Can you use an Ultrasonic Cleaner to often?

[cpster]

I just got the SI ultrasonic as a gift. I also like repeating on high, but am wondering if you all wait the recommended 10 minutes between each cycle before hitting the repeat cycle button. I wish they designed the unit to not repeat until 10 minutes had elapsed.

Thanks!

 

[Mara]

hehe no i never wait to hit the repeat button, i usually repeat it right after it stops the first cycle.

i mean who has 5 minutes to run the first cycle then 10 to wait then another 5? i usually barely have 5 before i have to run out the door!

 

[Kaleigh]

That would take forever. I do the same as Mara. Plus I have to be quick about it as everyone can''t stand the noise it makes. Even the dogs hate it.

 

[AndyRosse]

Date: 12/7/2005 9:58:08 AM
Author: kaleigh
That would take forever. I do the same as Mara. Plus I have to be quick about it as everyone can''t stand the noise it makes. Even the dogs hate it.

The noise is really annoying, and my cat especially hates it for some reason. So I put it on the bathroom counter, turn on the fan in the bathroom, and close the door to try to minimize the noise

LOL.

 

[Kaleigh]

I do the same thing, close the door and turn up the radio or the TV. It reminds me of the sound that those bug zappers make!!

But sure does a great job though!!

 

[Mara]

Portia is used to the noise now and I usually do it in the mornings when it''s just me and her in the house so no one else minds...hee hee.

 

[cutes814]

My dog doesn''t seem to mind the noise. Alyssa does though. She tells me she''s scared and I just bring her to the machine and show her that there''s nothing to be afraid of, but I still think she''s a little scared. She won''t go near the machine until it stops buzzing.

I clean my rings once a week with the US machine and every other day with the regular sparkle sparkle cleaner. I absolutely love the way it looks after it comes out of the machine though! Sparkles like mad!!

 

[Shneebs]

Hello folks,

Sorry if this is too much of a "newb" question... I''ve skimmed through the entire 13 pages of this thread, but didn''t see anyone who had tried the Radio Shack / Circuit City variety. Their brand is "Nexxtech". I am in Canada, so the cost of buying a Sharper Image model on ebay will be fairly expensive. The Nexxtech variety is currently on sale in Canada for $39.99 Cdn (equivalent to approx $33 USD). I looked at it at my local store - it includes a plastic basket, and a plastic holder that you can put inside to hold watches, rings, etc...

So... has anyone had any success with other brands besides the Sharper Image model? If Sharper Image is the only way to go, I''ll probably go that route instead...

Comments?

Shneebs.

 

[cflutist]

Date: 12/8/2005 5:42:37 PM
Author: Shneebs
So... has anyone had any success with other brands besides the Sharper Image model? If Sharper Image is the only way to go, I'll probably go that route instead...

Comments?

Shneebs.

Of course there are other brands out there. Here is a link to a thread that discusses a variety of Ultrasonic Cleaners.

I have used a consumer home use version sold by Otto Frei (they sell jewelry tools and findings to the trade, but will sell tools to consumers) for the last 20+ years with no problems. I recently upgraded to a 2 qt heated L&R Quantrex (a brand and model that jewelers use) so I can clean larger batches of jewelry in a shorter time with the same results that the jewelers get.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 12/8/2005 5:58:15 PM
Author: cflutist

Date: 12/8/2005 5:42:37 PM
Author: Shneebs
So... has anyone had any success with other brands besides the Sharper Image model? If Sharper Image is the only way to go, I''ll probably go that route instead...

Comments?

Shneebs.

Of course there are other brands out there. Here is a link to a thread that discusses a variety of Ultrasonic Cleaners.

I have used a consumer home use version sold by Otto Frei (they sell jewelry tools and findings to the trade, but will sell tools to consumers) for the last 20+ years with no problems. I recently upgraded to a 2 qt heated L&R Quantrex (a brand and model that jewelers use) so I can clean larger batches of jewelry in a shorter time with the same results that the jewelers get.

cflutist
how many mins does your Quantrex take to heat up the solution? my 2 qt GemOro takes about 20 mins to fully heat up with the cover on.

 

[cflutist]

DF, mine takes about 15 - 20 min to heat up cold tap water, probably a little longer now since it is winter time

When hot, thats when the plastic coated tweezers come in handy (which I bought from Otto Frei).

What kind of solution do you use?

I use a non-ammoniated multipli-purpose ultrasonic cleaning solution that I also bought from Otto Frei. It is super concentrated so you dilute 40 to 1 for general cleaning, but 20 to 1 to remove medium buffing compounds, and 10 to 1 for rouges, pickling agents, and investments from metal castings. I bought the quart size but I guess the jewelers buy the 5 gallon size.

And don't forget to degas any fresh solution first

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 12/9/2005 11:51:41 PM
Author: cflutist
DF, mine takes about 15 - 20 min to heat up cold tap water, probably a little longer now since it is winter time

When hot, thats when the plastic coated tweezers come in handy (which I bought from Otto Frei).

What kind of solution do you use?

I use a non-ammoniated multipli-purpose ultrasonic cleaning solution that I also bought from Otto Frei. It is super concentrated so you dilute 40 to 1 for general cleaning, but 20 to 1 to remove medium buffing compounds, and 10 to 1 for rouges, pickling agents, and investments from metal castings. I bought the quart size but I guess the jewelers buy the 5 gallon size.

And don't forget to degas any fresh solution first

cflutist
i been using the Gem Sparkle solution that came with my Speed Brite cleaner.

yeah,degas

...i call GemOro b/c i was confuse

they say it would still work,but it won't be as effective.

here's what the instruction manual say:
water that has not been DEGASSED will cause the cavitation (action) of the ultrasonic to appear very slow or flat. Depending on the solution you are mixing with water in your unit, degassing time may very from five (5) to fifteen (15) minutes. Degassing is the natural process of removal of gasses from any tank of solution being affected by ultrasonic waves. Degassing occurs whenever you first use your ultrasonic with fresh water and solution and will re-occur each time you add to or change your water solution. Again, DO NOT PANIC because after the degassing process has occured, your GemOro Powerful Ultrasonic will cavitate like no other ultrasonic on the market.

p.s.. mine came with a (16) ring rack, so i can clean up to 16 rings at a time. not that my wife has that many rings

bought a couple of stainless steel baskets i use them for bracelets and necklaces.

 

[ame]

I literally stand by mine while it goes, I start the first of 3 cycles per ring with the "strongest" batch of cleaner. Then I dump the liquid and add more water to the solution for the next cycle, then dump it again and run the third cycle with just hot water.

I do 3 cycles on high for my ering, then 3 cycles for my w-ring then 1 for my plain band.

 

[websailor]

One think that''s neat about the 2 qt heated L&R Quantrex is that when cflutist is done cleaning her jewels, I can drop my eyeglasses into the basket and it cleans out all the dirt that accumulates around the glass (I don''t like the plastic lenses) and the nose pieces..... that always used to bug me.

Cflutist now has a hanger for her rings with her ultrasonic - it hangs them at just the right height in the solution. It''s kinda neat to watch them on it and see the water patterns....guess that the engineer in me

 

[ame]

Oh post a picture of that!

 

[bookworm21]

PS is doing some absolutely awful things to my wallet!

Let me explain...

I was perfectly happy scrubbing my jewelry with shampoo and a brush. Then I came across this thread about how great US cleaners are. I read everything about the Sharper Image model. I had bought a model from RadioShack (it sucks). So now, I just placed a bid on eBay for a refurbished model. The price is more than what the majority of you had paid for; it was $44.07 for the starting bid. So, hopefully, I''ll win the bidding and get the US really soon and save myself some scrubbing for the rest of my life.

So all you fellow PSers, thank you for sharing those stories about how awesomely sparkly your jewelry became after "ultrasonicating" them...you guys are terrible, absolutely terrible for my wallet!

Oh, and other than buying the US, I find myself spending a lot of time looking at jewelry and looking at what I might want to buy next...

 

[websailor]

Ame,

I don''t get on too often lately but I finally saw your post and got some pictures.... I wasn''t too sure what you asked for, but these are what I could get.....the other pictures involve words like "Over my dead body" (which I believe is in reference to how I''ll end up too) and other gestures that lands one on Santa''s Naughty List....

LOL, okay, just kidding about that!!!! Cflutist is never like that!

This picture shows the bubbles that form - some of them get caught under the lens and you can see them. Never could get a decent picture of the wave patterns or the little specs of dirt dancing around....

 

[websailor]

Here are my eyeglasses sitting in the basket - you can see how nicely they fit - you literally can just drop them in and they stay in place nicely.

The basket can go into the ultrasonic two ways - this is the "loose" way - it tends to move around a bit more this way but made a better picture. If I had done it the way we usually use it, it would be rotated 90 degrees and it would have fit snugly into the opening. I think this is deliberate, depending upon how much shaking you want to occur....

 

[websailor]

This gives you an idea as to the size of the unit. The green light is for the heater and the knob is the timer which goes up to 60 minutes. It stands about a foot tall.

BTW, it was hard to tell if I was getting a good picture or not when I wasn''t wearing my glasses!!!!

 

[websailor]

This last picture shows the depth of the basket, the lid, and the tweezers used to put jewelry into the basket, or take it out. The instructions say that you should not put anything directly on the bottom of the tank. We've also read that you shouldn't be putting your fingers into the ultrasonic when it is running.

Ame - Hopefully this is good enough!

I'm not quite blind without my glasses but this was tough because every single picture seemed like it was totally out of focus to me!!! I'm not used to that - it reminds me of the first times I tried to take diamond pictures - how hard could that be I thought? HA, pretty hard to get good pictures is what I very, very quickly found out!

ETA - BTW, the unit is very quiet - it makes a slight buzzing noise (which I can't hardly hear, but then my hearing is not so great anymore either), but no other odd noises or clicks or anything. If you are more than 3 ft away from it, I doubt most people would be able to hear anything.

 

[Angel7]

I''m getting the one from Sharper Image for Xmas. Can''t wait to use it!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

 

[Mara]

Oooh Angel can''t wait to hear how you like it!!

Demelza just ordered one too

...I want to see new pictures of course after you gals'' rings are all sparkly clean!

 

[luckyhonu]

Has anyone checked out the one from Brookstone?

http://www.brookstone.com/shop/product.asp?product_code=521765&world_code=100&category_code=59&subcategory_code=623&search_type=subcategory&prodtemp=t1&cm_re=A_BNR*MB*623

It looks simliar to the GemOro Sparkle Spa...

 

[Mara]

I was telling Demelza last nite that part of why I like the SI one so much is that it's very tiny and I can just put it in the cupboard next to the sink in the kitchen...there aren't alot of extra accessories or things to deal with. Also, the price was just so affordable I didn't need to second-guess the purchase.

I also didn't want some big ole industrial metal thing that has to take up a whole space permanently or anything like that. I'm not quite into brushed metal as a decor item...

...plus I don't clean anything other than my rings in it, so the eyeglasses and watch extras are totally not useful for me.

But if you DO clean that stuff yeah a larger one is better I guess!! That Brookstone one sure is sleek, it reminds me of my crockpot!!

If you get it, LH, let us know how you like it.

 

[luckyhonu]

Mara, how big is the SI ultrasonic you have?

I was looking at the Brookstone because FI loves it when I clean his glasses in them. I have the OttoFrei mini ultrasonic which is great for my jewelry, but not so great when I have to clean one lens at a time...it''s so shallow that I''m having problems cleaning the nose pads as well.

 

[ame]

Date: 12/20/2005 1:36:05 AM
Author: websailor

Ame - Hopefully this is good enough!

How does CFlutist put her rings in? I guess that''s my biggest concern with a metal inside and metal basket...

 

[larussel03]

YAY I just bought this one on ebay for 10.00!!! (plus shipping which was $15 ouch, but still cheaper than buying it in the store!). My mom uses an old denture ultrasonic cleaner that's 20 years old, and it makes the rings sooooo sparkley after, so I figured I'd go with the cheapie since I just spent tons of money xmas shopping.

 

[ame]

WOW! Great deal! Let us know how it works.

I need to bust out my jewels and clean them before I go to my mom''s on Saturday.

 

[websailor]

Date: 12/20/2005 2:57:39 PM
Author: ame

Date: 12/20/2005 1:36:05 AM
Author: websailor

Ame - Hopefully this is good enough!

How does CFlutist put her rings in? I guess that''s my biggest concern with a metal inside and metal basket...

Most of the time she justs puts her rings, necklaces, etc into the tray. I''m sure if she had any concerns about it she wouldn''t do this. In her older, smaller ultrasonic (a 1 pt machine I think), it didn''t have a tray so she put them on the bottom of the metal tank. She had that for 20 years and her rings were not damaged, so I''d guess it''s okay!

Once the ultrasonic is turned on, she doesn''t put her fingers into it - we''d read that this is not good for the fingers... she uses her rubber tipped tweezers to remove anything to examine it.

 

[websailor]

Date: 12/20/2005 2:19:48 PM
Author: Mara
I was telling Demelza last nite that part of why I like the SI one so much is that it''s very tiny and I can just put it in the cupboard next to the sink in the kitchen...there aren''t alot of extra accessories or things to deal with. Also, the price was just so affordable I didn''t need to second-guess the purchase.

I also didn''t want some big ole industrial metal thing that has to take up a whole space permanently or anything like that. I''m not quite into brushed metal as a decor item...

...plus I don''t clean anything other than my rings in it, so the eyeglasses and watch extras are totally not useful for me.

But if you DO clean that stuff yeah a larger one is better I guess!! That Brookstone one sure is sleek, it reminds me of my crockpot!!

If you get it, LH, let us know how you like it.

I remember those days when I was in college and the year after, before we bought a house - space was tight and small things were preferable. With our current home, space is no problem, so a larger unit (if you can call a 7 inches by 7 inches by 9 inches tall a large item) is no problem. In fact, almost all our flat surfaces look like the staged homes for sale - only a very few strategically placed items for your eyes. Everything else is kept stored away.

When there are only a few pieces of jewelry to clean, a small unit is fine. But some pieces, such as the heavy gold necklaces, etc, don''t work well in the small units - a larger size one lets you put the whole necklace in and lay it flat, not all twisted and coiled up.

It''s the classic, when you have very basic needs, go with the basic unit. When you have more complex/advanced needs, go with the more advanced unit.