Many people buy jewelry and wear it 24/7 throughout the whole year without thinking that they need to maintain it. Do you know that if your jewelry is not properly maintained, they can wear out or even get damaged?
Cleaning and maintaining your jewelry is important. So how do you go about it? Many jewelry repairers or restorers and even manufacturers have come to the realization that an ultrasonic cleaning machine is the best jewelry cleaner If you are asking why, we have discussed it in the previous post titled top 3 reasons why ultrasonic wash gets better results than other cleaners.
Do you hate how stained, grungy, grimy, and dirty your jewelry look and want to buy an ultrasonic cleaner to restore them to their glorious shine? This article will show you how to select an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. Read on for the helpful tips!
Consider the Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaning Machine Tank Size
The tank size of ultrasonic jewelry cleaner machine varies from one model to another. For example, Elmasonic S Series is offered in 14 tank capacities from .25 to 24 gallons and the E Plus Series in 9 tank capacities from .25 to 7.5 gallons. There are some factors you need to consider when choosing the ultrasonic jewelry cleaner tank size. They are the dimension of the cleaning tank, the jewelry you want to clean, and working depth. For better understanding, let’s take a look at these factors.
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The jewelry you want to clean in the ultrasonic jewelry cleaner – are your jewelry large or small? The size of your jewelry will determine what tank size you should go for. If your jewelry is small such as your anniversary or wedding ring and stud earrings, you will require an ultrasonic jewelry cleaning machine with a smaller tank.
On the other hand, if your jewelry is huge, you will need to consider buying an ultrasonic cleaner with a big tank.
Additionally, you should consider the size that will work for you best if you will be washing jewelry with various sizes together or at once.
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The dimension of the cleaning tank – when you are selecting the size of an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner tank, make sure you go for the dimension that will work well for your jewelry no matter their size. What does this mean? Make sure the dimension of tank you are selecting will be able to immerse your jewelry in the ultrasonic cleaning solution fully. Remember that you want all areas cleaned.
Another thing to put in mind about the dimension is that the ultrasonic jewelry cleaner tank should give your jewelry enough space to stand alone and not bunched together. This will help prevent the areas of the jewelry that are damaged from vibrating against each other, and it will also improve the cleaning result of the ultrasonic jewelry cleaner.
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Working depth – What do working depth mean? An ultrasonic jewelry cleaner features baskets. The basket is used to suspend jewelry at an ideal distance from the bottom of the tank when cleaning the jewelry. This helps to maximize the efficiency of the cleaning process. The dimension of the cleaning basket is less than the tank dimension, and so is the cleaning basket depth less than the tank’s depth. When the tank is filled with the proper cleaning solution, the distance between the surface of the solution and the bottom of the basket is what is known as the working depth of the ultrasonic jewelry cleaner.
So, to cut the story short, determine the working depth of the ultrasonic cleaning machine to select the correct ultrasonic jewelry cleaner size.
In summary, the easiest way to select the perfect ultrasonic cleaning machine tank size is to measure the largest of your jewelry and go for the jewelry cleaner with the tank that matches it.
Price of the Ultrasonic Cleaner
Take note that the bigger the size of the ultrasonic cleaning machine tank, the costlier it is. However, there is a way you can save money buying the jewelry cleaner, especially if you have a lot of smaller jewelry and a few larger ones. It is advisable that you buy jewelry cleaner with a small tank.
If you are on a budget and can’t afford to go for an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner with a big tank, you can still utilize one with a small tank. How is this possible?
Even though it is good to clean the entire parts of your jewelry at once you can also clean the parts in bits, how do you do this?
Put some parts of the jewelry in the cleaning solution, and after cleaning the area, you can turn the jewelry and immerse the parts you have not cleaned in the solution to carry out the same cleaning process. However, if you can afford some extra cash, you can go for a portable ultrasonic machine with the big tank if that is what will meet your needs.
Consider the Ultrasonic Power of the Jewelry Cleaner
Understanding ultrasonic power and how it’s connected with the cleaning process will help you select the right ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, operate it more efficiently, and avoid damage to the jewelry and the tank.
Generally, the power of an ultrasonic cleaning machine is calculated in terms of watts per gallon of the cleaning solution in the tank of the jewelry cleaner. You might assume that because higher power produces a lot of cavitation bubbles, they result in faster cleaning. That is not always the best approach.
The power of the portable ultrasonic cleaner you are going to choose should be determined by what you want to clean, and that is your jewelry. Don’t go for a ultrasonic jewelry cleaner with too much of power because it can damage the sensitive part of your jewelry.
Note that the cleaning power of your ultrasonic jewelry cleaning machine has a limit to which it increases with the ultrasonic power. Anything above the limit is just a waste of electrical energy, and you know what this means to your monthly bill. Here are some tips that can help you make the right choice of power when selecting an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner:
- In terms of volume, the bigger the tank of the ultrasonic cleaning machine the lower the power you will require for a gallon of cleaning solution
- The material used in the construction of the tank, the type of contaminant you want to remove from your jewelry, and the design of the tank should be considered. You can discuss this with ultrasonic cleaning professionals.
- As a general rule of thumb, you will require between 50watts to 100 watts per gallon for your ultrasonic jewelry cleaner to achieve efficient cleaning.
Consider the Frequency of the Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaning Machine
Let’s take a quick jump back into the ultrasonic cleaning science. In our previous blogs, we have discussed how ultrasonic machines operate. We learned that sound waves are the key component used in ultrasonic as they create the bubbles that do the cleaning job.
Frequency or cycle per second is measured in Hertz. It means 1 hertz would be equivalent to one sound wave cycle per second, 40 Hz would be 40 cycles per second, 120 Hz would be 120 cycles per second, and so on. Generally, the frequency of the ultrasonic cleaning machine can range from 15 Kilohertz to 400 Kilohertz.
However, you will hardly find an item or object that will require the extreme low or high frequency. About 40 Kilohertz is the typical frequency used for ultrasonic cleaning.
So if you want to buy an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner and you are wondering about the right frequency to go for, you can easily tell. Check the tips below to determine the one that works for you.
- If your jewelry contains high sensitive surfaces or materials go for ultrasonic cleaning machine with a higher frequency between 80 kilohertz and 130 kilohertz.
- If your jewelry has a complex shape, cracks, and more, you might require an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner higher frequency
- The ultrasonic cleaner with a frequency between 35 kilohertz and 45 kilohertz can perform the majority of the cleaning operation. As a general rule of thumb, this is the right frequency for your jewelry.
- If your jewelry has different characters, ultrasonic cleaners with dual frequency might be the perfect option.
The Features the Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner Comes With
Even though ultrasonic cleaning machines are one of the devices that can help you save enough time when cleaning an item, the functions or features they come with can affect they get the job done. The features that can be useful are degassing, pulse, sweep, adjustable power, and heaters. Let’s take a quick look at some of them so you can understand what they do and how they can help make the ultrasonic cleaning operation easier and more effective.
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Degassing function – air that is trapped in a new solution you want to use for cleaning your jewelry can interfere with the cavitation action significantly. The performance of your ultrasonic jewelry cleaner may disappoint you if you don’t degas the new solution. To make this easier, an ultrasonic cleaning machine with degassing function might be required.
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Sweep function – during the ultrasonic operation, areas of relatively low and high cavitation can be created in the tank by transducers. When this occurs, it can damage the highly delicate or finished parts of your jewelry. To avoid this, the sweep function helps to provide more uniform cavitation energy by shifting the frequency at regular intervals throughout the tank.
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Pulse mode – if your jewelry has difficult-to-remove contaminants, the pulse mode function can help you get rid of it more quickly. How is this done? The pulse mode delivers intermittent spikes of high-intensity ultrasonic power to improve the cleaning, remove the stubborn contaminant from your jewelry, and also improve the mixing capabilities. Even though you can use the pulse mode to degas new solution, they are two different functions or features you need to look for in your sonic jewelry cleaner.
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Adjustable power – when you go for an ultrasonic cleaning machine that has adjustable power function, you will not be limited to a few surfaces. You will be able to clean a variety of surfaces, including jewelry with an extremely sensitive surface.
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Timers – go for an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner with longer cycle times if you want a machine that will require less supervision.
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Heating function – this feature should not be neglected when choosing the perfect ultrasonic cleaning machine for your jewelry. It will help boost the cleaning efficiency of the jewelry that is contaminated with oily contaminants. An ultrasonic jewelry cleaner with adjustable heat or temperature function is also a plus. With such a function, you will be able to keep the temperature within the recommended range.
- Digital display - the model of ultrasonic cleaning machine with the digital display will be easy to understand and allow you to operate the machine easily.
Warranty and Services Provided By Manufacturer
Most consumers often neglect this, and it will sooner or later take a toll. When you want to buy an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, it is important to check and make sure that the manufacturer offers not too costly and easily accessible warranty services. If this is not in place, the ultrasonic cleaning machine can cost you much and even get you in trouble if it breaks down.
Additionally, the available after sales services and support should not be overlooked. Ensure the manufacturer is offering after sales services and support that can help you efficiently operate your ultrasonic jewelry cleaner.
What Type Of Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner Is Good For You?
Generally, ultrasonic cleaning machine varies from specific high capacity cleaner and petite cleaners to general purpose cleaner. Out of them all, the general purpose cleaners are the most suitable ultrasonic machine for cleaning jewelry. Just ensure you consider the factors discussed above and most of the essential features mentioned come with the ultrasonic jewelry cleaner.
In case you are thinking of where to buy ultrasonic cleaner for your jewelry, we will recommend that you buy from the reliable store that offers the best general purpose ultrasonic cleaner. You will get the ultrasonic jewelry cleaner at an affordable price, clean your jewelry thoroughly, and make your task much easier. Finally, we hope this article should be able to help you select an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner that can restore the shine and beautiful look of your jewelry.