I Steam Cleaned Rocks and Something Weird Happened...

I am not really sure what to think about this rock experiment! The results that I got where definitely NOT what I was expecting and I got some really weird results! Let me know what you think about how the steam cleaner worked and if you would try this method in the comments below!
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[@AgateAriel]

If you want to support this channel-make sure to like, comment, and subscribe! It helps so much! 🙌

[@crystalnimmo7682]

I haven't tried it on rocks yet but it cleaned up some nasty stuff in my mother- in-laws house that was in the house for about 14 years. I'll try it out tomorrow on some of the River rocks I have picked up at the River bottom near my house. I'll post the video on here in the comments when I do it.

[@karenwilliamson9337]

@@crystalnimmo7682following

[@AhNee]

Small correction that many people do. It's "piqued", not "peaked".

[@dbomber69]

An ultra-sonic cleaner will do a better job. It actually removed some rust off some dental picks.

[@jarlsoars1150]

Well, your steam cleaner did humidify your rock space just in time for dry winter weather...so that's a plus. Thanks for sharing all your experimental trials.

[@wyckedwolf7605]

After you spray it down use a small stiff paint brush to clean in the little cracks & crevices. A soft bristled toothbrush might work too or a can of air. You know the canned air mostly used to clean electronics.

[@ShawnBean]

Ariel, steam cleaners are generally rated below ultrasonic cleaners in their ability to clean things. Where a steam cleaner comes in really handy is when you have something too large to fit in an ultrasonic bath.

[@pambifoss948]

My sonic cleaner does not get as much out as my steam cleaner on some stones. I love that she tried this. Now I tried it. I will be doing all of the rest of my Alaska stones to see if I can get the extra debris out of them. I am very excited about her experiments!

[@Saer-s9u]

interesting! I've had good results with a half and half mix of toothpaste,Dove dish soap and a toothbrush. Rinse,rinse,rinse in hot water. ( I learned this when saving ducks that had landed in petroleum oil ponds).The other method is vinager and baking soda. Plop the stones in quickly as the mixture make a mini bubbly volcano 🌋. It depends on how dense/heavy the rocks are and how rough.

[@nataliesharif2167]

Can coral go in an ultrasonic cleaner? Anyone know? I'm just talking Cora already set in jewelry or beads and cabs.

[@ShawnBean]

@nataliesharif2167 If you can, try it on a small, loose piece of coral, first. If that doesn't get damaged, then try the jewelry and cut stones. You can try it with just water in the bath, or with a mild detergent in the water, to further protect the coral.

[@nataliesharif2167]

@ShawnBean thank you!

[@ArcticGator]

You gave me a good idea about how I can clean my mudlarking finds, I was wondering if there wasn't a better way to clean my bottles and I just got my answer, neat!

[@AgateAriel]

That’s awesome! I hope it works for you! 🙌

[@randombliss]

Be careful with old bottles with that. Old glass can be very sensitive to temp changes

[@MadelineBouchard]

I love seeing you experiment with all these new tools!

[@kirbycraft1302]

I can definitely see where it would work amazingly on most Agate Geodes, and Quartz Bombs. It is really hard to get the water soaked grit from the tight creases. Thank you. Rated E. I. !!!

[@rosso_d8485]

Another weapon in the rock cleaning arsenal. More useful on more delicate specimens that couldn't handle water jets or an ultrasonic. Just gotta watch out for thermal shock with the steam being really hot.

[@AgateAriel]

Yes that is a really good point!

[@susanfarley1332]

You could warm the rock before doing the steam cleaning. No thermal shock

[@Zif-the-Old-Herring]

I've watched several of your videos today just chilling.. You are are such an enthusiastic goober ! I love it. This vid with the obsidian is special. When I was so much younger and lived in Nevada, we would find and play with obsidian found in the yard or up the hill. It was everywhere,. A childhood fondly remembered. I'm 70 and still like playing in the dirt and pocketing cool looking rocks. Stay young.

[@hlbmlp]

Im guessing the stuff it didnt clean is probably more of a mineral buildup not just dirt? Like a different rock type. This is an amazing experiment and will totally try this in the future. ❤❤❤

[@AgateAriel]

I think you are totally right!

[@joesmith-es1zy]

@@AgateAriel Some of what it didn't remove is mineral staining, which is normal with rocks. Some of the crust on the outside of the rocks is actually just matrix, the host rock showing through.

[@margieleon8044]

😍I love love love your set-up of displaying rocks!

[@cassiewarren8154]

Try the electric toothpick flossed things!! Thought about it watching this, the pressurized spray with heated water may work in the cave in the one!

[@UnindictedCo-Conspirator]

The generic water pic is a game changer.

[@TripperJonMD]

I thought waterpick as well. There was something about the whole video that reminded me of tooth cleaning.

[@willpenny5717]

Alot that you could not remove was probably lime related. t might be more effective if you would treat the stubborn area with limeaway and resteam, Just a thought

[@annettebromley9217]

I think the steamer did well and would be great for cleaning after the initial rinse before cutting and polishing or, tumbling. I think I'll get one and try it.

[@OG_Beckie_Leigh]

I wish I would have seen this before I made a silicone mold of my amethyst cluster. I couldn’t scrub all of the dirt out, so it transferred to the mold. I even have one of these steamers too. 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@sharrikiernan2144]

I want to try this idea! Awesome way to clean without chemicals.

[@jimmymartinez9994]

Will need to try this on my rocks thank you so much for the video!

[@AgateAriel]

Of course! Glad you liked it!

[@MikeBaxterABC]

I've done a bit of stone work in my days :) .. and one thing we always use on Granite for example, is Muriatic Acid .. It cleans up granite SOOO good, it's amazing .. IDK what it might do to other stones bt check on line .. it's no too expensive either.

[@CacklingChick]

Great crystal cleaner! It must blow the dirt all over as well. Interesting experiment! Rock on! 😀👍🪨⛏

[@AgateAriel]

Haha thank you! Yes I wasn’t sure what to expect but I definitely got some interesting results!

[@carolbalcar7999]

Crevice agates get incorporated into the host rock ,sometimes. It makes it look like dirt . Thats a great idea ,im going to break out my steamer !, thanks for sharing !

[@jwchovan]

Darn you now I need another piece to my rock cleaning arsenal

[@AgateAriel]

Haha 100%! 😆

[@TheFullStar]

I wonder if any of those rocks will benefit from a soak in iron out.

[@Dasquadwith6]

Thanks for sharing! I have a steamer that's been on the shelf for a few years...and all I can say is after watching this, I have several pieces of granite and crystal that I'll give it a try with.

[@nancygaxiola5412]

I think iron out or muratic acid, the acid works on about everything from what I've experienced. If just brownish/redthen iron out

[@AgateAriel]

I just bought some muratic acid! I haven’t used it yet as the chemical warnings are intimidating haha

[@Vosia71]

I've wanted to try iron out but the areas I hunt in have a lot of granite and I've been told it interacts with it and can damage things like quartz. Might just try it anyways to see what kind of damage they're talking about. So far I've just been using 40 volume developer.

[@cheri6785]

Cool idea and video! In addition to what everyone else said, I would definitely use more protection than a towel on a wood table. Unless it’s a table that ok to maybe mess up💁‍♀️ Love all your content. Rock on❣️

[@AgateAriel]

You are probably right! Thanks for watching!

[@cyndisjourney4413]

Have you ever tried a rock tumbler? They are amazing.

[@TheRogueRockhound]

The first one you tried is some of the scolecite I sent ya and the white stuff on the back of the obsidian is basically [ash]concrete. I use an electric pressure washer (low-model ryobi) on most of what I find and a textile gun for all the fine cleaning. Cool thing about the steam cleaner method is it also sanitizes the specimen. IDK if you watch @AZRockhoundExpeditions , but Brian recently got giardia while cleaning dirty rocks. Hospitalized for a while and is still kinda struggling. SO uh, yeah, sanitized is good ^^ I have never used a steam cleaner and IDK how much I like the heat for some specimens. Overall, I'd give it a try. cheers! (P.S.If you need a textile gun, I recommend the Double-Arrow)

[@mickeysanker1547]

I have done steam cleaning on rocks before myself. But I put them on a rack inside of a deep sink. You can get them a Lowe's for less than $200.00. You if you don't have a drain for it you can put a bucket under it and re-use the water or have a PVC drain going outside.

[@ynalalkhalil6326]

Girl!!!!!! You have gold within your rocks!!!

[@rogerballoujr.6244]

That brown staining is actually iron stains and it won't remove that....the best way to remove iron stains is a long soak in a mix of water and iron out or similar iron stain remover. I have heard that a vinegar solution can work also, but I think something like iron out would work better. It seemed to work fine for dirt though, but as others have said applying heat to your stones can and will damage or destroy certain types.

[@AgateAriel]

You are so right! I should have realized that!

[@saffloweroyl3663]

Powdered citric acid and a toothbrush

[@nataliesharif2167]

You r correct. I have been in the cleaning business 15+yrs. I'm a cleaning nerd. Adding steamed water could make the iron staining worse actually. I'm not a fan of vinegar for cleaning anything that needs actual cleaning but that's just my preference.

[@RyanWeishalla]

Might work well to get the tumbling grit and polishing paste out of nooks and crannies that your toothbrush has difficulties getting to as well. If some of the ones it didn't work the best on was still dirty grime, I wonder if pre-soaking might help to soften it up?

[@jussitikkuri6991]

This is my 1st time watching your channel . I subscribed and everything else. I would say YES DEFINITEY try the steam cleaner again and again . I would also use some chemical soaking but use it out it outside . Especially with chemicals. you don't want to damage your beautiful complexion.

[@Amethyst_Annie]

I think your studio rock display looks amazing. You have lots of pretty specimens 😍

[@Gargoyle_Guy]

I think it's mostly because a lot of what you have has a rock that it's attached to while the clusters like the amethyst were once attached to rock and then broke off and were distributed in dirt mostly on their own. Those videos of people unearthing huge clusters are awesome.

[@paulmardle8901]

using heat on rocks , be careful they can get hot on one side which may make them crack , there is a mini jet spray that is used on fabric that a lot of rock hounds use to clean their specamins, just found your channel , very interesting well done , from the UK

[@jojofarley4511]

Keep in mind that some of the dirt may have been there a VERY long time too.

[@anthonybrown9114]

Try doing it with warm rocks ie boil them first I use a dutch oven like setup to pre-steam and heat the rocks then a water pic to get the difficult parts.

[@RockWithZ]

That amethyst is so nice ❤

[@RobWenzel84]

Textile cleaning gun works very well for cleaning rocks

[@davidrussell3392]

I put my crystals in the dishwasher when they get dirty or Dusty works really well they come out all sparkly

[@larryl4881]

I have a steamer that has a jet option but it’s for detailing things. I soak the rocks use the ultrasonic then use the pressure steamer jet to get into the cracks that the ultrasonic doesn’t get out. Sometimes I skip the ultrasonic and go right to the steam jet.

[@ariellynnewade5507]

Hint!! Use silicone kitchen tongs to help hold the stones.

[@andreaamplified]

Steam cleaning is great for sterilizing, ultrasonic is great for build up to shed dirt layers.

[@CarbonTech19]

Perhaps a pre-soak in hot water, might have helped loosen things up sufficiently to allow the steam to more effectively move the now softened crevice lurkers?

[@roman11469]

I use a textile cleaning gun…The pressure does a great job cleaning rocks and there is no way I could use it inside!

[@AgateAriel]

Haha yes I definitely realized that when I started but it’s cold here in MN 😅

[@garylile4798]

Was amazed at the way it cleaned the crystal’s. Thank you for showing this video, I started watching your videos yesterday in the gravel pit. Such enthusiasm in finding those beautiful rocks. So today i subscribed to your chanel. I to am a rock hound, willing to share some rocks to you , I have pudding stone and socialite, which glow with uv lighting. And i have fire rock from Oregon state. Plus others. So get back with me to connect in sending some to you. My wife and i love rock hounding, going to Arkansas to dig for crystals, and diamond hunting in April, we are full time RV’ers and travel the United States in search for amazing rocks. Hope to hear back from you soon.

[@TheHelloNewman]

Soak clusters and rocks with caked on dirt in a product called 'Iron Out' for a few hours and use a old toothbrush to scrub.

[@matterantimatter1]

i was thinking if you were to soak the rocks in water it would help loosen the stubborn dirt giving you a softer residue prone to clumping,

[@mauriciovaldesdeanda6031]

That made a very good job! Just be careful as some minerals, like pirite, can be toxic due to its chemical composition in presence of water and/or direct sunlight 😊

[@snowone9685]

A thought: wondering if it would help to soak the stones in a cleaning solution for a bit first. Maybe also using some type of sm pointed clamping tool? Just thoughts!

[@mria621]

I love your rocks display!! Awesome!

[@joelledrees]

I adore the way you say agate

[@RockSolidPassion]

I wonder if you can add some kind of cleaning solution to the steam cleaner or maybe try it right after doing your CLR/Iron out or whatever meth you are doing while the dirt and stuff is still in a softer state before it has a chance to reharden. Love your video's!!

[@charlieboy7502]

I thought about cleaning my rocks that way a few years ago but just thought it was a crazy idea. Now I think you're on to something. Also how's the tumblers doing??

[@michaeltrudell9356]

Good learning experience. McGuyver would be proud! That cleaner can be useful 😎

[@AgateAriel]

Haha agreed! I think it definitely has its place in cleaning rocks!

[@michaeltrudell9356]

@@AgateAriel Your potential is endless 😎

[@leslyeschoenhuth1107]

Hint: Put a plastic large leaf bag under your towel to really protect your table surface.. ~ Obsidian crust was Iron stained.

[@seanb3516]

Info About Steam Cleaners: There are 2 major different types for home users. Low pressure and slightly higher pressure. The delivery pressure and temperature are directly related. Higher pressure delivers higher temperature Steam. Have a look somewhere like Amazon and pay attention to the Max output specs either temp or pressure. If I remember correctly the one I got delivers...okay can't remember... either 132 PSI or 132°C. GO BIG! (PS. It's 132°C)

[@Mudguaard]

Informative and entertaining. Thank You.

[@resurgam44]

I'm an avid collector of lithics, so it's wild to see someone willingly cleaning mineralization/patina off rocks, lol. In my world, a perfectly clean artifact is as undesirable as a cleaned coin.

[@LTCDRRAZOR]

Nice video, great idea. You’re audio seemed to lag a bit. That is one of the reasons for the clapper board during filming, to give an audio person somewhere to syncs speech to a moment in a video, ie, clap action to clap sound. Just an idea as I have had the same audio issue in the past and wondered how the pros fixed it. If worried about space filler when you’re just asking and that be the reason you’re showing you talking. That is fine, and great. Though I am sure people would love to see more of the overall finished stones as much as they do their host, you. Keep safe and I hope the audio idea helps fix it.

[@TreasureHuntingNana]

I'd try hold the rocks in a vice and using a high pressure hose outside.

[@esoteric_Derek]

Really blasted that asbestos right off of your geode!! Is a cool tool tip, to be sure. Nice find.

[@aarone3790]

Thank you for this awesome video I think this would be great for cleaning rocks in the field is it plugged in or battery charged 😊

[@YYYourchoice-uu9ol]

OOh the amethyst.You could put the rocks in a bucket while streaming to cut down on the mess.

[@AgateAriel]

Oh that’s a great idea!

[@dgbow3548]

Using a floor steamer with with wattage you will get better results and little to no excess moisture 😊

[@hdkelly95]

I would try soaking them in some hot water for a while to soften up the dirt then try it while still wet

[@dylonpress7034]

What would you recommend I use to clean hundreds of pounds of agates? I have a massive collection and someday I would love to clean them and have my own show room i guess is what I'd call it and to clean that many agates would take an insane amount of time.

[@Cheburashka_420]

When you talk I picture Sue Heck from "the middle". My second video from you, I appreciate them.

[@carollowe3704]

can your tool be set for just water, or do you have to use it with steam? you know, how regular pressure washers can use just the power of water alone.

[@ritchiemurach1558]

it is possible that some of which can't be removed could be mineral deposits in the rock. and is part ot the rock.

[@audioaddict420]

Do that in the tub less moisture in your rock room. Didn't your steamer come with attachments? Id try some of those too

[@trashpandapi9905]

I'd like to see you try it outside next time maybe use some rubber tongs ? I think that would be interesting. Fun video, i like when people try new things out, i have a couple amethyst I'm going to try that on. Great video

[@idgybaby3480]

I've used a water pick before. 🤣. Work pretty good but some grime is just bonded in there I think.

[@hollytaylor7321]

Brilliant!!!

[@AgateAriel]

Thank you!

[@Ijs0728]

It looked like it did work for the black obsidian because it looked more golden after you started cleaning it. Kinda like it was some pyrite attached to it.

[@waltobringer2928]

Have you considered trying a water pic for crevices?

[@BenGrigsby]

Nice work girl 👍

[@misscdog]

Next time, try wiping with a rag after you steam. With my floor steam cleaner the pad wipes up the dirt the steam releases. I change the pad about 5 times on 2 rooms. Dirt doesn’t evaporate, you release it, but must still remove it.

[@barrymayson2492]

It depends on the type of rock. Crystals are hard and smooth which makes it easier to get the dirt off , it's only the little creases that can't reach with a brush. For the iron stain try citric acid, but be sure what is the rock is made of. Quartz crystals are hard and wont be bothered by the acid but carbonate rocks it will attack. Have tred that silly puty stuff you push it into the gaps. Also you try air compressor.

[@Gawnyno]

A water pick springs to mind

[@tdmccoy1211]

Maybe spray and let them sit for a bit in some sort of cleaning solution first. Then use the sprayer??

[@lbr88x30]

The amethyst looked like the color faded? Made me wonder about a power washer?

[@AgateAriel]

You know I was wondering about that too!

[@cherylpilcher6960]

Amazing video

[@AgateAriel]

Thank you so much!

[@josmith9672]

You need to use a small brush, old tooth brush or nail brush, along with the steamer.

[@susanbernier9399]

A heads up!!!! BISSELL has a recall on these steamers because of the danger they are posing. 💕🇨🇦

[@crystalnimmo7682]

I have a Shark steamer, would it work for me to follow the instructions on your post?

[@Zed-y7h]

The ones that didn't come clean, could that be because the dirt wasnt really dirt but a type of concretion?

[@AsherJohnson-k1i]

Nice setup

[@AgateAriel]

Thank you!!

[@bforman1300]

I think using a tub instead of a towel as a work surface for this would be a good idea

[@ericclayton6287]

The mineral you didn’t remember the of is likely scolecite, a zeolite mineral.

[@davidpruitt3982]

I am new to rock tumbling. What tumbler would you suggest I buy? Thanks for any help and info. Love your videos and I am learning alot from them.

[@joeyl.rowland4153]

Walmart has a professional grade rock tumbler for about 50 bucks. That would be a good start, tumblers can cost up to 2500 dollars.

[@sarahstrong7174]

Did you try running the tap on them?

[@beaverc2884]

Soak everything in water then try steaming them and see what happens. 😊😊

[@AgateAriel]

Oh that’s a good idea to loosen everything up! I might have to try that next time!

[@Vosia71]

I wonder how well some would look after steam cleaning them then placing them in 40 volume developer for 24 hours. Removing the dirt build up like that i assume would make the 40 volume developer's job easier.

[@zettjedi]

Time to update my Christmas list

[@AgateAriel]

Haha right! 😆

[@draleigh8881]

OOOOKAAAYYYYY!!!

[@April_idk]

Well damnit, as someone with a rough crystal sink I now need to purchase a steam cleaner.... =w=

[@donnareeves9613]

Not I have to dig out my steam cleaner and play.,, Gr8 Video

[@sarahdriedger4386]

From a pebble to a boulder, I can't wait till I get older, I collect rocks!

[@AgateAriel]

Haha love it!

[@timduck8506]

What about using a ultra sonic bath?