Ultrasonic Damanging Jewellery

[caroleallen]

I've got a gallon of the Seaclean stuff which will be disposed of today. I know it's wrong, but if it doesn't work it's just taking up space.

[Petal]

Well I can report that the cleaning solution that Jill recommended works brilliantly. No more film on my silver and everything super shiny and clean. The ammonia stinks a bit but is OK if you keep the lid on the ultrasonic. Ammonia is the way to go!

Could I use that in my cheapy ultrasonic...?

[ps_bond]

I've got a gallon of the Seaclean stuff which will be disposed of today. I know it's wrong, but if it doesn't work it's just taking up space.

I know what you mean - the stuff I've got works but there's room for improvement. I'll need to clean more stuff, clearly.
Maybe the teaspoons need a going over?

Remember to settle out the old contents from the ultrasonic!

[Gemsetterchris]

I just read somewhere that certain tapwater elements can be problematic.

[ps_bond]

I think I'm seeing limescale deposits on mine if I don't dry it properly; I probably ought to switch to using deionised water and see whether that improves things. I use enough of the stuff cleaning metal for mokume as it is.
Any others noted? Chlorine isn't a great mix generally.

[Gemsetterchris]

No more film on my silver

I notice some solutions leave things abit slimy, but I generally dump things in a small tub of sawdust to dry off without handling anything.
I keep stuff on the hook that it dangled in the sonic with..otherwise it can be an effort to track small things down even in a small tub.

[caroleallen]

Could I use that in my cheapy ultrasonic...?

Worth a try Jules.

[allyclaret]

Hi Carole

I've had a bit of an ultrasonic journey over the past few years! I think I've tried 4 smaller machines. Earlier this year I was lucy enough to buy a second hand huge 12 litre ultrasonic cleaner. I am convinced that the size of the machine is directly related to the cleaning efficiency. I have been using Seaclean and it takes 30 seconds to 1 minute to clean most items after polishing. As with all of the ultrasonic cleaners and cleaning fluids that I have tried in the past, if you leave silver in the solution for too long that's when you can get the white patches on the silver.

Once cleaned in the ultrasonic, as there's still a residue of chemical on the jewellery (ie the cleaning fluid), so to reduce tarnishing I now steam clean everything, let the item dry and then bag it up. It should stay clean and tarnish free for ages (or until someone puts their oily paws all over it!). I wouldn't use the steam cleaner without the ultrasonic though - it's not a replacement.

Hope this helps
Ally

[caroleallen]

Thanks Ally. What steam cleaner have you got?

[allyclaret]

The Eitan one from Walsh
https://www.hswalsh.com/product/eita...m-cleaner-ts30

They do a smaller one but you will be forever refilling it and you have to wait for it to cool before you can fill it.