Regeneration assessments of filter fabrics of filter presses in the mining sector

•Nearly complete cleaning of filter media consisting of monofilament fibers possible using certain acids.•Significant influence of concentration and exposure time on regeneration can be proven.•No influence of the cleaning effectiveness noticeable due to the elementary composition of the tailings.•Bottle-neck of fabric cleaning are the intrafiber contaminations of the multifilament fibers.•No deterioration of the tensile strength noticeable through cleaning.