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.
amzn.to/3XRtMcI

[@KJ6EAD]

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.

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

That’s great information for the community. Thanks for sharing.

[@leeproulx7412]

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.

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

Thank you!

[@gizmo1252000]

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

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

Thanks for sharing a great tip with the community!

[@robbiesz]

@gizmo so you fill the tank with water and then submerge the jar with gasoline and the parts in it?

[@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.

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

Thank you! That’s great advice. I really should start reading those things :).

[@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).

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

I tried your advise when cleaning the carb on the Honda. I left the CLR water solution in the cleaner and put varsol in a baggy with the carb in it and put in in the water solution. AMAZING results. Thanks so much for the tip!

[@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.

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

I’ve learned so much since posting this video thanks to the community. It’s actually a process to figure out.

[@crush3095]

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

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

I hope you had some good luck!

[@phoban1329]

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.

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

No sorry. I have not measured the wattage/usage. I don't have a clamp meter or usage meter to get that info. I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I have learned a lot from the KZbin community after I posted this video. Thanks for watching!

[@fashizzlemanizzle4808]

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?

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

This would be a question for the community. I am unsure.

[@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 solution..... 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.

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

Channel algorithm comment made me actually lol! Thanks a lot for the helpful tips. I do know now that the baggie trick is amazing and you use it for everything. Thanks to amazing people like you sharing your knowledge, it really helps the community! Thanks again !

[@bleak0218]

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

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

Hmmm I’m going to have to defer this question to the viewers that are more experienced than me with aluminum. I don’t want to steer you wrong.

[@AlabilaSanto]

What is CLR?

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

It's a Calcium, Lime , Rust remover. I've been told it's similar to Evaporust?

[@geoffap0]

Try Evapo-Rust.

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

I've heard really good things about it and have seen it on other channels. I will most definitely give it a try! Thanks for the tip!

[@williamvaughan1218]

I use pine sol or mr clean green.

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

Great tip. Thanks for sharing.

[@andrewwmacfadyen6958]

Try citric acid

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

Would the citric acid be safe for aluminum do you know?

[@barenekid9695]

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

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

Yup it’s made from lactic acid and gluconic acid. Thanks for watching.

[@Azreal357]

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.

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

Awesome. Lots of amazing information being shared here. Thanks.

[@briansemenoff3195]

Have you tried borax ?

[@NorthernHomeGarage]

No I have not tried it. Could it be used safely for aluminum parts?