An ultrasonic cleaner is a device that uses ultrasound to remove the dirt from your jewelry.
The items are placed in a tank filled with a cleaning solution.
After the cleaner is turned on, its motor produces ultrasonic vibrations through the liquid.
These vibrations break down the dirt particles accumulated on the surface of your jewelry.
The good thing about ultrasonic cleaners is that they can clean the parts of your jewelry that are otherwise unreachable when using more conventional methods.
The alternative is to prepare a cleaning liquid yourself.
If you choose to make a homemade cleaning solution, just fill the tank of your cleaner with water, and add a tablespoon of ammonia.
Then add some dishwashing liquid and you’re done – it’s that simple.
You might want to turn the machine on and let it run without any items for 5-10 minutes so that the solution gets mixed well.
Remember to Heat It Up
One of the common mistakes people make when using an ultrasonic cleaner is to put cold water in the tank. For the cleaning solution to work best, it needs to be hot.
There are ultrasonic cleaners that have a built-in heater to ensure that the solution is heated up. However, these models can be much more expensive than the regular ones.
All you need to do is just heat the water up before you put it in the tank (do not bring the water to a boil, though). Then you can mix in the ammonia and the dishwashing liquid.
The Cleaning Process
After you have filled the tank with hot water and poured the cleaning liquid, you can put your jewelry inside. Don’t put in too many pieces at once, though, so as not to scratch your jewelry.
Turn the device on and let it run for as long as needed until you jewelry is clean. (Depending on how dirty the items are, this time usually varies from 1 to 20 minutes.)
After the cleaning is done, switch the cleaner off and leave your jewelry inside for another 5-10 minutes so that the dirt particles that were knocked off your pieces by the sound waves can fall to the bottom of the tank.
After you take your jewelry out, you can clean it briefly with a soft brush to make sure that any residual dirt is removed, especially from the mountings of your rings.
Rinse the items to wash off any remaining detergent, and dry them with a soft cloth.
How Often Should You Use an Ultrasonic Cleaner?
The frequency of using an ultrasonic cleaner will depend on how quickly your jewelry gets dirty.
In general, you can clean your jewelry with ultrasound every couple of weeks.
If you wear you pieces every day and they accumulate dirt more quickly, you can clean them every week.
As long as your jewelry is made of materials that can take ultrasound, cleaning your items more often will not hurt them.
What You Should Not Put in an Ultrasonic Cleaner
Not all jewelry should be cleaned with an ultrasonic device.
Many gemstones can be easily damaged by ultrasound. Do not put in softer gemstones such as opals, lapis lazuli, emeralds, turquoise, etc.
Organic jewelry such as pearls, coral pieces, or amber can also be damaged.
Also, do not put inside your ultrasonic cleaner gemstones whose color has been enhanced through heat treatment.
Safely operating an ultrasonic cleaner is a good subject in this artcle we will cover more than just turning the unit on and proceeding with a cleaning cycle. Safety practices apply to any size ultrasonic cleaner – whether used in the home, the research lab or on the industrial floor. They begin once you receive your ultrasonic cleaner, reading the operators manual to become totally familiar with the cleaning equipment and its operation.
By doing so you are on the way to a smooth-running experience with one of the most effective ways to remove contaminants from virtually any product that can be safely immersed in a water-based biodegradable cleaning solution or, with specially designed cleaners, cleaning solvents.
Best Personal Safety Practices During Ultrasonic Cleaning
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There are easy to follow steps to safe ultrasonic cleaning. An important, if not the most important point to keep in mind is that ultrasonic cleaning solutions get hot due to cavitation action. Continuous operation can raise cleaning solution temperatures to 175⁰F or more – even with units not equipped with heaters.
Recommended cleaning solution temperatures are provided by the manufacturer, and a high temperature is not always desirable. Nevertheless you should never reach into an operating ultrasonic cleaner bath to remove and inspect parts. Not only do you risk burns, cavitation can penetrate your skin. Not a good thing.
The solution? Wear protective gloves before removing baskets containing the parts for inspection – the parts will be hot too!
Hearing protection may also apply to good personal safety practices. Although ultrasonic frequencies are defined as sound above the range of human hearing, audible sound is generated by the vibration of cleaning tank walls and other sources.
The potential for undesirable noise increases at lower cleaning frequencies such as 25 and 45 kHz. Over time this can be annoying to personnel.
The solution? Ear protection devices, cleaning tank covers or placing the ultrasonic cleaner in a sound-suppressing case.
Good Safe Operating Practices for the Ultrasonic Cleaner
You’ve made an investment in ultrasonic cleaning equipment. There are a number of steps you can take to safely operate this equipment and contribute to a long, satisfactory service life.
Provide a reliable source of power
Ultrasonic cleaners use powerful transducers to convert electrical energy to sound. Cleaners are supplied with a three-prong grounded outlet for their power source and must be connected to a similarly grounded outlet.
We also strongly suggest that the ultrasonic cleaner have its dedicated outlet, not an outlet or circuit sharing multiple high powered machines such as a sterilizer, autoclave or air compressor. Circuit overloads could cause a circuit outage, an unwelcome occurrence in any situation.
Safe Practices for Equipment
Other precautions can keep the equipment operating at peak efficiency.
One of those measures is that items should not be placed directly on the bottom of the tank, Ultrasonic vibrations that create the cavitation bubbles will also vibrate items in contact with the tank, eventually causing wear that can penetrate the tank bottom. This voids the manufacturer’s warranty.
Instead, items should be placed in a mesh-bottom basket or tray suspended above the tank bottom. Note that some large industrial ultrasonic cleaners may be fabricated with ridges on the tank bottom to hold heavy parts. Alternatively, parts to be cleaned can be suspended from overhead racks to keep them from contacting the tank bottom.
Maintaining proper cleaning solution levels is also critical to ultrasonic equipment safety practices. These units are designed for a specific volume (level) of cleaning solution. In many units this is indicated by a fill line.
Evaporation and drag-out lowers the level. Manufacturers recommend that operators do not allow units to operate when the tank is less than 2/3 full. That’s because a low liquid level can damage the generator and heaters within the equipment.
See our maintenance section below for additional suggestions.
Good Practices for Selecting Cleaning Solutions
Ultrasonic cleaners work at their best with a water-based, biodegradable detergent solution. Over the years a wide variety of ultrasonic cleaning solution formulations have come on the market. Most are shipped as concentrates; others are formulated to operate at full strength.
They are tailored to specific cleaning jobs ranging from cleaning grossly contaminated engine parts to medical and surgical instruments. iUltrasonic offers a menu of cleaning solution formulations along with advice on where they are best employed.
Volatile Cleaning Solvents .
Certain cleaning requirements may call for a volatile cleaning solvent such as IPA and acetone. In these instances special precautions apply to avoid a fire, explosion and health-related problems for personnel. For these applications an explosion-resistant or explosion-proof ultrasonic cleaner, together with code-required compliance concerning installation and operation.
If your cleaning operations require the use of flammable solvents call the iUltrasonic scientists at 973 440-2191 for advice and equipment recommendations.
Special Ultrasonic Cleaner Safety Precaution Features
Purchasing an ultrasonic cleaner equipped with a timer is strongly recommended. Some units show set and elapsed time, and will shut down at the end of the cycle. Others can operate continuously with an auto shut-down at 12 hours.
Models without an auto shut-down risk damage if users do not manually turn them off before leaving for the day or weekend. If this happens equipment is likely to burn out and/or damage parts left in the tank due to evaporation of the cleaning solution.
Ultrasonic cleaners that incorporate this safety shut-off feature include all Elmasonic E Plus, Elmasonic S, Elmasonic P, and Elma X-tra basic equipment available from iUltrasonic.
How Maintenance Contributes to Ultrasonic Cleaner Safety
Your instruction manual will have a section on tank maintenance.
The vibration created by ultrasonic transducers creates wear spots on the bottom of the tank that over time develop into abrasions termed cavitation erosion. This occurs even in tanks fabricated of cavitation-resistant stainless steel. This erosion will necessitate tank replacement before leaks develop.
You can prolong cleaning tank life by following these simple suggestions:
When changing solutions flush out residues, especially metal particles and rust films that fall to the bottom of the tank during cleaning operations. These can serve as “drills” when vibrated by the transducer.
Use the correct cleaning solution formulation. For example, do not use aqueous cleaning media with pH values in the acid range (pH < 7) directly in the ultrasonic tank. (Ask us about acid-resistant plastic inserts available as liners.)
Drain cleaning solutions before they become too contaminated (and reduce cleaning efficiency). Clean the tank and fill it with a fresh solution.
Turn your ultrasonic cleaner off when not in use.
We hope this information is useful in helping you to operate your ultrasonic cleaner in a safe manner.
There’s nothing quite like the gleam of freshly cleaned jewelry, but the big question is which gemstones can be cleaned safely in an ultrasonic cleaner?
I personally own precious jewels that has been past down through generations please read on to learn which gemstones and metals are safe for ultrasonic cleaners.
What stones can not go into an ultrasonic cleaner?
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Heavily Inclined Stones
Any stone with significant inclusions might be damaged in an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. While the gemstone might not break immediately, it is almost a certainty that the inclusions will get worse as the bubbles attempt to work their way in. The vast majority of diamonds sold as jewelry don’t have enough inclusions to put them at risk, but it is something to be aware of.
Are diamonds safe to clean in an Ultrasonic Cleaner?
Although diamonds are very durable stones, sometimes it may be risky to clean them in an ultrasonic cleaner. Diamonds that have significant inclusions are at risk of damage since the ultrasound vibrations can make these internal flaws worse.
The rule of thumb is that if a diamond has big and very visible inclusions, there is a higher risk of internal damage when using an ultrasonic cleaner, and that risk depends on the nature of the inclusion. Most diamonds sold as jewelry are not at risk, but you may want to be on the side of caution if the stone has very visible inclusions, and you may prefer to opt for professional cleaning in that case.
You might think that clarity-enhanced diamonds shouldn’t be at risk because you can’t see any internal flaws, but actually the opposite is true.
These stones’ clarity has been enhanced through fracture filling or laser drilling, and the process makes the diamond more likely to crack when cleaned with an ultrasonic device, so proceed carefully or take your stone to an experienced jeweler for cleaning.
Some colored diamonds also should not be put in ultrasonic cleaners. Many diamonds of this type have been treated to enhance their color, and depending on the treatment, ultrasonic cleaning can undo this effect to an extent, making these stones’ hues less vivid. So if a diamond’s color has been enhanced, don’t risk it unless you’re certain that the treatment effect will hold.
Proceed cautiously if the diamond contains feathers or is included, and avoid ultrasonics if the diamond has been treated by fracture filling.
Brittle Stones
Brittle stones don’t work well in an ultrasonic cleaner either. Brittle stones include opals, onyx, emeralds, turquoise, lapis lazuli. The vibrations can cause the stone to crack, and once the bubbles work into said crack that gem is inevitably going to break. I would highly recommend never putting a brittle stone into an ultrasonic cleaner, as even one round can be enough to cause significant damage. The time saved simply isn’t worth the money lost in most cases.
Brittle stone
Soft Stones
Opal, onyx, emeralds, and turquoise were mentioned above already but there are a few more stones that should stay far away from an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. You can add pearls, amber, and coral to the list. These are all actually organic materials which means they have nowhere near the kind of durability that is needed to survive an ultrasonic cleaning. Not even once. Organic materials will be eaten away the first time through, without fail.
Do not clean in such cleaners jewelry in which the stones touch (like in a channel setting, for example); otherwise, they might chip when subjected to vibrations.
Hard natural gemstones
Rubies can also be put in an ultrasonic cleaner provided that they have few and small inclusions and have not been treated with heat or chemicals, or don’t have any coating.
Treated Gems
A large number of gems like rubies or diamonds might have been color treated in order to make them look more even. Fortunately or unfortunately an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner will let the truth be known as that treatment is stripped away just like any other foreign material. It can be disheartening to discover this on your own, but if you are dealing with a reputable jewelry dealer they will let you know exactly what treatments the gem you’ve chosen has undergone.
Is metal safe for ultrasonic cleaning?
That’s a good chunk of gems that should stay out of the ultrasonic cleaner, but surely metals are more durable? Well, more durable is accurate but there are exceptions to any rule. The only metal that shouldn’t be cleaned in this way is tungsten jewelry. Intense agitation and vibration can cause tiny fractures that affect the integrity of this metal. You shouldn’t need to worry about this situation regardless, as tungsten is a fantastically low-maintenance metal that doesn’t corrode, fade, or tarnish.
Metals such as gold and platinum are safe to clean with ultrasonic devices.
Have some old jewellery that needs a bit of TLC? By using an ultrasonic cleaner, you can create clean jewellery pieces in minutes, perfect for giving a bit of shine to some old favourites. But how do ultrasonic cleaners work? Find out everything you need to know about how ultrasonic cleaning works, and how to use ultrasonic cleaners for jewellery from our step-by-step video tutorial.
What is an Ultrasonic cleaner?
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An ultrasonic cleaner is a device that is used to clean items, such as jewelry. Using ultrasound waves and chemicals, this jewelry cleaning machine can remove foreign particles such as dirt, oil and tarnish, as well as polishing compounds such as Tripoli and rouge from delicate jewelry pieces. High-frequency waves, usually from 20-400 kHz, are sent to pull the unwanted particles off your jewelry, leaving everything from bracelets to gold pendants spick and span and rid of all contaminants.
We use this process for jewelry cleaning as the ultrasound properties create bubbles, which are induced by high-frequency pressure waves. These bubbles cling to particles and then agitate the liquid, producing high forces which then remove any unwanted substrates from the jewelry. The ultrasonic cleaner focuses on the parts of your jewelry that are otherwise unreachable when coming to cleaning manually.
Have some old jewellery that needs a bit of TLC? By using an ultrasonic cleaner, you can create clean jewellery pieces in minutes, perfect for giving a bit of shine to some old favourites. But how do ultrasonic cleaners work? Find out everything you need to know about how ultrasonic cleaning works, and how to use ultrasonic cleaners for jewellery from our step-by-step video tutorial.
What is an Ultrasonic cleaner?
An ultrasonic cleaner is a device that is used to clean items, such as jewellery. Using ultrasound waves and chemicals, this jewellery cleaning machine can remove foreign particles such as dirt, oil and tarnish, as well as polishing compounds such as Tripoli and rouge from delicate jewellery pieces. High-frequency waves, usually from 20-400 kHz, are sent to pull the unwanted particles off your jewellery, leaving everything from bracelets to gold pendants spick and span and rid of all contaminants.
We use this process for jewellery cleaning as the ultrasound properties create bubbles, which are induced by high-frequency pressure waves. These bubbles cling to particles and then agitate the liquid, producing high forces which then remove any unwanted substrates from the jewellery. The ultrasonic cleaner focuses on the parts of your jewellery that are otherwise unreachable when coming to cleaning manually.
Using an Ultrasonic cleaner for jewellery cleaning
Perhaps you want to try using an ultrasonic cleaner for yourself? With our simple step-by-step guide and how-to video, learn the basics of how to use an ultrasonic cleaner to create sparkling jewellery rid from all dirt and unwanted particles.
Step 1. Put on your protective gloves to protect your hands from chemicals. Mix water and ultrasonic cleaning solution into your Elma ultrasonic jewellery cleaner.
Step 2. Using your Elma electronics manual, set your desired time and temperature for jewellery cleaning. The amount of time you leave your jewellery in depends on how dirty the item is – this can vary between 1 – 20 minutes.
Step 3. As per your instruction manual, de-gas your ultrasonic cleaning machine to clear the air bubbles before you begin cleaning your jewellery.
Step 4. Place your dirty jewellery pieces in the ultrasonic jewellery cleaner metal basket, ensuring it is spaced out so all charms and findings are on display. Be careful to ensure that your jewellery does not touch the base of your ultrasonic jewellery cleaner.
Step 5. Let the jewellery soak in the ultrasonic jewellery cleaner until the timer goes off. Then, rinse your metal basket with jewellery inside in cold water, still wearing your protective gloves.
Step 6. Remove your jewelry from the basket, step back and admire the difference in cleanliness before and after your jewelry cleaning.
Note: Not all jewellery should be cleaned using an ultrasonic cleaner. Ultrasound may damage softer gemstones, such as opals, emeralds and turquoise – also gemstones whose colour has been enhanced through heat treatment should not be used in an ultrasonic cleaner, as the ultrasound waves can dim the brightness of their colours.
Now you understand how to use an ultrasonic cleaner, why not shop for your own? Browse our wide selection of jewellery cleaning products online today. Alternatively, learn how to get the most out of your jewelry making through our equipment and technique focus hub.
