Particle removal mechanisms due to an accelerating substrate from rough surfaces are studied. The rough surface is modeled by asperities all of the same radius of curvature and with heights following a Gaussian distribution. The Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) adhesion model is used and the procedure for analyzing the particle pull-off force is described. The theory of critical moment, in addition to the sliding and lifting detachment models, is used, and the critical substrate accelerations for particle removal are evaluated and discussed. The model predictions for aluminum and glass particles are also compared with the experimental data and reasonable agreement is observed. The application of the results to surface-cleaning equipment is discussed.