Reply With QuoteOriginally Posted by Ozzie
Am I right in thinking you've been a member for 7.5 years?
How many of you own an ultrasonic cleaner and do you use it regularly on your watches? Debating with myself whether or not I need one!
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Am I right in thinking you've been a member for 7.5 years?
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
I have a cheap Chinese one and it does wonder for watch bracelets. I use it quite often, probably every couple of weeks.
I'd steer clear of putting stone set jewellery in it as they can have a tendancy to dislodge the stones. Mrs K's diamond sollitaire is currently out of action due to this.
OH has one for her jewellery, but I regularly used for bracelets and they come up okay, doesn’t beat the old fashion toothbrush clean.
I have one but just use it to clean bicycle chains. Which it does very well with a bit of degreaser solution.
Do you just use water for jewellery, or a weak detergent?
Am I right in presuming that automatic watches themselves should not go in due to delicate little parts in the movement?
I've got one but don't use it. Don't think they're that effective.
Cleaned my bracelet yesterday with Fairy Liquid, a soft toothbrush and some warm running water - came up spotless. Why buy unnecessary kit.
I have one but again rarely use it easier with the toothbrush and fairy method
I bought a Chinese one off eBay to clean small car parts - Does that job well.
I've run a few watch bracelets through it and even a couple of rather grubby cases (with movements removed) and all have come out remarkably well.
I don't use it often though.
M
Is this generally agreed upon as the best method of watch cleaning across this site of watch knowledge?
I have a steel strap and case watch that I may try this on. Previously I have occasionally worn it in the the bath or shower and simply soaped it up and rinsed off as I do the same to myself.
Considered starting a new thread on this but having started a couple already as a newbie I didn't want to make a nuisance of myself.
Just because it's a watch forum doesn't mean the answer has to be complicated. Sometimes the quick and easy methods work. I always associate ultrasonic cleaners as something dealers or watch repairers would have. It seems a few on here may own one as well. You could even remove the bracelet and pop it in the dishwasher although I wouldn't recommend putting the head in.
I just put a few inches of warn to mildly hot water in the sink, dunk the bracelet then give it a good scrub with an old soft toothbrush and rinse well. If you do that on a fairly regular basis then the DNA doesn't build up.
I am waiting for Paul to come along now and tell me that I am stark raving mad
Yes you read that correctly.
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Thanks for the replies. I too just use tooth brush method but was interested to learn if the ultrasonic was significantly better.
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What a coincidence - I'm just about to buy one of these.
https://www.conrad.de/de/ultraschall...c.ref=Homepage
My previous one packed up during the summer. It's one of the few bits of watch-related paraphernalia that my wife really approves of as all of her jewellery goes into it as well.
I also need to buy a bulb for a Herrnhuter Sterne.
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
Apologies if I'm being a bit thick here but please could someone confirm if you use just water. Or a mild detergent as well?Just because it's a watch forum doesn't mean the answer has to be complicated. Sometimes the quick and easy methods work. I always associate ultrasonic cleaners as something dealers or watch repairers would have. It seems a few on here may own one as well. You could even remove the bracelet and pop it in the dishwasher although I wouldn't recommend putting the head in.
I just put a few inches of warn to mildly hot water in the sink, dunk the bracelet then give it a good scrub with an old soft toothbrush and rinse well. If you do that on a fairly regular basis then the DNA doesn't build up.
I am waiting for Paul to come along now and tell me that I am stark raving mad
If so, which? I see that fairy liquid was suggested a little further down the thread.
I put some Fairy in the water and then applied a little bit to the toothbrush. It doesn't really matter, any kitchen dishwashing Liquid will do. Rinse well when done and buff up with a dry clean cloth when you have dried the bracelet out.
I have an ultrasonic cleaner from ALDI. Variable for time and intensity. Pop my watches in 2 or 3 at a time. Use hot water and a good squirt of Fairy. They come out sparkling.
Occasionally, there's condensation under a dial. Just put the watch in the airing cupboard overnight. Comes out clear as a bell.
(A word of warning. Some leather straps get soggy. Just squeeze them flat and lay in airing cupboard for a couple of days.)
I prefer liquid hand soap as it is slightly milder than Fairy liquid but it shouldn't make any difference. Use a soft toothbrush. If you haven't done it before you might be amazed what comes out...
WR, as long as you have the seals checked on that 5512 you have, before you put it in the dishwasher, I can't see Paul objecting ;).
I use one and think it is great. I used it recently to clean my great grandmothers bracelet from an old watch my sister now owns which is solid gold and had never been cleaned. It was like magic - it went from being stiff and tarnished to being shiny and sleek with loads of movement. It was great to watch the years of dirt and grime literally lift off in clouds. We use it on all the jewellery we have as well as other delicate or difficult to clean items. Love it well worth the money. We use a mild detergent which helps but don’t clean the head of the watch (still use the toothbrush method for that).
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Oooh. That looks to be just the ticket.
To clarify you can’t put the watch head in?
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Thanks. What I was particularly pleased with was the retailer; the previous (different and cheaper) model failed after 15-18 months but the refund was completely quibble free and equivalent to the Richer Sounds experience.
I'm assuming his contribution was tongue in cheek...
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
Noooooooo. The head gets the special treatment, a gentle cleaning with a baby wipe to remove any DNA and a good buffing up with a soft cloth. That vintage Sub is going nowhere near water ever again
Bought a large one which was supposedly more powerful, and while it does work they aren't the wonder cleaner they are sometimes portrayed as being.
I would advise washing the head by hand, carefully. I don't like the sound of a misted up glass and a night in the airing cupboard. How much moisture / damage is being done to the movement?
As stated, I clean the head with a baby wipe, but each to their own.
Jocke's watchwallpapers are always worth a browse, here are a couple of his pages on cleaning.
http://www.watchwallpapers.com/beaterren.htm
http://www.watchwallpapers.com/2011rene.htm
And...
http://www.watchwallpapers.com/djlaundry.htm
Yes, I should have made it more obvious!
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They're not good at breaking down thick soft layers of grime, that's better removed by other means. I always use warm water and a strong detergent solution, even then it can take a while to break down. They're not miracle cleaners but they're a useful tool . I only buy cheap ones and accept they won`t last a long time, I paid £40 for my last one and it gets plenty of use.
Paul
Yes, it's significantly better. Although you can — and should — get the external gunk off a watch with soap and a soft toothbrush, it doesn't do anything to dislodge the fine grit that builds up inside the bracelet links and acts as a grinding paste to wear away metal, causing what's inaccurately called "stretch".
If anyone doubts this, just take a look at the residue that's left in an ultrasonic cleaner's immersion tank after using it on even an apparently-spotless bracelet from a regularly-worn watch.
And as has been already mentioned, it's only the bracelet that goes in. :)
I'm now torturing myself over whether I should accept the standard 24 month guarantee or pay €9 for the 48 month one. It would be the first time in 25 years (since I bought my first CD Walkman) that I've bought a shop warranty if I do it.
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
I got one a few years ago from Maplins for about £30. We've been very pleased with it, the Delightful Mrs Cornholio is often using it for her jewellery.
Beware, they can remove gold plating. I have a pen nib that can bear witness to that
I have an old automatic that wasn't running and was going to be thrown away. I put it in the cleaner so that I could get a photo (some sentimental value), and the vibes set it off running again. It did leak a little, so had to be dried out. Works again though!
Sensible way to use these things, as I`ve stated many times, is to put water in the tank then put the item in a cleaning solution in a glass jar. Dunking things straight into the tank is a messy business and it doesn`t easily lend itself to rinsing etc.
Paul
Thanks for the advice.
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I use the Aldi one but just for watch bracelets and my razors. Cleaned my friends 18ct Rolex bracelet after 30 years wear by him. The grunge that came out was unbelievable it came out like new. He was so impressed he bought one too.
And it's a hell of a lot cheaper than replacing a bracelet that's been shagged out by all that internal grit. Particularly a gold one.
Don'tput a mechanical head in the bath.
I use aldi one for bracelets aaswell but ddoesn'twork without ddetergent for me
Father in law was a dentist. So I lucked into an unused freebie when i helped him clear out his garage.
Must have had half his dental practice in there. Including a full compliment of confidential patient notes, along wjth an A series mini engine block and a motorbike sequential gearbox. Had been used to give the kids a foundation of mechanical knowledge.
Think about it: you wouldn`t wash dishes without detergent, you wouldn't wash clothes without detergent, so why expect to clean the dirt and grime of a watch without detergent?
Heat and detergent are still required, even with an ultrasonic bath, it surprises me that people expect miracles from them. They are very effective when used properly. Dirt, grease and grime are hydrophobic, that's why detergent is needed to emulsify the crap. Ultrasonics makes it happen a lot faster and more effectively.
Paul
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