Can I Make My Own Ultrasonic Cleaner Solution?
Ultrasonic Cleaning Guide · Qualkem Lab Notes
Can I Make My Own Ultrasonic Cleaner Solution? Yes. Here's How (and When You Shouldn't)
By the Qualkem chemists · Updated August 2026 · 9 minute read
First, 60 seconds on how an ultrasonic cleaner actually works
Your ultrasonic cleaner is not a tiny washing machine. A transducer under the tank vibrates the liquid around 40,000 times per second. That creates millions of microscopic vacuum bubbles which collapse against the surface of your ring, watch strap or carburettor jet with tiny jets of pressure. This is called cavitation, and it scrubs places no brush can reach: claw settings, chain links, engraving, hinge pins.
Here's the part most DIY articles skip: the liquid is not a passenger, it is half the machine. Plain water holds bubbles poorly and lets loosened grease float straight back onto your item. The solution's job is to lower surface tension so cavitation bites harder, hold the dirt in suspension, and protect the metal while it happens.
3 DIY ultrasonic cleaner solution recipes that actually work
We are chemists. We are not going to pretend you cannot mix something usable at your kitchen sink, because you can. These three recipes are the ones that hold up. Measure properly, use warm water (40 to 50°C is the sweet spot), and always run a plain-water rinse cycle afterwards.
Recipe 1: The all-purpose mix (jewellery, glasses, watch bracelets)
- Fill the tank to its line with warm water, around 500ml for most home units.
- Add half a teaspoon (2 to 3ml) of plain washing-up liquid. No more. Foam is the enemy, and you'll see why below.
- Stir gently, degas for 5 minutes (run the tank empty of items), then clean for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Rinse items in clean water and dry with a soft cloth.
Recipe 2: The tarnish and coin mix (brass, copper, solid silver)
- Mix 400ml warm water with 100ml white vinegar.
- Add a quarter teaspoon of washing-up liquid.
- Run for 2 to 3 minutes only, checking every minute. Vinegar is a mild acid and keeps working the whole time.
- Rinse thoroughly. Acid left on metal keeps etching after the party's over.
Do not use the vinegar mix on plated jewellery, aluminium, pearls or any soft or porous stone. And if you collect coins seriously, know that cleaning can reduce collector value; check before you dip.
Recipe 3: The workshop degreaser (bike cassettes, chains, carb parts)
- Fill the tank with hot tap water.
- Add a teaspoon of degreasing washing-up liquid plus a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda.
- Run 5 to 10 minutes, flip parts halfway.
- Rinse, then dry immediately and re-oil. Bare steel flash-rusts fast after ultrasonic cleaning.
Some workshop guides suggest a splash of household ammonia for heavy grease. It does cut grime, but it also attacks brass, copper and silver solder, and the fumes in a warm tank are unpleasant. We'd skip it at home.
7 things you must NEVER put in an ultrasonic tank
| Never use | Why not |
|---|---|
| Petrol, paraffin, white spirit | Flammable vapour + heat + electrical unit = fire risk |
| Acetone or cellulose thinners | Extremely flammable, attacks plastics and tank seals |
| Neat alcohol (IPA, meths) | Flammable mist above the tank; a splash-in-water shortcut isn't worth it |
| Bleach | Pits stainless steel tanks and can release chlorine gas if mixed with acids |
| Strong acids (brick or patio cleaner) | Destroys the tank, the item and potentially your lungs |
| Abrasive cream cleaners | Particles scour the transducer face and scratch items |
| Washing powder / dishwasher tablets | Harsh alkalis and bleaching agents dull gold and strip plating |
Where DIY solutions fall short (the chemistry bit)
So if washing-up liquid works, why does a professional concentrate exist? Because "works" and "works properly" are different things in a cavitation field. Four problems show up with every home mix:
1. Foam kills cavitation
Washing-up liquid is engineered to foam, because customers washing dishes think foam means clean. In an ultrasonic tank the opposite is true. Every bubble of air-filled foam absorbs ultrasonic energy before it reaches your item. Professional ultrasonic fluids use low-foam surfactants chosen to do the exact opposite of Fairy.
2. Hard water fights you the whole time
Most of the UK sits on hard water. Calcium and magnesium ions blunt surfactants and leave that chalky white film on jewellery as it dries. A proper formula includes chelating agents and a water softener that grab those minerals so your gold dries bright instead of cloudy.
3. No enzyme, no answer to body grime
The grey paste inside a ring band is mostly skin oils, dead skin cells and protein. Soap loosens some of it. A protease enzyme digests it. That is why denture labs and jewellers use enzymatic fluids, and why no kitchen mix competes on rings, dentures and watch straps.
4. Nothing puts the shine back
Cleaning removes dirt. A brightener is a separate ingredient that promotes an even, protective finish so metal comes out gleaming and stays cleaner for longer. Washing-up liquid has none, vinegar has none, bicarb has none.
DIY vs professional concentrate: side by side
| What matters in the tank | Washing-up liquid mix | Vinegar mix | HouseProud concentrate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-foam (full cavitation power) | ✗ Foams heavily | ✓ | ✓ Low-foam surfactants |
| Hard-water softener + chelators | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Built in |
| Protease enzyme for skin oils and protein | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Built in |
| Brightener + protective finish | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Built in |
| Safe on gold, silver and platinum | ✓ | ✗ Risky on plating | ✓ |
| Safe for dentures and retainers | Soapy residue taste | ✗ | ✓ Rinse and wear |
| Repeatable results every time | ✗ Guesswork dosing | ✗ | ✓ 1 capful : 100ml |
| Cost per 100ml of working solution | ~1p | ~4p | ~11p |
Read that last row again. The professional option is not the expensive option. It costs about the same as a tea bag per tank fill. The expensive options are the little ready-to-use bottles sold next to ultrasonic machines, which are mostly water with a dropper cap and a markup.
The real cost per litre of solution in your tank
Here is the maths nobody prints on the bottle. Ready-to-use ultrasonic fluids typically sell around £8 to £10 per 500ml, which is £16 to £20 per litre of exactly what goes in the tank. HouseProud is a 1:20 concentrate: the £10.99 bottle of 250ml makes 5 litres of working solution.
Skip the kitchen chemistry. Get the sparkle.
HouseProud Ultrasonic Cleaner Fluid. Made in the UK by chemists with 50+ years in the trade. Green surfactants, water softener, brightener and a protease enzyme in one capful.
Shop HouseProud · £10.99 makes 5 litresHow to use HouseProud in 4 simple steps
No measuring jugs, no guesswork, no foam party. The cap is the dosing tool.
- Fill your ultrasonic tank with hot tap water to its fill line.
- Dose one capful (5ml) of HouseProud per 100ml of water. A standard 600ml tank takes 6 capfuls.
- Run a 3 to 5 minute cycle. Watch the grime lift out of settings and links you didn't know were dirty.
- Rinse and dry. The built-in brightener leaves a protective finish, so next time cleans even faster.
One bottle, half the house
The same 1:20 mix handles all of these, in the tank or as a static soak if you don't own an ultrasonic machine yet:
The honest small print: keep pearls, opals, emeralds and any soft or porous gemstone out of every ultrasonic cleaner, whatever solution is in it. The cavitation itself can damage them. Wipe those with a damp cloth instead.
Ultrasonic cleaner solution FAQ
Can I use washing-up liquid in an ultrasonic cleaner?
Yes, in small amounts (half a teaspoon per 500ml of warm water). It cleans light dirt but foams heavily, which absorbs the ultrasonic energy and weakens the clean. It also leaves no brightener or protective finish and struggles with hard water. It is a fair emergency option, not a daily driver.
Can I use just water in an ultrasonic cleaner?
You can, but plain water has high surface tension, so cavitation is weaker and loosened grease redeposits on your items. Even a tiny dose of a proper surfactant dramatically improves results.
Is vinegar safe in an ultrasonic cleaner?
Diluted white vinegar (about 1 part to 4 parts water) works on tarnish, coins and limescale in stainless steel tanks. Keep cycles short, rinse well, and never use it on plated jewellery, aluminium, pearls or soft gemstones.
What solution do professional jewellers use?
Jewellers and denture labs use low-foam concentrates with surfactants, water softeners, chelating agents and often an enzyme, diluted into warm water. That is exactly the formula in HouseProud Ultrasonic Cleaner Fluid, mixed at one capful per 100ml.
Is homemade ultrasonic solution cheaper than buying concentrate?
Per litre, yes: a soapy mix costs pennies. But HouseProud costs about 66p per tank fill and adds the low-foam surfactants, softener, enzyme and brightener a home mix can't, so the gap in results is far bigger than the gap in price. Ready-to-use bottles are the option to avoid: £16 to £20 per litre for mostly water.
How often should I change the solution in the tank?
Change it when it looks cloudy or dirty, and always between very different jobs (don't clean your dentures in the water that just did a bike chain). With a concentrate this costs pennies, so change it freely.
Can I put my dentures or retainer in an ultrasonic cleaner?
Yes, ultrasonic cleaning is what many dental labs use. Use a denture-safe solution with an enzyme to break down protein film, rinse thoroughly before wearing, and avoid vinegar or harsh DIY mixes on acrylic.
What should I never put in an ultrasonic cleaner?
Never use flammable liquids (petrol, acetone, thinners, neat alcohol), bleach or strong acids. Keep pearls, opals and soft or porous gemstones out of the tank entirely, whatever the solution.
Your move: mix it, or master it
You now know how to make your own ultrasonic solution, and you know exactly what it can't do. One bottle of HouseProud makes 5 litres of jeweller-grade solution for £10.99. That's the best darn sparkle your mirror has ever seen.
Get HouseProud Ultrasonic Cleaner Fluid →Expertly made in the UK · 232 reviews · 250ml, 500ml and 1L sizes
Written by the formulation team at Qualkem, UK chemical manufacturers for over 50 years. We make the cleaning products, so yes, we're biased. We're also right, and the chemistry above is checkable.