An erasing and cleaning apparatus for cylindrical surfaces including a cleaning cloth transporting device which can be packaged with a cleaning cloth in a cassette. The cassette is exchangeably inserted between side walls of a positioning unit, the positioning unit being connectable with a drive for driving transporter device. A lateral guide is arranged in a printing press and includes a carriage and a device for moving the positioning unit between a first position, in the which the transporter is moved onto the cylindrical surface to be cleaned, and an out-of-contact position, at which said cassette is laterally removable from the positioning unit. The erasing and cleaning apparatus further includes at least one coupling module for selectively coupling and decoupling a removable one of the sidewalls of the positioning unit to and from the cassette.