Hmmm.... strange, I didn't notice anything like that with my cleaner @Jim: Vinegar or toilet(bathroom)-cleaner
Just a follow up. Today we took apart my non-working unit. Turns out it was simply a plug that disconnected. The unit works fine. My friend now has a new ultrasonic cleaner as well.
I did get an ultrasonic cleaner, blogged here. I've now used it a LOT, and I really like it. I did get a 60W model, based on advice in another forum. (Most the consumer units are 35W.) I use hot (from the tap, not boiling) water, plus a little dishwashing detergent, plus about 1/2 c white vinegar, and run it for 8 minutes (its long cycle). It leaves them really sparkling clean, though sometimes a soft cloth and a little Maas is needed to restore full shine on plain-metal parts (e.g., top of silo doors). Works great on gold razors, too. Do not clean opals, pearls, emeralds, or any stone with crack or chip. Won't harm metal. Really a great idea. It's also quite light and easy to store. Only negative I've found so far is that the power cord is too long...
Yes, I did loop up the cord, though I used a twist tie. I was just pointing out a design defect (IMHO). It's easily fixable, as you point out. I read someplace else that hot water can perhaps affect the bond between the ultrasonic unit and the steel pan. So now I'm using room-temp water.
Room-temp water is all you need, the water will get heated up during the cleaning-process by itself. Oh, and another hint: After you've put the water and the cleaning fluids into the tank start the machine for 1 minute without any items in it to degas the water.
Someone pointed out that this vendor's 60W ultrasonic cleaners seem to go for low bids. He got his for $35 SHIPPED! So you might want to check them out if you're in the market. I have the cleaner at the link, and it's quite good and includes the option of an 8-minute cleaning cycle, which so far has been ample. Here are the vendor's current auctions.
Cleaning.. ha! I never even considered that .. I was still getting over the "newness" of the safety razor.. Don't see myself gonig with the ultrasonic, but just the general toothbrush and scrub away.. What's the reason.. soap scum kind of things? What about the mechanisn? Should be done weekly or just get a feel for when it's grimey? Any metal polish or anything? Do I have to be cautions about the finish (have the satin futur) at all? Lotsa questions, but I'm hoping the mass knowledge here can help me out. Chris
I did the toothbrush thing, but the ultrasonic seems to clean very deeply, getting into the inaccessible parts of adjustables. But certainly toothbrush + scrubbing bubbles has kept many a razor clean, and for a non-adjustable I doubt you'd need more than that.
Cleaning with a toothbrush sure gets you clean razors. But there's always the inaccessible parts, like the insides of the handles or the mechanical parts in adjustable razors. An ultrasonic cleaner is also great for cleaning up old razors and - don't forget - you can clean so many things with it, its use is not limited to DEs I wouldn't recommend polishing materials of any sort for the daily/weakly cleansing as they are aggressive to the platings.
It can also surprise you. I got a Hoffritz Slant on eBay that had bad corrosion at the bottom of the handle, just above the knob you use to tighten the head. It still shaved pretty well, just looked ugly. After I cleaned it in the ultrasonic cleaner, I found it that it wasn't corrosion, after all, just an amazingly thick hard-water deposit made by hard water with iron so that the deposit was sort of grungy brown. The razor came out sparkling, looking new. Priceless... It seemed to shave better, too, but that may be my imagination.
Non-adjustable 3-piece razors, OK. A non-adjustable 2-piece or anything with a hollow handle is going to need a real skinny toothbrush, or an ultrasonic.
Has anyone attempted to clean a shaving brush with their ultrasonic? Care to write up technique, results, and/or issues encountered?
Yes I have and it works brilliantly. Use a few drops of toilet cleaner or some vinegar in the water. Then dip the brush into the water and hold it by hand - you don't want to put the whole brush including the knot into the water as some bristles COULD get loose doing so. I leave about 1 cm space between the handle and the surface of the water and turn the cleaner on for about 5 minutes.