A surface contaminated by a radioactive isotope is cleaned by applying to it a solution that contains an ion-specific resin that is weakly bonded to an ion and a weak anion solution including a carrier, water, and an ion that frees the radioactive isotope from the contaminated surface. The radioactive isotope bonds with the ion-specific resin, replacing the ion weakly bonded to said ion-specific resin. In a preferred embodiment, the ion-specific resin is made in the counterion form of citrate, the ion that is weakly bonded to the ion-specific resin is citrate, the carrier is glycerin, the water is de-ionized or distilled, and the ion that frees the radioactive isotope from the contaminated surface is salicylate.