Storing cleaning fluids, specifically Elma jars

[Knebo]

Hello all, 

I wonder how you all store your cleaning fluids, particularly the "professional", expensive, waterless ones. I heard that they can evaporate quickly or "go bad". And since I only use them once every 1-3 months, I want to make sure I'm not wasting them.

As many of you have seen in other threads, I just got myself an Elma Super Elite and ordered fresh cork gaskets for the Elma jars. Do the waterless fluids store well in there? 

Or is it better to put them in special storage containers between uses. If so, which containers do you use? 

I also saw these alternative gaskets for the Elma jars, made of polyurethane. According to the seller, they are "significantly more durable and tear-resistant than conventional cork gaskets and ensure improved sealing of the jars". https://watchparts24.de/Three-pcs-gasket-set-MADE-IN-GERMANY-for-ELMA-Super-Elite-watch-cleaning-machine

What do you think? 

Cheers, 

C

[JohnR725]

I suppose it will depend upon a variety of factors like the containers they come in. Then whatever containers like the cleaning machine jars which have a lot of open space and surface area for evaporation plus the temperature that it stored at

so at home when I used to clean watches I was using L&R cleaning fluid and rinse. I was using the method where you have a beaker and an ultrasonic tank and then I would use some plastic 8 ounce containers wide put about 6 ounces of fluid in each. Then from time to time when they were dirty I would change out one of the rinses and the cleaner. So the first gallon of cleaner that I had lasted for my really don't remember how old but will say more than 10 years by quite a bit. What I noticed was eventually the cleaner just wasn't cleaning but as far as I can tell the rinse other than conceivably evaporating doesn't break down at all

then I just now checked the replacement cleaning fluids the rinse still looks fine and yes I really shouldn't put dates on these things. The cleaning fluid probably half a gallon left or more still looks the right color but definitely had zero ammonia smell. No idea if it would cleaner not if I need to clean a watch I just take it to work where we ever really nice cleaning machine.

then the 8 ounce plastic containers apparently I never emptied those out at all and they eventually evaporated and the plastic lids themselves cracked rendering them unusable. But who knows when the last time I cleaned the watch at home was

so my best guess is providing the containers they come in last forever and you never know with plastic the rinse probably would last almost forever. The cleaning product will eventually break down because David has ammonia that will go way. In the cleaning jars don't really know other than there is a lot of surface area. But I'm guessing even a couple of months isn't really going to be an issue. If you are really concerned you could pour out of the jars into some container with a volume close to the fluid level so you have less surface area for evaporation.

 

[rjenkinsgb]

I use one litre Kilner jars with lock-down lids for larger quantities from clock cleaning, and jam jars for the small amounts I use in my ultrasonic cleaner.

I use cut-off plastic drink bottles as intermediate containers in that; I found some that the round mesh basket I use fits in perfectly, so a fairly small amount of cleaner and water around that.

I think the flexible plastic passes a lot more energy in to where its needed that using glass intermediate containers.