How to Use an Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner

Ultrasonic jewelry cleaners are small and easy to use.

Ultrasonic jewelry cleaners are a great way to clean your jewelry without the risk of scratching soft gemstones and the trouble of working a brush into the nooks and crannies around the prongs and complicated settings. However, ultrasonic jewelry cleaners are not for every piece of jewelry and you must be careful what types of stones and pieces you place inside. Many jewelery salespeople will offer to clean your jewelry for free in order to keep you shopping in the store. They may not be aware of what types of jewelry should and should not be cleaned ultrasonically, so make sure that you know whether or not it is safe to hand over your gems.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Ultrasonic jewelry cleaner
• Warm water
• Mild detergent (optional)
• Soft, lint-free cloth

1. Never use a cleaner that contains bleach to clean jewelry. Ammonia is thought to be good for diamonds but can damage other gems.

   Fill the cleaning tank with warm water. If you prefer, you can mix a small amount of mild detergent into the water. Fill the tank full enough to cover the jewelry, but not all the way to the top.

2. Place the jewelry in the cleaning basket. You can put more than one piece in at a time, but do not pile pieces on top of each other. The cleaning process is brief, so it is better to repeat the process than to stack your jewelry in a way that can cause pieces to damage each other.

3. Turn on the ultrasonic cleaner. It will begin to transmit waves of sound that create tiny bubbles that will actually knock the dirt and grime loose from the jewelry. Depending on your cleaner's instructions, you may need to leave it on for up to a minute. Do not leave it on too long as you risk loosening settings with overexposure.

4. Allow the jewelry to sit in the basket for about five minutes. This will give the dirt time to settle to the bottom of the cleaner. Lifting the basket sooner may just cause your jewelry to be swirled back through the dirt you just cleaned off.

5. Pat the jewelry dry with the soft, lint-free cloth. Make sure that you have gotten all of the water off of the jewels so that they do not appear cloudy when they dry. If you used a detergent in the cleaner, you will need to rinse them before you dry them.

Tips & Warnings

• Some jewelry should not be washed in an ultrasonic cleaner. Do not place pearls, opals, emeralds or coral in this type of cleaner. If you are not sure if your jewelry should be cleaned in this fashion, consult a certified jeweler before you do so.