What builds up, and why it matters
On this kind of work the problem is grease, carbon, adhesive and production residue across every kind of substrate. Most cleaning problems arrive with a constraint attached: it cannot get wet, it cannot be scratched, it cannot be taken apart, or it has to be back in service the same shift.
A mobile rig means the compressor, hose and operator arrive at your shop, plant or driveway. The people who call us about residential dry are usually anyone who has been told their part is too delicate to clean properly, and the thing they are actually worried about is that the cleaning does more harm than the dirt did.
The method
Why dry ice and not the alternatives
- Non-abrasive
There is no grit in the stream, only ice that turns to gas on impact. That is why finishes and machined surfaces come through without scratching.
- Low moisture
Bearings and wiring hate water. The ice turns to gas instead of liquid, so there is none to work its way inside.
- No secondary waste
No pile of sand in the corners afterward. The pellet is gone on impact, and only the original contaminant needs cleaning up.
- Often no teardown
We clean most equipment where it stands. Taking things apart and putting them back is the expensive part of any cleaning job, and here it is usually skipped.
More core work
Related jobs we get called for
Questions we get asked first
Will it damage the surface underneath?
Generally not. The pellet works by temperature rather than friction, so the surface underneath is left alone. If there is any doubt about a finish, we test it before anyone sees the result.
Do you have to take the equipment apart for residential dry?
Often you can leave it as it is. We look at the photos, work out what blocks the nozzle, and only ask for something to come apart if there is no other way in.
How much mess does it make?
Very little. The ice is gone on contact, so there is no sand or soda to sweep out of corners afterward. You just have the grime, and we collect that.
Do you come to us?
Yes, and nothing of yours needs to move. The equipment rides with us, and we travel across South Florida from Miami, out to about the hundred-mile mark.
What does a job cost?
Honestly, it depends, and we would rather not quote blind. A few photos and a sentence about the access usually give us enough to price it properly.
How soon can you look at it?
A plant that is down and losing money is a different call from a car project in a garage. Tell us which one you have and we will be upfront about where it fits.
The comparison
How this compares to the usual methods
- Hand scraping
Fine on a patch, hopeless on a machine, and the blade leaves its own evidence.
- Media blasting
Grit removes material to do its job, so a machined face or a plated part pays for the cleaning.
- Pressure washing
The water has to go somewhere, and on most equipment that somewhere is inside it.
- Solvent and degreaser
It loosens the mess and leaves its own behind, along with fumes and something to dispose of.
- Dry ice
Thermal contraction cracks the bond between deposit and surface, then the pellet gasses off. Nothing abrasive, nothing wet, nothing left.
What comes off
What this takes off
The method does not care much what the contaminant is, only that it sits on top of something. Here is the usual list.
- Food residue
Carbonized product, fat, starch and sugar build-up on processing equipment, cleaned without chemicals touching a food contact surface.
- Grease and oil
The greasy base coat that traps grit and dust. It releases early and takes the loose material with it.
- Carbon and soot
Soot and carbon from heat and combustion. It clings hard to hot parts, but cold shrinks it faster than the metal underneath, and that breaks the bond.
- Adhesive and sealant
Bonded material that outlived whatever it was bonding, usually harder to shift than the part it is on.
- Resin and mold release
Release agent and resin build-up on tooling, where a solvent fix trades one residue for another.
- Paint and coatings
Removed selectively where the substrate underneath has to survive, which rules out most abrasive approaches.
- Salt and corrosion product
The year-round problem on the coast. The finish holding corrosion back has to survive the cleaning.
How a job runs
The sequence, start to finish
There is no mystery to how these jobs run, and no part of it we would rather you did not ask about.
- You describe the job
The machine, the deposit and the downtime you can afford. Those three things decide the whole job, and we would rather know all of them before quoting.
- We look at access and containment
If the equipment handles product, the question is what touches it. Those surfaces get extra attention in the plan, since what we remove must not end up anywhere near them.
- We test a small area
We dial the rig in on something nobody will notice. Older paint and soft metals in particular can react differently from what you would expect, so we check rather than assume.
- We blast, then clean up
The carbon, grease or paint we lift off comes down as loose debris. We gather it up at the end, and you do not pay extra for the cleanup.
- You look before we pack up
A second pass while everything is still connected is free in every sense. A return trip is not.
Before we turn the rig on
Solid CO2 leaves no film and nothing poisonous behind. In a sealed room, though, the gas it becomes takes the place of oxygen, and that is something we plan for ahead of time.
As firefighters we are used to working in protective gear, and hearing protection is part of ours on every job. The process is loud and we treat it that way.
Expect the surface to be cold to the touch right after. Give it a little time before bare hands go on it, especially on anything heavy.
Power, water and air are not things you need to provide. The truck covers the air, and the process needs no water at all.
Describe what you are dealing with.
A rough outline of the job is fine. Add the location and photos, and expect to hear from Giancarlo or Kenny directly.