Method for cleaning an abrasive surface

A method of cleaning an abrasive surface, such as a polishing pad in a chemical-mechanical-polishing apparatus, includes the application of an acidic cleaning solution to the abrasive surface, while applying an abrasive force to the abrasive surface for the removal of reaction by-products and processing debris from the abrasive surface. The acidic cleaning solution chemically reacts with the reaction by-products, and in conjunction with the abrasive force, removes the reaction by-products from the abrasive surface. In a preferred embodiment, a polishing pad used to remove copper from a semiconductor substrate is cleaned by applying a dilute hydrochloric acid solution to the polishing pad, while rotating a cleaning disk against the polishing pad.