A method of conditioning the surface of a work piece, particularly of a strip or sheet, more particularly of a lithostrip or lithosheet, including an aluminum alloy is provided. The method for conditioning the surface of a work piece and a work piece including an aluminum alloy enabling an increasing manufacturing speed in electro-chemically graining and maintaining at the same time a high quality of the grained surface, includes a conditioning method which comprises at least the two steps, degreasing the surface of the work piece with a degreasing medium and subsequently cleaning the surface of the work piece by pickling.