What brand Ultrasonic cleaner do you use?

[TRIALnERROR]

I'm considering purchasing an ultrasonic cleaner, does anyone have any recommendations? Any experience with this particular model? http://www.amazon.com/New-Trent-Ultrasonic-Eyeglass-Dentures/dp/B000SOQ6KQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top Thanks for any insight!

 

[Gypsy]

Most PSers I know just use Dawn. Or Mr Clean.

 

[TRIALnERROR]

Thanks Gypsy! I'm guessing the models for home use are not as good as the industrial units used by most jewelers.

 

[cl600500]

I'm considering purchasing an ultrasonic cleaner, does anyone have any recommendations? Any experience with this particular model? http://www.amazon.com/New-Trent-Ultrasonic-Eyeglass-Dentures/dp/B000SOQ6KQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top Thanks for any insight!

buy that one, i just bought one that looks literally identical to the picture on amazon, mine is made by brookstone. and has the same frequency of 42,000.....it cleans unbelievably good, i cant imagine ever cleaning my stuff any other way......put hot water and run the thing for 5-10 mins thats it!

 

[cl600500]

Most PSers I know just use Dawn. Or Mr Clean.

thats not a good idea, i was getting hazing on my bezel set all the time because the soap was leaving residue that wouldnt evaporate. those soaps are meant for dishes not gold or stones it doesnt clean as deep as an ultrasonic cleaner does either. and there is not much of a difference between professional grade cleaners vs consumer grade just the frequency may be higher and a heater option. they are made for heavy usage and need higher quality parts...consumer level products dont get used that often so the parts dont need to be made by Bosch or some brand leading company.

 

[HopeDream]

I have a cheapie ultrasonic cleaner 800 , that I got from a local jewllery suppply company ( Lacy West in Vancouver). This is what it looks like http://www.dhgate.com/vgt-800-ultra...ental/p-ff8080812d12f64a012d130c89f16a21.html

Mine was $39.95, but I've seen them as low as $15 http://www.dinodirect.com/ultrasonic-cleaner-machine-vgt800.html
so shop around.

I only use it once every 4 months or so. I've heard cheap machines break quite quickly with frequent use.

Don't use on pave, delicate settings, or stones that aren't diamonds.

 

[Dancing Fire]

mine is a Gemoro. there are a few PS er who owns Crest. i'll give you a buying tip on US cleaner..."buy made in the U.S.A." it might cost you $120 more but it'll out last 10 of those "made in China" craps.

 

[Haven]

I don't have a US, I have a JewelJet instead, and I LOVE IT. I ordered one from Wink for my 10K PS gift, and I could not be happier with it. It works incredibly well, it's nice and small, and you don't have to buy special cleaner. You just pre-soak your pieces in a water and ammonia mix, and then steam them when the unit is ready. It's a fabulous product.

 

[TRIALnERROR]

mine is a Gemoro. there are a few PS er who owns Crest. i'll give you a buying tip on US cleaner..."buy made in the U.S.A." it might cost you $120 more but it'll out last 10 of those "made in China" craps.

DF, that is quite an impressive setup! I didn't realize the cleaning solution was so expensive, but it sounds like you get what you pay for.

Haven, how does the JewelJet work? Is it hands-on or set-it and forget it?

 

[Tanzigrrl]

I use a Jewel Jet too. It's a steam cleaner and it releases high pressure steam to clean your jewelry. I love mine. I've never seen my jewelry look so sparkly. The only downside is that you need to be careful with colored stones. Emeralds, Topazes, Tanzanites, etc. cannot be cleaned with the jewel jet.

 

[2023]

I've heard not to put your finger in an ultra sonic cleaner when it is on, as the vibrations can cause air bubbles in your veins. I understand that the vibrations in the ultrasonic cleaner can cause loosening of the settings over time, so Im guessing it wouldn't be an everyday cleaner, kind of like a facial! Awesome but not for everyday use. Also as someone mentioned pave would not be suitable.

I just use connoisseurs jewellery cleaner with a toothbrush, it's ammonia free as well!

I can't believe that set up DF posted, that looks so professional!!!

 

[Gypsy]

Dawn is fine for gemstones. I use it on mine and just rinse very well. And occasionally I steam clean it. This is recommended by countless jewelry professionals on these boards.

If you get a pair of big jewelry cleaning tweezers and a cappuchino maker you can use the steamer to steam clean your diamonds. I do that as well, on advice of jewelry pros. I was going to buy a steam cleaner, but this was cheaper and multi functional.

 

[Haven]

TrialnError--As Tanzi said, the JewelJet is a steam cleaner. You just fill the unit with a bit of water, plug it in, and when it's warmed up you steam your ring under the jet. While the unit is warming up you can soak your pieces in a cup they provide, they recommend using ammonia and water as the soak, so no expensive cleaner necessary.

I thought about getting a US but I'm so happy with the JewelJet that I just don't need one. I can't imagine anything else getting my pieces any cleaner.

Here's a comparison I posted of my ring before and after using the JewelJet in my SMTB thread. It's about half-way down the page:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/its-here-its-here-my-2-30-ct-omb-antique-cushion-upgrade.158760/page-6']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/its-here-its-here-my-2-30-ct-omb-antique-cushion-upgrade.158760/page-6[/URL]

Dawn is fine for jewelry, too. No worries, there.

 

[that_someone_special]

I have the brookstone one too and L O V E it!

 

[motownmama]

I somehow knew collecting jewelry could be dangerous, but I never imagined an air bubble entering my vein from an ultrsonic cleaner - who'd a thunk it????

 

[2023]

Never used a steam jet but looked into it as they sound great. using a cappuccino steamer, that's great!

Ammonia is poisonous, if you can I would keep away from ammonia containing solutions especially if you touch it every day.

 

[2023]

seriously, I've been told that it can cause air bubbles while it's on!!!

I'm being the safety police over here.

One thing I worry abut about with all jewellery cleaner is it drying out my hands.

Does anyone else have concerns about that?

 

[Haven]

Never used a steam jet but looked into it as they sound great. using a cappuccino steamer, that's great!

Ammonia is poisonous, if you can I would keep away from ammonia containing solutions especially if you touch it every day.

Why on earth would you be touching the ammonia???? You don't have to touch ammonia to use it to clean your jewelry. If you're touching it, you're doing something wrong.

I think you should post some sources for the information you're putting into this thread about US cleaners and the air bubble situation. That's a pretty outrageous claim.

 

[TRIALnERROR]

TrialnError--As Tanzi said, the JewelJet is a steam cleaner. You just fill the unit with a bit of water, plug it in, and when it's warmed up you steam your ring under the jet. While the unit is warming up you can soak your pieces in a cup they provide, they recommend using ammonia and water as the soak, so no expensive cleaner necessary.

I thought about getting a US but I'm so happy with the JewelJet that I just don't need one. I can't imagine anything else getting my pieces any cleaner.

Here's a comparison I posted of my ring before and after using the JewelJet in my SMTB thread. It's about half-way down the page:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/its-here-its-here-my-2-30-ct-omb-antique-cushion-upgrade.158760/page-6']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/its-here-its-here-my-2-30-ct-omb-antique-cushion-upgrade.158760/page-6[/URL]

Dawn is fine for jewelry, too. No worries, there.

Haven, those before and after shots are truly impressive! How long did it take under the JewelJet to produce those results?

Air bubbles in veins from an US? Yikes! I like the price point of the US, but not sure it's worth the risk of an air embolism!

 

[UberClaire]

Does anybody else work in a lab? I'm wondering if I can just use our sonicator.

 

[Haven]

I soaked the ring in the watered-down ammonia for a couple minutes, and then gave it blasts of steam from the Jewel Jew for about a minute. So, not long! It's really easy to use.

I take my ring in to my jeweler quite often and they put it in their US and then give it a blast of steam, but I never think it looks any cleaner than when I clean it myself at home. I'm so grateful to Andrey and Wink for this wonderful gift!

 

[HopeDream]

Cl600500: To prevent soapscum, sometimes I'll clean my ring with vinegar, or soak it in some diluted jetdry (the rinse agent for the dishwasher) that seems to keep it scum free. also lots of rinsing and scrubbing while rinsing helps.

2023: I agree that ammonia in high concentrations isn't a good thing, but keep in mind that even the human body naturally produces some ammonia. With careful use, ammonia is an excellent jewellery cleaner - I like windex.

 

[2023]

When I was in High School I worked in a jewellery store and they told us never to put our hands in the US when it was on because of air bubbles. Then when I was at uni(varsity) in some of my post grad courses I was told never to put my hand in the sonicator when it was on as well...thats where my aversion to hazardous chemicals and ammonia came from too.

Im talking about jars of jewellery cleaner (manual cleaner) so if you have a steam cleaner or what not and don't have to touch the solution thats a different story.

Thats a definite benefit to a steam cleaner if you don't have to touch the solution, so with the steam cleaners you don't have to touch any chemicals at all?

 

[Haven]

Of course you don't have to touch the chemicals with a steam cleaner. Do you have to touch chemicals with a US????

It's very simple: You pour a little ammonia into the little container they provide, add the water, close it and let your pieces soak. When your pieces are done soaking you open the container, pull out your pieces (there's a little basket with a handle that sticks up to the top of the container), dump the ammonia mix and then rinse your pieces in the basket. You never have to touch anything, other than the dry parts of the container.

The steam from the Jewel Jet is made of water, of course, so there's no chemical fear to be had there, either.

 

[TRIALnERROR]

2023 might be on to something with the US. "There was a mechanic in my town who stuck his hands in the US cleaner to move parts around.. sometimes holding them until the grease loosened up. After about six months he suddenly had pain whatever he did. Turned out all the bones in his hand were fractured. He had his right hand in a cast for four months and did PT for a year. His boss kept a copy of the X-ray over the US bath for a year afterwards. Not an urban legend." Apparently, someone else in this thread tested a US on a hamster and it didn't want to run on its wheel afterwards...

If I get a US, I don't plan on holding my hands under it for any length of time and I wouldn't consider this a primary source, but thought-provoking nonetheless.

http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=17511

 

[2023]

why would you put a hamster in a US, that made me laugh so hard omg. Now I feel so bad for laughing at the poor hamsters expense and feel terrible for the mechanic, but I still can't stop laughing.