Discover the ultimate cleaning hack: Homemade formula vs. Amazon Ultrasonic Cleaner

Welcome to my ultimate ultrasonic cleaner test! In this video, I will be putting my brand new ultrasonic cleaner, which I purchased from Amazon, to the test. But that's not all! I'll also be sharing a budget-friendly alternative to the expensive cleaning solutions available in the market. I am going to create my own. I will test 3 different homemade cleaning solution and then create a fourth by mixing two together. I will test every solution independently and show you the results I find. Below is the link to the cleaner I purchased.

[KJEAD]

It's idiotic to mix chemicals without knowing what they are and their function. CLR is a buffered lactic acid solution. Mixing it with baking soda neutralizes it. Sometimes it's going to be necessary to do more than one type of treatment on an object. For the items you demonstrated, start with an alkaline cleaner to remove oils and greases then rinse and use an acidic cleaner to remove rust. Experienced ultrasonic users often keep an alkaline detergent in the tank and use a smaller dip container with an acidic solution for followup treatments so they don't have to change solutions repeatedly and to save on chemicals.

Here's an excerpt from Crest ultrasonics about choosing solutions:
It depends upon the types of contaminants you need to remove.
For removing lime, scale, rust, and minerals from ferrous metal parts you might want acidic (pH of 5.0 or lower).
For jewelry, plastics, ceramics, glass, and objects made of tin, zinc, copper, brass, cast iron, or stainless steel, you will want to go with alkaline (pH of 10 or more).
For removing protein-based contaminants from plastics, aluminum, glass, brass, stainless steel, and titanium, we often recommend enzyme-based solutions.

Yet there are times when you need to remove heavy industrial waxes, oils, and greases from steel, stainless steel, and cast iron. In these cases, you will need to moving to highly caustic solvents to do the job.

[danburch]

CLR has lactic acid (up to 20%). So the baking soda neutralized its effectiveness. Lactic acid is also naturally produced in our body when we do power excecises.

[gizmo]

you can use gasoline, thinners and many other solvents to clean parts, as long as you put them in a jar . plus you save on solution . this method works well with small parts

[gary.richardson]

The fluid level is critical. It is important to understand both underfilling and overfilling.
You can end up dramatically lowering the life of your device and not clean to 100% capacity.
There is some math which calculates the perfect length for the soundwaves to travel without overlap.

[leeproulx]

That test was a lot of fun to watch, especially if your homemade solutions are able to penetrate and clean grease and oil from the inner recesses of the parts that you need cleaned. Great video.

[Azreal]

Used distilled water in the main tank, then put whatever you are cleaning in a jar full of your cleaner. This will save you from having to use/waste so much cleaner, and you wont need to clean the tank each time.

[CedarAshCanvas]

I use mine as a preliminary step for carb cleaning, where it's hard to get in to some of the nooks and crannies. Hint: you can fill the reservoir with water, and put small parts to be cleaned in a ziploc bag with whatever cleaning solution you are using, saves on solution. Apparently, small glass or plastic jars immersed in water also work, though I haven't tried that. I have tried a Pinesol solution. Srong Dawn solution works pretty good for greasy/oily stuff, I have found. FWIW, some cleaners can change colour of aluminum parts (my snowmobile now has two different colour carbs).

[GRAZINGARIZONA]

@ northern home garage

I just found this video, thought I'd comment on it.
If you perform a test like this again, to save time, electricity, and cleaning solution I have a suggestion (it's only a suggestion, you do as you wish always)
You can clean all the lug nuts or whatever items at once by putting the individual items in ziploc baggies with the test cleaning agent (as long as the part fits in said baggie AND as long as cleaning agent doesn't attack the plastic baggie). Fill the ultrasonic machine with water and put baggies in the water. Machine works by sound waves so kind of line of sight (like if you have a pile of nuts n bolts, the outside of the pile will get clean while the center will remain nasty). This way the large amount of liquid (water) stays hot and clean and your only using like a cup or two fo the and no cleaning tank between each run. Win win win or something like that. Hope this was a useful comment for you, at the very least it'll help your channels algorithm.

[vaejoviscarolinanus]

The unit looks like the one that I got but different name. The instructions I got said that it was critical to fill up to level mark about 90 percent of the capacity. It will destroy the unit if you don’t fill it.

[BRGRSN]

I'm using IPA with mine and I'm still alive😂

[phoban]

Have you, or could you, measure the actual Wattage of your ultrasonic cleaner. My cleaner is listed as 180 watts for the ultrasonic transducers. When I measure it with a Kill-a-Watt meter using only the ultrasonic function of the cleaner, it measures between 110 and 135 watts. I would be interested in knowing what your model is rated as and the actual power consumption. You posted a great video and I appreciate the information you provided.

[rustynutz]

I painted commercial properties and even bulk oil plants and all the piping/plumbing around them for 55 years and have heard that paint thinner is called Varsol for the first time in this video? Must be a Canadian thing, Not in the Northwest USA... The Brits call Vacuuming "Hoovering" so I get it . a major brand becomes the accepted name for all paint thinner. Take Off ! Aye..

[bleak]

What is the best solution for aluminium parts to get burnt oil off but is safe to not turn the finish grey or black?...

[crush]

cannot wait to watch this after work
I tried all sorts of combinations to clean tiny mechanical watch parts
online recommendations included lighter fluid, bunch of stuff I tried with little success

[chriswright]

It does say in the instructions it needs to be 2/3rds full

[fashizzlemanizzle]

Do you run the Degas setting first? I’ve just read some places that makes a big difference, or is supposed to, to degas the solution before placing parts to clean?

[barenekid]

Erm... YOU ? realise that CLR is basically ACID??
You wash your Bits in it ....trying to save 1$

[digicabtech]

Do we really need an ultrasound cleaner machine? Can we use the normal boiling pan in the kitchen and mix the CLR + Soda baking, .... and keep it at a certain temperature.