# Potentially free alternative to an ultrasonic cleaner for bearings?
**URL:** https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/potentially-free-alternative-to-an-ultrasonic-cleaner-for-bearings/372390
**Category:** Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance
**Created:** [March 22, 2023, 4:21pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/potentially-free-alternative-to-an-ultrasonic-cleaner-for-bearings/372390 "2023-03-22T16:21:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Lido](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Lido)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2023, 4:21pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/potentially-free-alternative-to-an-ultrasonic-cleaner-for-bearings/372390/1 "2023-03-22T16:21:18Z")
We were about to throw away one of our kids disposable electric toothbrushes a few months ago and I decided to save it. Even though it might not actually be “ultrasonic,” it might work similarly to an ultrasonic cleaner if attached to a small enough bottle of acetone. Last night I finally got around to trying it. I don’t normally clean bearings if I have spares around, but sometimes you get a new one that’s supposed to be good but just isn’t spinning long enough (pictured here is a “DS” from a relatively new A-RT):
I’ll post if it actually helps. If it doesn’t help, it could just be a bad bearing.
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### Author:  [@Upmanyu](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Upmanyu)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2023, 4:23pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/potentially-free-alternative-to-an-ultrasonic-cleaner-for-bearings/372390/2 "2023-03-22T16:23:12Z")
This is hilarious and please report back the results!
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### Author:  [@Benthrowsyoyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Benthrowsyoyo)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2023, 4:32pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/potentially-free-alternative-to-an-ultrasonic-cleaner-for-bearings/372390/3 "2023-03-22T16:32:01Z")
I see no reason why this wouldn’t work but it is a very amusing alternative to standard cleaning
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### Author:  [@UnluckyOwl53](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/UnluckyOwl53)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2023, 4:35pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/potentially-free-alternative-to-an-ultrasonic-cleaner-for-bearings/372390/4 "2023-03-22T16:35:12Z")
Did that bearing come with your d7? I’ve had to clean every bearing I got with my 3 d7s. They all ended up being fine.
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### Author:  [@Lido](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Lido)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2023, 4:41pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/potentially-free-alternative-to-an-ultrasonic-cleaner-for-bearings/372390/5 "2023-03-22T16:41:48Z")
Haha, I was thinking about sending you a PM because I’ve seen you post about d7 before.
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### Author:  [@Lido](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Lido)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2023, 4:42pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/potentially-free-alternative-to-an-ultrasonic-cleaner-for-bearings/372390/6 "2023-03-22T16:42:37Z")
I’d rather have the toothbrush shake the jar while I yoyo or sleep. 🤓
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### Author:  [@Bobparty](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Bobparty)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2023, 3:31am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/potentially-free-alternative-to-an-ultrasonic-cleaner-for-bearings/372390/7 "2023-03-23T03:31:31Z")
I gotta know how well or poorly this worked lol
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### Author:  [@yoyodoc](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/yoyodoc)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2023, 4:56am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/potentially-free-alternative-to-an-ultrasonic-cleaner-for-bearings/372390/8 "2023-03-23T04:56:53Z")
Better yet, put all your dirty bearings in a zip lock bag and about 3 ounces of alcohol. Get a used string and hang the bag around your neck.
Wearing nothing but some cargo shorts and a tank top, go outside and stand in the snow for about an hour.
The shivering will clean the bearings. And the intense cold will cryogenically treat your bearings and they will last forever.
Simple science.
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### Author:  [@Lido](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Lido)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2023, 5:53am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/potentially-free-alternative-to-an-ultrasonic-cleaner-for-bearings/372390/9 "2023-03-23T05:53:37Z")
Going to report success here. I’d actually forgotten about it until I looked at the forum and remembered. So I went out to the garage and somehow the thing was still going. The battery was the original AA that was in the toothbrush when we bought it. It outlasted the bristles and still went for 24 hours as a makeshift part cleaner (and there still seems to be some life left in that battery).
And without any real measurement to back this up, the bearing seems smoother than any other bearing I’ve cleaned by just shaking that jar by hand and/or soaking overnight. Also open to the possibility that the PJ Masks helped out in some magical way. 🤓
You could also use a Sonicare in whitening mode (which doesn’t seem to have the automatic turn off that it has when you use the “clean” setting) if you don’t have an old kids toothbrush or just wouldn’t want one sitting around for this sort of thing.
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### Author:  [@LX\_Emergency](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/LX_Emergency)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2023, 8:05am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/potentially-free-alternative-to-an-ultrasonic-cleaner-for-bearings/372390/10 "2023-03-23T08:05:16Z")
This just made me realise I’ve got an ultrasonic cleaner…and I haven’t been using it for bearings…shame on me.