Jewelry Tumbler Care

I use my tumbler pretty much daily, it gets quite a workout! When the steel shot gets dark, sluggish, and less effective I employ a couple of methods for cleaning it, depending on what I have on hand at the time. Apple cider vinegar and a bit of water or soda pop (Coca-Cola, Pepsi, RC Cola, or generics), though I rarely have this in the house. If you plan to use soda pop make sure you pour it into a glass and add a tablespoon of granular sugar first before adding it to your tumbler, or you'll end up with a colossal mess! The sugar will remove the carbonation and you'll be left with just the soda as a cleaning agent.  Be certain to rinse your shot and tumbler thoroughly after cleaning, so you don't contaminate the next batch of pieces you tumble. Side note; I use a little original Dawn detergent and water as the lubricant in my tumbler. It works great, lasts forever, and it's much more cost effective than burnishing compound!