Dry Ice Blasting: What Is It & How Is It Used?

11/26/2019 (Permalink)

If you own a business, you know that cleanliness is of the utmost importance. Not only does a cleaner workplace look more professional and help to boost worker morale, but an unclean industrial site can be unsafe and unhealthy. One innovative cleaning method that can be a big benefit is dry ice blasting.

What is it? Dry ice blasting is a type of abrasive cleaning similar to sand or soda blasting, where a pressurized stream of air accelerates particles toward a surface to clean it. Dry ice blasting has a wider range of applications than these and can be used in extremely sensitive environments like food manufacturing.

Dry ice blasting offers many advantages over traditional cleaning methods:

• Environmentally Friendly. Dry ice comes from CO2 emissions that have been recaptured. During the blasting process, there are no solvents or chemicals involved, so there is no secondary waste to clean up, either. There’s also no water used, which means that mold and bacteria are less likely to grow. This cleaning method is also considered safe for the food industry and meets USDA, FDA and EPA guidelines.
• Cleans Effectively. Cleaning with dry ice is faster, more thorough, and can often be done without disassembling or reassembling any equipment to be cleaned. It can easily reach areas that are hard to access and clean by any other means. Dry ice blasting leaves a clean, dry surface that can be recoated, as well. This method of cleaning is aggressive enough to handle difficult surfaces but sensitive enough that it can be used with delicate equipment.
• Less Downtime or Waste. There’s less downtime involved with dry ice blasting. Equipment usually does not have to be taken apart beforehand, and there is no dry time or cool-down time required. Because the dry ice pellets evaporate upon impact, the only clean up required is the removed debris itself.
• Safe. There are none of the hazards of cleaning with chemicals. Dry ice is non-toxic, non-abrasive, non-flammable and non-conductive.
• Cost-Effective. Because the process is faster and there is less downtime than with other methods, labor costs are also lower. Due to its lack of negative environmental impact, you will also avoid the costly clean-up requirements of chemical cleaning methods.
• Easy on Equipment. Dry ice blasting does not abrade, wear or erode equipment, which means the equipment will last longer.

Many industrial facilities and warehouses are now turning to dry ice blasting, which completes cleanup projects much faster, doesn’t produce secondary waste, and is particularly effective when dealing with difficult-to-remove materials. While pressure washing and steam-cleaning require that the equipment is allowed to dry out over time, dry ice blasting allows you to start using your equipment again almost immediately.

Here are some common uses of dry ice blasting for industrial workspaces:

• Fire remediation: Dry ice cleaning does an excellent job of removing toxic residues, soot, and unpleasant odors associated with a fire. Insurance companies often work with independent dry ice blasters because their clients can experience quicker cleanup of those locations that have been damaged by smoke and fire. 
• Restoration: The aim of restoration is to return a structure to its original state. Chemicals can seep into stone, for instance, and abrasive cleaning methods can scratch and damage the surface. Dry ice cleaning allows surfaces to be cleaned without causing any damage to the substrate. Operators can use this method on marble, glass, and onyx without damaging the surface at all. There is also no secondary waste produced by this method.
• Dry ice blasting is non-toxic and will stop mold, mildew and other fungi from growing, eliminating odors at their source by destroying the bacterial host environment instead of using a masking agent. Dry ice blasting is 100 percent ecologically safe and harmless to humans.
• Mold removal: Traditionally, mold removal methods entailed sanding and scraping, which are time-consuming and can be ineffective when trying to reach small spaces. Other methods, such as soda blasting and chemical cleaning, often create poor visibility and then require cleanup afterward. Dry ice blasting removes not only the mold itself but also its roots, leaving the surface completely mold-free.
• Textiles: In the textile industry, the accumulation of lint, glue and other materials is common. Dry ice blasting can remove them without damaging the equipment.

SERVPRO of Belle Meade/West Nashville is here to help with all your cleanup needs, no matter how large or small. Whether it’s water damage, fire damage, or a mold infestation that you are dealing with, we can be there right away.