradient in the vicinity of the laser exposed surface. The effectiveness of thermophoresis towards improving the laser assisted cleaning efficiency of polished stainless steel (SS) surface contaminated with copper telluride metal chalcogenide nanoparticles has been studied and compared with that obtained under ambient and dynamic vacuum conditions.