What Is Dry Ice Blasting Used For?

Dry ice blasting is a clean way to remove dirt, grease, paint, mould and other build-up. It does not use water, chemicals or sand. It leaves no wet mess behind. That makes it useful in places where water would cause damage or where waste needs to be kept low.

How does dry ice blasting work?

Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide (CO2). It is extremely cold, at around minus 78°C. Small pellets of dry ice are fired at a surface using compressed air. Three things happen:

1. Impact. The pellets hit the surface and loosen the dirt.
2. Cold shock. The cold makes the dirt brittle, so it shrinks and cracks away from the surface.
3. Gas expansion. The pellets turn straight into gas, which lifts the dirt off.

The dry ice then vanishes into the air as CO2 gas. You are left with only the dirt that was removed, which is easy to sweep or vacuum up.

What can dry ice blasting remove?

• grease and oil
• adhesive and glue
• bitumen and tar
• paint and coatings
• soot and smoke residue
• mould
• carbon build-up
• release agents from production moulds
• general industrial dirt

Where is it used?

• Food and drink plants. It cleans ovens, conveyors and machines with no water and no chemical residue. See our food production cleaning.
• Factories and manufacturing. It cleans machines and tools while they are still in place, which cuts downtime. See our factory cleaning service.
• Electrical equipment. Dry ice does not conduct electricity, so it can clean switchgear, motors and control panels.
• Fire and smoke restoration. It removes soot from beams, brick and stone without soaking the building. Learn more about fire damage cleaning.
• Mould removal. It removes mould from wood and structures without adding water. Our mould remediation team uses a range of methods depending on the job.
• Building and construction. It cleans off adhesive, bitumen and old coatings. Read how we removed bitumen using dry ice blasting for Engie.
• Heritage and historic buildings. Its gentle action suits delicate surfaces.

Benefits of dry ice blasting

• no water, so no risk of water damage or rust
• no chemicals, so it is safer for staff and the environment
• no secondary waste from the cleaning material itself
• gentle on most surfaces, as it is not abrasive
• fast, with machines often cleaned in place
• reaches into tight and hard-to-reach spots

Limits to know about

Dry ice blasting is not the right tool for every job. It can be slower on very thick coatings or rust, and the equipment needs to be used by trained people. CO2 can build up in small or closed spaces, so good ventilation and gas monitoring are a must. For tougher jobs, a team may use other methods, such as sand blasting or soda blasting. A good contractor will tell you which is best.

Our dry ice blasting service

Our dry ice blasting team works on sites across the UK. We look at the surface, the dirt and the setting before choosing a method. Learn more about our wider industrial cleaning services.

Want to know if dry ice blasting suits your site?

ICE Cleaning works across the UK, day and night, 365 days a year. Call us on 0208 066 0360 or email contactus@icecleaning.co.uk to talk it through.