Ultrasonic cleaners used to be reserved for industrial settings and medical offices. But now, they’re making their way into homes across the country. One of the most advanced cleaners is Ultrasona, a powerful ultrasonic cleaner that has become popular on Kickstarter. Using the power of sound waves, these devices clean and disinfect an array of household items more quickly and gently than traditional washing. They can also help to cut down on water and electricity.
Is ultrasonic cleaning the way of the future? Read on to find out how they work and why you might benefit from having one in your home.
How Does Ultrasonic Cleaning Work?
Ultrasonic cleaners use sound waves to eliminate stains, dirt, and grime. Ultrasonic cleaning also kills bacteria and other microscopic life.
To use an ultrasonic cleaner, you place it into a basin of water with the objects you’d like to clean. Then, turn it on and let it work. It doesn’t require the user to do anything, and a full clean normally takes a few minutes.
How does it clean so comprehensively and quickly?
Ultrasonic cleaners clean via cavitations. Cavitation is a scientific term that describes shockwaves created by microscopic bubbles formed in water. When these shockwaves happen in succession, they release a massive amount of energy and disruption. In the case of ultrasonic cleaners, the power of the shockwaves lifts stains and kills bacteria.
The cleaner creates these tiny bubbles by causing reverberations in water. Many cleaners create more than 50,000 reverberations per second. When the bubbles form, they bind to objects nearby, such as the crevices between threads in clothing, the links of a necklace, or inside the florets of a broccoli head. When they burst, dirt, bacteria, and pesticides are dislodged or destroyed.
This process occurs millions of times per minute at a microscopic level. For this reason, ultrasonic cleaners work quickly and don’t risk damaging even the most delicate materials.
The Benefits of Ultrasonic Cleaning
Can you benefit from an ultrasonic cleaner in your home? These cleaners offer features and a level of convenience that washing machines and dishwashers don’t. Here are some of the benefits they bring to homes and travelers.
It’s versatile
Unlike your dishwasher or washing machine, an ultrasonic cleaner can clean almost anything. As long as you can place an object in a basin of water, it’s fair game.
Ultrasonic cleaners are highly effective at cleaning clothes and dishes. But they can also lift scuffs and stains off of jewelry, tools, and personal care items, restoring their original shine.
They can disinfect fruit and vegetables without scrubbing to ensure that leafy greens and thin-skinned fruits are free from pesticides. They also make it easy to clean delicate fruit like berries without bruising them.
Ultrasonic cleaners are a handy tool for cleaning the following items too:
- Shoes
- Children’s toys/baby items
- Delicate fabrics (ties and lingerie)
- Watches and glasses
- Paintbrushes and makeup brushes
It’s portable
Ultrasonic cleaners look like small batons. They fit in your hand and can be used anywhere with a power source. This makes them ideal for travelers, students, camping enthusiasts, and people who have dirty jobs.
If you get a stain on your shirt or tie when you’re on the go, you can simply dip the part of the fabric into a bowl of water and add the ultrasonic cleaning wand. Within a few minutes, the stain will vanish.
To make things easier, many cleaners come with a travel-friendly carrying case.
It’s gentle
When an ultrasonic cleaner works its magic, it never actually comes into contact with your things. In fact, it works more effectively at a short distance. For this reason, even the most delicate objects can be cleaned without the risk of damage.
The process of cavitations is devastating at a microscopic level, but it’s harmless to your valuables. The tiny bubbles can clean silk, lace, delicate jewelry and more with zero scrubbing or agitation.
Ultrasonic devices also clean just as effectively in cold water as in warm water, so you can clean delicates while keeping them at a safe temperature.
Ultrasonic cleaners are a great alternative to hand washing and delicate cycles on the washing machine.
It kills 99.9% of germs
As we mentioned above, ultrasonic power is devastating to microbial life. The shockwaves created by cavitations destroy microbes and sterilize everything in their vicinity. This includes bacteria, viruses, mold, mites, fungus, and allergens.
This scientific guarantee of cleanliness is especially reassuring when washing:
- Produce
- Baby bottles and pacifiers
- Pet toys
- Silverware and cookware
- Retainers and toothbrushes
Washing machines, by contrast, are not very effective at eliminating bacteria and germs. A study from the Journal of Infection showed that even freshly washed clothes can be home to dangerous bacteria and fecal matter.
It’s fast
Ultrasonic cleaners might not be able to wash the same volume of objects as a washing machine or dishwasher, but they work much more quickly.
Many items that are lightly soiled can be washed in under a minute. And other larger items with a lot of stains and crevices (like work boots) may take 5-7 minutes.
Even large items like blankets and jackets can be washed quite quickly, but you may need to change the position of the object every few minutes to make sure the reverberations can reach every surface.
It’s quiet
It may seem strange that a device that cleans using sound waves is virtually silent, but it’s true. The reverberations generate less than 20 dB of sound, which is about the frequency of a whisper. When you place the object in water, it further mutes the sound and becomes nearly silent.
It’s easy
You don’t have to get your hands dirty when you use an ultrasonic cleaner. There’s no scrubbing, scouring, or scraping necessary even for heavily soiled objects.
Many cleaners operate on a timer, so you can turn it on and do other chores. The cleaner will then turn off on its own.
Ultrasonic cleaners make it very easy to clean between tight crevices and in cracks that are impossible to reach. They also quickly clean stains that would require multiple washes and chemical agents to remove.
It’s eco-friendly
Ultrasonic cleaners consume much less water and electricity than standard washers. To be more specific, hand-held ultrasonic devices use about 40x less water and 15x less electricity. This doesn’t just reduce your carbon footprint, but it also makes a noticeable difference in your annual utility costs.
A Useful Device for the Home
Do you need an ultrasonic cleaner? It’s not for us to say. But we believe that these devices offer extra convenience at home and on the road.
It may not make sense to clean all of your clothes or dishes with an ultrasonic cleaner. Traditional washing is far easier for big jobs. But when it comes to fighting tough stains and killing germs, ultrasonic devices are much more effective. Plus, they are by far the best for washing other difficult-to-clean items like tools, jewelry, produce, and toys.
If you’re interested in an ultrasonic device for your home, you have a few options, but you can expect to spend around $200-$300.
One of the most advanced ultrasonic cleaners is called Ultrasona. It features smart controls, 50k reverberations per second, and a highly compact design. It is currently in production and will begin shipping in June of 2020, so you can’t get your hands on one just yet. But the good news is that backers on Kickstarter can get an Ultrasona for just $95, making it worth the wait. Find out more at kickstarter.com.
We’ll be sure to keep you up to date with all the advances in ultrasonic cleaning technology, so check back soon, and thanks for reading.
Wow! technology has become so advance .