In this study, a novel bio-adsorbent which is based on rice husk and jointly modified by steam explosion and NaOH treatment has been prepared for recycling of waste water. The structural characteristics of adsorbent were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Our results showed that combined modified rice husk powder (CRH) followed the Langmuir model for methylene blue (MB) and Al (III) adsorption, and the maximum uptake of MB for CRH was 50.15 mg g−1 and the maximum uptake of Al (III) for CRH was 2.87 mg g−1. In addition, the adsorption rate of Al (III) by CRH is faster than that of MB. The adsorption mechanism of MB mainly includes pore filling, π-π interaction, and electrostatic attraction, while the adsorption mechanisms of Al (III) are surface complexation, n-π interaction and ion exchange. These results indicated that CRH is an effective, low-cost cleaner and has a higher adsorption capacity for organic pollutants.