system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: I believe it is impossible quickly "de-radioactivate" something that's (highly or otherwise) radioactive. If that's true, what makes that so?
gpt
It depends on the thing.

If you're talking about a lump of uranium or another material that decays then no because it's nuclear decay is a part of its natural existance.

If you're talking about an object that's been sitting in the fallout area of a nuclear weapon or disaster, then thoroughly cleaning the item will remove most of the nuclear radiation.