Clean Source, The Official Journal of the Cleaning Lady and the Rocket Scientist

Volume XXII, Issue 1 - February 2025

The default settings on your ultrasonics equipment are not immutable laws of thermodynamics. Make changes for the better. Give us a call.

"It’s always a pleasure to read your newsletters.”

Ray Williamson, Problem solver at Ray Williamson Consulting

Feature Article

Ultrasonics – Be a little like Ferris Bueller

Barbara Kanegsberg and Ed Kanegsberg, BFK Solutions

(This article first appeared in Clean Source in June 2015)

Remember the classic ‘80’s movie, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”? Ferris challenged authority. If you want to clean a complicated part or component, you can’t just toss it in the ultrasonic tank using the default settings an authority set up for you and told you to never, never change. Challenge authority! Change the settings, under controlled non-production conditions. Default settings are a starting point, not an eternal truth of the universe. Ferris made mistakes, so rather than destroy his friend’s dad’s mid-life crisis car, rather than ruin actual product, use scrap or coupons. If possible, run tests before specifying new equipment. Your potential rewards include a more effective process, higher quality product, and more customers.

Over the years, ultrasonic cleaning systems have become more complex; materials of construction of newer products have evolved; and cleaning agent formulations have become more diverse. In response we’ve been doing studies of ultrasonic variables with Steve Norris of Plasma Technology Inc. in Torrance CA. The results indicate that manufacturers can achieve more effective critical cleaning practices by optimizing the combination of cleaning chemistries, time, temperature, frequency and power. This means varying the default settings.

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KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Switching Solvents: A real-world success story at the next PQCW Webinar, July 22

If you are thinking of switching solvents, if your parts suppliers are or might be switching solvents, be sure to catch the next Product Quality Cleaning Workshop (PQCW) sponsored webinar. Switching solvents in a well-established cleaning process can be daunting — especially for a contract cleaning operation where throughput, consistency, and regulatory compliance are critical. To meet increasing cleaning performance demands and address growing environmental and safety concerns, John Clark, Vice President of E&J Parts Cleaning, transitioned from trichloroethylene (TCE) in an open-top machine to an airtight degreaser using the pre-stabilized solvent DOWCLENE™* 1621. In this interactive webinar, Michael Onken, from SAFECHEM, and the PQCW team (Darren Williams and Barb & Ed Kanegsberg) interview John Clark. John will share his real-world experience, from early concerns and evaluation criteria to the implementation process and the measurable benefits his company now sees every day, including:  Nearly 80% reduction in solvent costs  75% reduction in waste disposal expenses  95% solvent recovery rate  Reliable, repeatable cleaning — even for high-precision applications.  Whether you’re looking to improve parts cleaning quality, increase sustainability, or reduce risk related to evolving regulations (e.g. TCE, PFAS), you’ll gain practical insights from the factory floor. The program, sponsored by SAFECHEM, is presented free to attendees. Register, show up, bring your questions, gain the confidence to move forward.

Register to get webinar link

BFK Solutions at Aluminum Summit

The Cleaning Lady and Rocket Scientist are proud to announce that they will present “Fundamentals of Cleaning Aluminum Extrusions for Anodizing” at the Aluminum Anodizers Council's 34th International Anodizing Conference & Expo Sept. 16-18, 2025 in Atlanta. Barb and Ed Kanegsberg will discuss removing residue from the extrusion product prior to anodizing. If you are an anodizer or provide parts to anodizers or have a job shop, come to AAC. Let’s talk! We’ll discuss how to achieve effective cleaning processes that effectively access and dislodge soils, are economical, do not harm people or the environment and do not damage the product itself. Details of the Summit are now available

Details for Aluminum Summit 2025

Eliminate “Creeping Residue” on Medical Devices – Help Make the World Better!

Abstracts due Monday, June 30!

Abstracts for the ASTM “Workshop on Assessing Characteristics of Cleaning Agents Intended to Clean Medical Devices” are due June 30, 2025. The workshop, co-chaired by Alpa Patel, Kaumudi Kulkami, and Barbara Kanegsberg, “is expected to identify gaps and opportunities related to cleaning agents.” We’ve received excellent abstracts; we could use a few more. Wherever you are in the supply chain, from initial fabrication to final cleaning and sterilization, we need your expertise and ideas. Get involved! Send in an abstract. Come to the workshop. Cleaning agents and cleaning processes are changing. The program, part of ASTM International Symposia and Workshops, is scheduled for November 11, 2025 in Atlanta Georgia. Here’s more information including how to submit an abstract.

Submit an abstract

It’s a hit!

Based on participant feedback, the recent Hands-on Parts Cleaning Workshop at PMTS was a hit! PQCW (Product Quality Cleaning Workshop) instructors Darren Williams, Ed Kanegsberg, and Barb Kanegsberg replaced individual presentations with hands-on exercises. Demonstrations included ultrasonics and other cavitation cleaning methods. Attendees “became” cleaning agents and polymers. Many thanks to our hosts, the long-suffering, patient staff at Gardner Business Media and to our intrepid sponsors Hubbard-Hall, Kyzen, Jomesa North America, and Ecoclean and to equipment supplier Pro Ultrasonics who were brave enough to forgo their own presentations and trusted us to teach. Many of those sponsors were right there with us doing the exercises and laughing away! That’s terrific, because learning about surface prep should be fun. We’re planning the next Parts Cleaning Workshop. In the meantime, you can access on-line PQCW programs, including free webinars, YouTube videos and the 4-hour on-demand Aqueous Cleaning Course through the PQCW website.

PQCW homepage

BFK Solutions. – independent consultants and practical educators

Our decades of experience help you make productive decisions about your cleaning processes, your manufacturing processes, your business. Contact Ed and Barbara Kanegsberg with concerns about cleaning, surface quality, regulatory issues - we’ll get back to you and discuss your cleaning issue, whether or not we do a project together! Suggest a topic – we may write about it!