The present invention relates to a method for removing an organic compound from an aqueous solution, comprising the steps of providing the aqueous solution which contains the organic compound, and a hydrophobic organic solution, where the latter comprises a liquid hydrophobic cation exchanger, contacting the aqueous solution and the hydrophobic organic solution, and separating off the hydrophobic organic solution from the aqueous solution, wherein the liquid hydrophobic cation exchanger is a saturated alkanoic acid having at least one alkyl substituent, where the organic compound is an organic compound having at least one positive charge and a neutral or positive total charge.