Best Ultrasonic Cleaners | Buyer’s Guide

What is the best ultrasonic cleaner? There are two types of these devices: an industrial machine and a portable ultrasonic cleaner. Industrial-grade units are very effective, heavy-duty, and are equipped with a high-wattage generator. As a reference, the generator is the most important part of an ultrasonic cleaner because it provides power to the machine. They also feature robust tanks made from welded stainless steel. Portable ultrasonic cleaners are smaller in size, compact, and are easily transportable. However, they come with less powerful generators and are used to clean only small items like toys, jewelry, and food.

It is important that the device is large enough to hold the item you want to clean. Basically, the frequency of about 45 kHz is enough, however, some items may require as much as 130 kHz.

The development of ultrasonic machines and cleaning dates back 70 years when a laboratory at the Radio Corporation of America discovered the cleaning action of ultrasonic energy. The technicians were using freon to cool radio components when they observed a wave action around a crystal operating at 300 kHz. The concept was not actively applied as a cleaning mechanism at the time until the 1950s when ultrasonic cleaning machines were developed. The pioneers began by designing machines with a frequency of 18-40 kHz, and later in the 1980s, commercial systems were invented that operated at 25-40 kHz. Modern technologies have spawned the invention of systems with higher frequencies (up to 45 kHz) that are portable and designed for both domestic and industrial use. Here, you’ll find five different models of the best ultrasonic cleaners from $17 up to $130.

Table of Content

Top 5 Best Ultrasonic Cleaners

1. FORAVER 3L Professional Stainless Steel Ultrasonic Cleaner with Heater

This industrial-grade ultrasonic cleaner is excellent for cleaning large and small items. It is fitted with two powerful transducers of 60 W each. The FORAVER 3L professional cleaner features the latest technology in ultrasonic cleaning that increases its versatility; you can use it for cleaning, cavitation, oxidation, and maintenance, among other uses. What's more, its 3L stainless steel chamber is thick and sturdy, so your items are safe during the cleaning process. For optimal cleaning performance, users can set a cleaning temperature range of 68-140 degrees Fahrenheit and select cleaning time options of 1-30 minutes. It has a dual fuse system protects it from burn-outs caused by frequent turning on and off.

FORAVER 3L: Check the current price

2. Fosmon Professional Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner, Dual-Wave Heavy Duty Cleaning

This spacious ultrasonic cleaner is ideal for heavy-duty cleaning hence, can be used for commercial cleaning of jewelry. It uses dual-wave frequency technology that generates quiet and stable circuitry, creating millions of microscopic bubbles for a thorough cleaning of hard-to-reach areas. With the Fosmon ultrasonic cleaner, you never need to add harsh detergent or scrub off the dirt during cleaning; add tap water, and you are good to go. With up to five pre-set cleaning cycles, you can choose a suitable frequency based on the nature of the material you want to clean. The digital display allows you to count down the length of time it will take to clean the watch, necklace, tools, instruments, combs, and utensils, among other objects.

Fosmon: Check the current price

3. Branson Model B200 Ultrasonic Cleaner, 120V

The item is excellent for microscopic cleaning of clock parts, metallic machine parts, and electric components, among other small items. The machine operates on 50-60 Hz and is fitted with a five-minute timer that allows a quick and efficient cleaning process. The package comes with a basket where you can place the items for a safer cleaning process.

You may find this product a bit pricey, but it worth the money. First of all, this is because Branson that is headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut, is a reliable and well-established brand. The company was founded in 1946 and since then has become a reputable manufacturer of ultrasonic, thermal, infrared joining and welding equipment made both of plastic and metal. Branson has opened branches in Europe and Asia and now sells its products all around the world. Today, it is a subsidiary of Emerson Electric Co., a trusted American multinational corporation selling electronic equipment.

Branson: Check the current price

4. Bvc Ultrasonic Polishing Jewelry Cleaner with Digital Timer

This ultrasonic cleaning machine is ideal for cleaning waterproof watches, dentures, jewelry, ancient coins, shaver heads, CDs, and DVDs. With a capacity of 600 ml and a vast chamber, you can clean a range of items. The basket protects your items from scratches while the disc hoist ensures the discs remain in place during the cleaning process. The cleaner has five pre-set cleaning cycles (90,180, 300, 480, and 600) that allow the user to choose the appropriate setting based on the nature of the item. It comes with a watch holder accessory that will enable you to lay the piece at full length to expose all the hard-to-reach areas.

Bvc: Check the current price

5. Ultrasonic Cleaner, Mini Cleaning Machine

The ultrasonic cleaning machine is an excellent option for those looking for a portable and affordable machine for cleaning fragile items like jewelry, eyeglasses, or sunglasses. It's pretty easy to operate; plug in the batteries and press the play button. It uses 2 AA batteries, generating a powerful frequency of up to 40 kHz. Its design allows the cleaning solution to remove all the gunk, leaving your sunglasses, rings, or other items sparkling clean. And, if you don't want to lay the eyeglasses directly into the cleaning solution, the contact lens holder allows you to put the contact lens at full length, exposing all the parts for cleaning. The package comes with a two-head screwdriver for tightening the frame glass in case the screw gets loose after washing.

Mini Cleaning Machine: Check the current price

Best-Selling Ultrasonic Cleaners Comparative Table

How to clean guns and rifles in an ultrasonic cleaner

Cleaning firearms with an ultrasonic cleaner can remove fouling, dirt, and other contaminants from the surface of the gun. Here are the steps to follow:

- Make sure the ultrasonic cleaner is properly filled with a cleaning solution.

- Disassemble the firearm as much as possible. This will allow the ultrasonic waves to reach all surfaces of the gun.

- Place the firearm parts in the ultrasonic cleaner, making sure they are fully submerged in the cleaning solution.

- Run the ultrasonic cleaner for the recommended time, usually between 10 and 30 minutes.

- Remove the firearm parts from the ultrasonic cleaner and rinse them thoroughly with clean water to remove any remaining cleaning solution.

- Dry the parts thoroughly, using a clean cloth or air drying.

- Reassemble the firearm and perform a function test to ensure that it is functioning correctly.

It is essential to follow the manufacturer's instructions for the ultrasonic cleaner carefully and the cleaning solution being used. Some firearms may not be suitable for ultrasonic cleaning, so it is important to consult the manufacturer's guidelines before attempting to clean the firearm in this way.

How well does ultrasonic cleaner clean firearms?

Ultrasonic cleaners are able to remove dirt, grime, and other contaminants from all surfaces of the firearm, including hard-to-reach areas such as corners and crevices.

The ultrasonic cleaning process involves using high-frequency sound waves to generate microscopic bubbles in a cleaning solution. These bubbles implode and create microscopic shockwaves that loosen and remove dirt and contaminants from the surface of the firearm.

When used properly, ultrasonic cleaners can effectively remove all types of dirt and contaminants, including carbon fouling, lead, and copper fouling. They are also effective at removing oil, grease, and other lubricants, making them an excellent tool for maintaining firearms.

Overall, ultrasonic cleaners provide a fast and effective way to clean firearms and are a valuable tool for any gun enthusiast.

Testing & Customers Reviews

Here are the reviews from YouTube bloggers who tested the Ultrasonic Cleaners and have found them effective and worth buying.

Cameron Niemela: "Alright, what I'm working on today. I'll be cleaning up all the hardware from the CFD50. I saved all that for last, because it is not much fun and cleanin up bolts, but then I remembered I had that little ultrasonic cleaner that haven't used in a while. So, I'm gonna run all that stuff through the cleaner an see how it turns out.

I've got it heated u to 53 degrees Celsius and it's full of degreaser I'm using. So, as I was pulling it all off, I jus dropped it into ziplock bags that were labeled I've got them marked: fork, fro brakes, flywheel side, the engine subframe, air box. So, just a simple straightforward way of keeping track of the hardware. The first batch is gonna be the dirtiest set of hardware, just take a look here. I'm thinking it's gonna be rear brakes. This stuff i looking kind of nasty, no, I wish I had a little basket to drop the stuff in to before I put it into the cleaner I don't.

I'm just gonna set this thing for five minutes... The five minutes is up. I'm excited to see how this stuff turned out. Oh boy, that's pretty impressive stuff, actuall looks really good. Definitely exceeded my expectations. I am really happy with how this set of parts turned out as well."

Reviews_and_more: "This is on a jewelry upkeeping cleaning item called the Magnasonic professional ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. It is a very simple item. It is one piece, there is a cord attached to it and two pieces there's a basket and the piece itself it is essentially a jewelry cleaning device using ultrasonic water pulses to knock loose crud and crust from various piece of jewelry as well as other items, like they advertise even sometimes coins or, more importantly for me, I glasses can be cleaned off and I've actually tested that out.

It's very effective.It going to be a silver test on a coin, it's very tarnished been sitting in a drawer for a long time. It's a 0.999 percent silver, it's like a souvenir bullion coin for Christmas. So, the default setting on the timer is 180 seconds, it'll go up to I believe 480. So, you can do a long clean this is all in water. So, we're not talking about anything too crazy here, just liquid water not distilled to dry out the tap and that's what the instructions say to use tap water or to add soap for a more extreme clean. The only real qualification it uses on there is it cannot have a corrosive cleaner for the sterilization cycle, which is really just the 180 seconds with a with a non bleach or non corrosive cleaner. So, the one thing I wanted to try, but I didn't was baking soda, because I didn't have any baking soda tins be non corrosive in the basin is metal. So, I'm not really concerned about the baking soda, but as you can see here it definitely made it shine here, but it didn't really do much as far as the tarnish is concerned. So, if you're looking at silver jewelry here and you're saying what can I do to clean my silver jewelry this probably is not gonna do it for you and you'll see in the before and after shot the reason why the light changes. So, much is because it becomes more reflective it's it's the grease and the in everything all that's gone, but the tarnish is still there. So, you see on the left-hand side kind of a silver color, but once that other side gets cleaned it's much more reflective of the light. So, here in just second you'll see a before and after and you'll notice it's just shinier, not necessarily free of tarnish. In fact, it's not I would say it's pretty much the same as far as tarnish concerned but it's definitely got more reflectivity to it.

I think it's worth it if you wear a lot of gold jewelry. If you're dealing with a lot of silver, maybe not the best bet for you or go with a much cheaper model, because you get the same impact. So, if you're a gold person you got a lot of gold jewelry go for it if you're a silver person then maybe go something a little cheaper."

FAQs

How Can I Enhance the Cleaning Process?
It depends on the item you intend to clean and the type of ultrasonic cleaner you are using. However, for optimal cleaning, set a suitable temperature and timing for the cleaning process. The size of the ultrasonic cleaning machine and the cleaning solution used also determines how well it cleans the item.

Which Jewelry should I not Clean Using an Ultrasonic Cleaner?
Ultrasonic cleaning machines use sound waves to remove dirt that has accumulated on the surface of your jewelry. As such, not all jewelry materials can be cleaned using this machine. For example, diamond jewelry loses clarity and develops internal damage when cleaned using an ultrasonic cleaner.

How Long Should the Items Remain in the Cleaner?
It depends on factors such as the temperature, solution, the degree of cleanliness required, and the dirt present. For jewelry, experts recommend cleaning them for 5-10 minutes. You will see the dirt removal within a few minutes of use.

Which Cleaning Solutions Should I Not Add to the Water?
Solutions that have low flash points should not be added. The cavitation process works by releasing energy, which is converted to heat and then to kinetic energy. As a result, high-temperature gradients are generated in the solutions. Using flammables, bleach, acids, or other such agents produces even higher temperature gradients that can be extremely risky. Here is a list of effective cleaning solutions:

• Alkaline Solutions: With a pH of 10 or higher, they are great for cleaning stainless steel, metals, zinc, tin, copper, and cast iron. Alkaline solutions also work well when cleaning ceramics, glass, and plastic materials.
• Acidic solutions: they have a pH of 5 or lower hence, more aggressive than alkaline solutions. As such, acidic solutions are used for cleaning specific materials, e.g., removing oxides from metals as long as the solution contains inhibitors that protect the base material.
• De-ionized water: it is great for cleaning all kinds of material-metals, plastics, rubber, glass, and fabrics.
• High Caustic solutions: these are special alkaline solutions used for removing waxes, heavy grease, and oils from steel, cast iron, and stainless steel.

How Does degassing Aid the Cavitation Process?
Degassing occurs when the gases in the solution are removed, creating a vacuum. Cavitation is only possible when the gases are removed to enable the formation of bubbles in the vacuum. The bubbles collapse once they are hit by the sound waves to release energy that enhances the breaking down of dirt particles from the item.