Nothing stops a user from using either water or water and dish detergent. The use of products such as Oil Eater Cleaner and Degreaser are not required to get products clean. No company will allow a potential customer to send in the products for cleaning (unless the company is promoting trials) because they will not take the risk of damaging your products and then being held liable when said customer starts to complain. An ultrasonic cleaner is, in essence, a bath that vibrates, helping a chosen solution to clean the submerged items. The benefit of the Eastwood 27L Heated Ultrasonic Cleaner with Degas is that the unit is heated to help further clean the item. These devices in differing designs are used at eyeglass centers to clean hidden dirt and grime in glasses, and the same is true when found in jewelry shops. You should already know what types of solutions should be used on the item and the item's material composition before dropping any item in an ultrasonic cleaner, as the cleaner will not be the detriment to the part, the lack of consumer knowledge will be.