Contact of acid or alkaline cleaned aluminum surfaces, particularly cans, with a water based composition containing a combination of (i) alkoxylated phosphate esters, (ii) ions of aluminum, zirconium, iron, tin, and/or cerium, (iii) a metal etching component, and (iv) a combination of alkoxylated alcohol and alkoxylated alkyl phenol emulsifiers, gives the surface after drying lowered surface friction without loss of high quality printability and lacquer adhesion and removes any brown spotting on the cans that may have developed during the cleaning or post-cleaning rinses. The cans after treatment are substantially free from any water breaks when rinsed with water. The foaming resistance and storage stability of the water based composition as described above, and of other similar surface friction reducing treatments for aluminum containers, may be advantageously increased by adding a biocidal agent, preferably hydrogen peroxide, and a combination of liquid paraffin, solid wax, and a high molecular weight fatty acid derivative(s) as antifoam agent.