In this study, surface properties of Latvian Triassic (Vadakste deposit) period smectite-containing clay samples, in order to develop cheap sorbents of high quality, based on these clays, were studied. Sorption properties of natural Vadakste clay samples were amended by thermal treatment, as well as by adding a natural modifier based on hemicelluloses and lignin (HLS coagulate). The coagulate containing components are: hemicellulose, lignine and aluminium; they can be used for improvement of clay surface properties. Modifying of clays of such kind has almost never been used in practice. Optimal thermal treatment conditions and HLS modification conditions were determined for the natural clay samples. It was found that, with increasing the thermal treatment temperature boundaries from 300 until 800 0C the water absorption decreases, however, in the same time, silicone oil and rapeseed oil sorption increases twice. With the thermal treatment temperature of clay samples increasing from 300 to 800 0C, chemical resistance of the HLS-modified clay samples to NaOH and HCl increases as well. Also, with the thermal treatment temperature of the clay samples from 300 to 800 0C, relative density of the HLS-modified clay samples increases respectively from 2.6 to 3.1 g/cm3 for LTM011 and LTM011-800 samples. Adding HLS to clays in boundaries from 0,053% to 0,13%, both water and oils sorption increases twice. Ability of natural and modified clay samples to adsorb copper and zinc ions from their salt solutions was researched. The obtained results show that the developed sorbent granules on the clay basis can be used for waste water treatment from copper and zinc ions, for collection of oil and oil-like materials; they can be used as a cheap, ecologically safe pet litter.