The Cold Hard Facts
Dry Ice Cleaning Questions?
You probably have a good idea of how effective dry ice cleaning is at removing undercarriage dirt and grime. In the FAQ section, we will dive deeper by answering more detailed, lesser known questions about the process. If you have a specific question we've missed, feel free to message or call and we'd be happy to help.
You may stump us - but remember we're a Dryice Nation member and have access to a large number of other dry ice providers who will have the answer.
Dry ice cleaning science, how does it work?
Dry ice cleaning is a “green” eco-friendly process using small pellets of recycled solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) to clean a surface. The pellets, which are quite soft, are introduced into a compressed air stream and propelled out of a nozzle at high speed against a dirty substrate, similar to sandblasting. However, unlike sandblasting, when pellets hit the surface, dry ice sublimates, turning from solid directly into a gas. This rapid change in state, from solid to gas, also causes microscopic shock waves, which assist removing contaminants. During the sublimation, dry ice expands 800x it’s volume. That, in combination with kinetic energy and the frigid temperature of the dry ice (-109.3°F or -78.5°C), plus the instantaneous sublimation, causes undesired materials to shrink and lose adhesion from the substrate surface, thus releasing the dirt and not harming the surface below.
Why is dry ice cleaning considered a green eco friendly process?
Dry ice cleaning is an green eco-friendly method made of reclaimed carbon dioxide produced from other industrial processes. This cleaning method is approved by the EPA, FDA and USDA. It also reduces or eliminates employee exposure to the use of any harsh, chemical cleaning agents.
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The environmentally-friendly advantage is no environmental impact associated with the process: no wasted water like pressure washing, and no wasted sand like in media blasting. Even the liquid C02 used to make the dry ice pellets is typically collected as industry waste, meaning the carbon impact is zero. The only energy consumed is the electricity needed to power the cleaning machine and the air compressor.
What happens to the dirt and grime?
The majority of the unwanted contaminate (aka: dirt and grime) fall to the floor while the airborne particles get sucked up into a multi-stage filtration system, similar to a paint booth. Then particles on the floor can be collected and disposed of in the appropriate manner.
Is dry ice detailing safe to clean all the surfaces, coatings, materials, and components of my car?
Dry ice cleaning is safe to use on most all the surfaces, coatings, materials, and components of your car. There are 3 main controlled factors to be aware of when a surface is being cleaned with dry ice: the pressure, the air volume, and the particle (dry ice) size/volume. When the correct balance between the three is kept at the minimum to cause discohesion or detachment of the contaminant/dirt from the substrate the surface is unharmed. If one of the 3 factors far exceeds the need for discohesion or detachment, the surface can sustain damage. The process can clean delicate chrome or nickel plated parts, soft aluminum or brass alloys, wire insulation, and even circuit boards without causing damage. Below is a list of acceptable and unacceptable materials to clean with dry ice.
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Acceptable:
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Metals, Aluminum, Steel, Stainless, Brass, Bronze
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Painted surfaces, body and other painted or powder coated surfaces
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Wiring / Electronics
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Rubber parts, hoses, belts, wiper blades, gaskets, tires, CV boots
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Plastic Parts: most; some plastics can whiten
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Interior, vents, carpets, vinyl, Alcantara, nylon
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Alcantara steering wheel
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Unacceptable:​
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Foam
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Foil Parts (if they have voids behind the foil)
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Leather (depends, some people have had success cleaning leather)
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Electrical tape (if not backed by a solid surface)
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Our Approach:
To determine reaction to the cleaning process, for any unknown or dirty substrate, it's best to start with low pressure, low volume and a small particle size and test to see how the surface reacts. We'll adjust the 3 factors a bit then test again. If our test area fails to remove the contaminant without damaging the substrate we will stop and contact the client to discuss how we'll proceed. In cases where this is happening it's usually due to a coating or material that is deteriorated or failing. For example if a prior owner didn't prep the chassis properly before applying paint to address some chassis rust causing the paint to not have proper adhesion. Dry ice cleaning may remove the paint in these areas.
Can the extremely cold temperature of dry ice damage parts like electrical components, rubber, fabric, and plastics?
The amount of surface cooling depends on 3 primary factors: the mass of the target surface, dwell time of the dry ice blast stream, and the dry ice consumption per hour. In the application of cleaning automotive parts, the limited duration of time the surface is exposed to the cleaning process is the main factor to ensure we don't damage parts or components. If the blasting stream was held in one location for an extended period of time it could cause damage.
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Our Approach:
The technique we use is to always keep the stream of dry ice moving and never to dwell on one location more than a few seconds. If the first pass doesn't completely clean the surface we allow that area a little time to warm before make another pass at removing the remaining dirt.
Will dry ice cleaning remove rust?
Dry ice cleaning is a non-abrasive process, and as such, will not remove areas of heavy rust. In some cases, the process may remove light, loose surface rust but will not be able remove heavily pitted rust.
Can dry ice remove undercoatings?
Most all undercoatings can be removed through the use of dry ice cleaning, but the process will require more air pressure, more dry ice and more time, which equates to more expense.
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Our Approach:
Our recommendation is to put the car up on the lift to inspect the area of undercoating which needs to be removed. We may request to clean a small section to better gauge the estimate of time to remove it. Keep in mind if you decide not to have it removed we can just clean the undercoating, saving you money.
How long does it take to dry ice detail an undercarriage?
Total time spent will depend on many factors: e.g., the age of the vehicle, the environment the underbody was exposed to, undercoating you may want removed, would you like the exhaust system cleaned and treated to restore it, underbody panels you would like removed to clean additional hidden areas. These are just a few factors that come into play when providing the estimate. Each car is unique - from its make and model and the dirt it has been carrying around. Therefore, total dry ice cleaning time is not a templated answer. Typically, If it is a newer car needing a light cleaning, you can expect it to be 1 (one) day. If the car requires a more in-depth cleaning, expect it to take 2-3 days.
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Our Approach:
To give an accurate time/cost estimate, we'll need to put your car up on the lift to get a good view of the underbody. We'll discuss the unique cleaning challenges of your car and present options. We can point out unique features and areas of concern and answer any questions you might have. We can then come up with a strategy to meet your goals and budget. See our pricing page packages to get a better estimate of time need to clean your car.
Can the dry ice process create condensation?
Condensation can only occur if you cool the surface being cleaned below the dew point, which varies depending on the local climate. To eliminate condensation during the dry ice cleaning process, a desiccant air dryer should be used in the air supply system capable of reducing the dew point to -40˙F or below in most climates.
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Our Approach:
Here at Negative 109, we utilize a technologically-advanced air supply system from Kaeser compressors. Our desiccant dryer is capable of drying the air supply to -94˙F pressure dew points. This gives us confidence our air will be as dry as possible during the cleaning process. Our shop is also climate controlled to even further eliminate condensation at the cleaning surface.
Does dry ice cleaning produce static electricity?
The cleaning processes will generate a degree of static electricity. The dry ice cleaning equipment is designed with integral grounding device that attaches to the car. As long as both the blasting unit and the workpiece are properly grounded to a good earthing point, you are very unlikely to have static discharge.
Can dry ice blasting be used to remove paint?
The dry ice cleaning/blasting process can be very gentle or very aggressive depending on how the setting are adjusted on the machine. It can be used to remove paint, but the dry ice machine would need to be set up to deliver a high pressure, large particle size, high feed rate of ice to be able to strip paint in most cases. It takes more time to remove paint as the dry ice is soft. Given these factors the process is usually not a cost effective method due to the additional time and material needed to strip a surface. It is also dependent on great number of factors including: the underlying surface profile of the substrate, the thickness of the coating, the adhesive bond strength of the coating, and the cohesive strength of the coating (generally a function of age). It should only be considered for use on special projects where media/sandblasting blasting is not a viable option.
After I've had my car dry iced cleaned do I ever need to have it cleaned again?
Like most things, with dry ice cleaning it depends on your unique situation. If your classic car only gets driven a handful of times a year, you probably will never need to have it dry iced cleaned again. You may want to get under it once a year and do a hand cleaning just to maintain it. If, on the other hand, you drive the car more regularly, you'll want to maintain the undercarriage and wheel wells yourself with an occasional hand cleaning. After a few years you may want us to clean again, but this should be a quicker and easier maintenance dry ice cleaning. It all comes down to specifics of your car, driving habits and operating environments if you'll need our services again.
Do different automobile makes clean up better than others?
German cars are typically covered in Cosmoline a wax coating. The positive is they are sealed and protected. The downside is the wax coating attracts dirt, so they turn black on the bottom. Dry Ice removes this coating to reveal an essentially new car underneath.
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Japanese cars typically have tar coatings in areas of the underbody. Similar to wax, tar preserves finishes and can be removed with dry ice.
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American cars are typically free of undercoating, but may have been coated early in their life by a dealer or aftermarket shop. They typically have more surface corrosion and therefore do not have as dramatic a response to cleaning. They will clean up and look much better but just not as visually pleasing as a Mercedes-Benz or Porsche, for example.