How to Use an Ultrasonic Cleaner to Clean Your Jewelry

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parts

1 Making a Solution

2 Setting up for Cleaning

3 Running the Device

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Questions & Answers

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Tips and Warnings

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Article Summary

Reviewed by Cory Schifter

Last Updated: January 10, 2024

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You may have taken your jewelry to the jewelers to get cleaned. They offer this service free and then they tell you what problems the piece has.

• If your jewelry was not bought from them, you may have to pay extra money for the jewelry cleaning.
• Ultrasonic cleaner will be the best way to clean the jewelry for you. With your own ultrasonic cleaner, you can clean your jewelry the same way the professionals do it.
• This method can save money and time, is very easy to use, and is safe environmentally.

Read this article to learn more about how to clean your jewelry at home with an ultrasonic cleaner.

Steps

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making a Solution

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1. 1
   Fill the tank of your cleaner with water, adding a tablespoon of ammonia. Don't use too much because it can be harmful.
2. 2
   Add some dishwashing liquid, and you are done.
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3. 3
   Turn on the cleaner and let it run without any items for 5-10 minutes so that the solution gets mixed well.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Setting up for Cleaning

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1. 1
   Put your item(s) into the tank. Remember not to put in too many pieces at once or it may scratch your jewelry.
2. 2
   Heat the solution and set temperatures you need.

   • To work best, it needs to heat the solution. There are many ultrasonic cleaners that have a built-in heater to ensure that the solution is heated up. They differ in price.
   • Just heat the water up before you put it in the tank.
   • Do not bring the water to a boil.
   • Mix in the ammonia and the dishwashing liquid
   • Set the temperatures you need.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Running the Device

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1. 1
   Turn the device on. Let it run for as long as needed until your jewelry is clean.

   • Depending on how dirty the items are, this time usually varies from 1 to 20 minutes
2. 2
   When the cleaning is done, switch the cleaner off. Leave your jewelry inside for another 5-10 minutes so that the dirt particles can fall to the bottom of the tank.
3. 3
   Take your jewelry out and clean it briefly with a soft brush. Make sure that any residual dirt is removed, especially from the mountings of your rings.
4. 4
   Rinse the items. Wash off any remaining detergent, and dry them with a soft cloth.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  I have a beautiful gold ring with a black pearl and a white pearl setting. Can I clean it in the ultrasonic?

  

  Community Answer

  No, do not put pearls or any soft gemstones such as rubies or opals in an ultrasonic cleaner. This may cause gemstones to crack and lose their luster and brilliance, as well as damage the setting.

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  Thank you for your feedback.
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• Question

  How many pairs of earrings can you clean at the same time?

  

  Lori Coffey

  Community Answer

  It depends on the size of the earrings and the size of the tank you have. You don’t want your jewelry to be bundled up on top of one another or too crowded while in the tank. If you overcrowd the tank with too many pieces, your jewelry will likely be scratched or damaged from rubbing against the other jewelry next to it.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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Tips

• How often should you use an ultrasonic cleaner?

  • Maybe every week, every month. It depends on how quickly your jewelry gets dirty.
  • If you wear your pieces every day and they accumulate oil stains or dirt more quickly, you can wash them every week.
  • You can clean your jewelry every couple of weeks.
  • As long as your jewelry is made of materials that can take ultrasound, cleaning your items more often will not hurt them.
  Thanks

  Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1
• Should you not put all kinds of jewelry in an ultrasonic cleaner?

  • Not all jewelry should be cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner. You have to know different jewelry should use different way to wash.
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