Battle of the Blast Cleaners: Dry Ice Versus Older Methods

Some consumers feel that this industry move towards innovative technology is not a good thing. Newer is not always better they say, and in some cases, they are right. Sophisticated cars with complex digital consoles leave more room for error. Powerful new mobile devices have so many apps and add-ons that battery life is shorter than ever.

In the cleaning industry, this same trend has been taking hold. In an effort to stay ahead of the curve and take advantage of the latest cleaning breakthroughs, Steamatic has incorporated new dry ice blast cleaning technologies into their full cleaning service suite. Some more conservative companies and consumers have not yet been convinced of the value of this new innovation – newer is not always better, after all, and the idea of washing away mold, graffiti, paint, and rust with a jetvstream of ice pellets seems like something Elron Hubbard might write about.

To those who are still unconvinced about the value of Steamatic’s dry ice blast cleaning service, read on for a head-to-head comparison with conventional solvent cleaning, steam blasting, and sandblasting.

SANDBLASTING

This form of abrasive blasting is typically used to clean rugged surfaces like stone walls and the hulls of boats. This technique propels sand against the surface at high pressure to smooth away rough textures, modify the shape of the object being blasted, and remove surface contaminants.

Dry ice blast cleaning has a number of benefits over sandblasting:

• Dry ice blast cleaning is non-abrasive. This is key, since sandblasting is only viable in very particular settings where the condition of the surface being targeted is either expendable, or will benefit from forcible alteration. In contrast, dry ice blast cleaning lets you clean anything from rugged stone walls to fragile internal wiring.
• Dry ice blasting preserves and enhances the surface’s coating, whereas sandblasting will ruin any paint, decals, or surface sealers.
• Dry ice blasting does not harm caulking, rubber molding, flexible tubing, glass, or wiring.
• Dry ice blasting does not require additional clean-up of abrasive materials in the way that sandblasting does. CO2 pellets evaporate on contact so that the only thing you need to clean up is the frozen and discarded contaminants you wanted off of the surface in the first place.

STEAM OR WATER BLASTING

Steam or hot water blasting is a pressure washing technique used for restoration and industrial cleaning jobs. In theory, the steam is propelled from the hose at pressures up to 5,000 psi so that oil, grease, and other residue can be cleaned from the surface of equipment without damaging the substrate.

• Unlike steam blasting, dry ice blast cleaning requires no drying time. You also save time by avoiding the lengthy wrapping and disassembly process required before your start your steam cleaning.
• Dry ice blast cleaning does not risk damaging electronic or electrical parts, making it a much more versatile option in industrial settings.
• Steam or hot water blasting can damage glue joints, decals, drywall, plaster, and wood, while dry ice blast cleaning leaves these surfaces unharmed.
• Steam or hot water blasting risks spreading mold, bacteria, and other fungi in the watery run-off, while dry ice blast cleaning freezes and kills these threats instantly.

SOLVENT CLEANING

This technique is very conventional, using all manner of cleaning solvents and a bit of elbow grease to remove contaminants.

• Dry ice blast cleaning eliminates the need for wrapping and disassembly of equipment that solvent cleaning calls for.
• Dry ice blasting does not use any caustic chemicals that could endanger your equipment or employees like solvents do.
• Dry ice blast cleaning does not create fire hazards in the way that some solvents do.
• Dry ice blasting does not leave offensive odors in the way that some solvents do.

Though newer is not always better, when it comes to Steamatic’s dry ice blast cleaning technique, it is! Our innovative dry ice cleaning outperforms every other method on the market, giving you a thorough, fast, and efficient clean without any of the smells, hazards, or time-consuming steps required with other options. Call 1-888-767-7616 today to learn more!