Abstract: Cold-reduced flat-rolled low carbon steel strip is surface cleansed of iron fines, iron oxide particulate and associated debris which result from cold-reduction operations. Such ferromagnetic contaminants are permanently separated from the strip steel production and finishing system by continuous regenerative processing of alkali cleansing solution, in which contaminants are continuously filtered and concentrated and are flushed from a continuous-flow filtering apparatus for magnetically-assisted separation of such contaminants which are retained for complete and permanent disposal from the system, providing uniform cleansing solution, on a continuing basis, free of large-volume periodic dumping of contaminated solution, and free of interruption of operations for surface cleansing purposes.