A cleaning composition for post-etch or post-ash residue removal from the surface of a semiconductor substrate, comprising: one or more sulfonic acids, selected from the group consisting of methane sulfonic acid, ethanesulfonic acid, propanesulfonic acid, butanesulfonic acid, hexanesulfonic acid, 3-(N-morpholino)propane sulfonic acid, 2-(N-morpho-lino)ethanesulfonic acid, N-cyclohexyl-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, 3-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazinyl]propanesulfonic acid, N-cyclohexyl-3-aminopropanesulfonic acid and mixtures thereof; one or more polar, non-protogenic organic solvents, selected from the group consisting of dimethyl formamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylacetamide, N-methylpyrrolidone, propylene carbonate, sulfolane, tetrahydrofuran and mixtures thereof, one or more glycol ethers, selected from the group consisting of 1,1-dimethoxyethane, 1-methoxy-2-butanol, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy) ethanol, 2-(naphthalene-6-yloxy)polyethoxyethanol, 2-(hexyloxy)ethanol, 2-methoxy-1-butanol, 2-methoxy-2-methylbutanol, butyl diglycol, diethylene glycol diethyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol methyl ethyl ether, diethylene glycol monobenzyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoisobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monoisopropyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monopropyl ether, dipropylene glycol diisopropyl ether, dipropylene glycol monoisopropyl ether, dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monopropyl ether, dipropylenemonobutyl ether, ethylene glycol diethyl ether, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, monopropyl ether, polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol dimethyl ether, propylene glycol monobutyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol, tetrahydrofurfurylalcohol, triethylene glycol dimethyl ether, triethylene glycol ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, triethylene glycol monomethyl ether, tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether and mixtures thereof, one or more imidazolidinethiones, and water. one or more sulfonic acids, selected from the group consisting of methane sulfonic acid, ethanesulfonic acid, propanesulfonic acid, butanesulfonic acid, hexanesulfonic acid, 3-(N-morpholino)propane sulfonic acid, 2-(N-morpho-lino)ethanesulfonic acid, N-cyclohexyl-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, 3-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazinyl]propanesulfonic acid, N-cyclohexyl-3-aminopropanesulfonic acid and mixtures thereof; one or more polar, non-protogenic organic solvents, selected from the group consisting of dimethyl formamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylacetamide, N-methylpyrrolidone, propylene carbonate, sulfolane, tetrahydrofuran and mixtures thereof, one or more glycol ethers, selected from the group consisting of 1,1-dimethoxyethane, 1-methoxy-2-butanol, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy) ethanol, 2-(naphthalene-6-yloxy)polyethoxyethanol, 2-(hexyloxy)ethanol, 2-methoxy-1-butanol, 2-methoxy-2-methylbutanol, butyl diglycol, diethylene glycol diethyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol methyl ethyl ether, diethylene glycol monobenzyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoisobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monoisopropyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monopropyl ether, dipropylene glycol diisopropyl ether, dipropylene glycol monoisopropyl ether, dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monopropyl ether, dipropylenemonobutyl ether, ethylene glycol diethyl ether, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, monopropyl ether, polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol dimethyl ether, propylene glycol monobutyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol, tetrahydrofurfurylalcohol, triethylene glycol dimethyl ether, triethylene glycol ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, triethylene glycol monomethyl ether, tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether and mixtures thereof, one or more imidazolidinethiones, and water.