Abstract: A method for removing ink and/or a foreign material different from ink from the surface of an article, wherein at least a part of the surface of the article comprises a polymer, the method includes: i) providing an ink imprinted article and/or an article having a surface covered at least partly by a foreign material different from ink; ii) contacting the article provided in step i) with an acid having a pKa in the range from ?10 to 7 having a minimum concentration of 1 wt.-% for solving the ink and/or the foreign material different from ink or their degradation products in the acid; iii) separating the acid and the therein dissolved ink- and/or foreign material different from ink or their degradation products from the article to obtain a deinked article and/or an article with a surface free from foreign material.