A method for the efficient decontamination of aluminium oxide ceramic 2-DE focusing trays from β-amyloid peptides (Aβ) is reported. As these contaminations were resistant to the standard cleaning procedures, additional harsh cleaning steps were necessary for their efficient removal. Our observations suggest that specific surface properties affect the degree of adsorption of the Aβ-peptides. "Surface catalysed amyloid aggregation" in the aluminium oxide ceramic trays is proposed as a possible underlying mechanism for the occurrence of proteinase K-resistant forms of Aβ.