Dry Ice Blasting — Columbia, SC
Dry ice blasting cleans equipment and vehicles without water, grit, or chemicals. We fire pellets of solid CO₂ at a surface with compressed air. The pellets knock the buildup loose, then turn straight to gas and vanish — so the only thing left on the floor is the grease, carbon, or grime we removed. Nothing to drain, nothing to bag, no spent media to sweep.
It's the right call when water would be a problem (electrical, electronics, food areas), when you can't take a machine apart to clean it, or when grit blasting would scar the surface and leave a mess behind.
How it works — three forces at once
Because the CO₂ becomes gas, there's no leftover blasting media. The flow is adjustable, so we turn the force up for a caked conveyor and down for delicate wiring.
What we clean
- Production and packaging equipment
- Adhesive and glue buildup — glue pots, rollers, nozzles
- Conveyors, motors, gearboxes
- Electrical cabinets and control panels (no water near electronics)
- Molds and tooling
- Food-area surfaces and equipment
- Fire and smoke restoration
- Engine bays and components
- Undercarriage, suspension, and frames
- Wheel wells and brake areas
- Grilles, vents, and tight spots no brush reaches
Proven vehicle work is steam — see Dealership & Fleet Recon and Steam Cleaning for decals, gum, and engine bays.
Surfaces it's safe on — and what we test first
Safe: steel, aluminum, stainless, brass; painted and powder-coated surfaces; wiring and electronics; rubber hoses, belts, and seals; most plastics; many interior materials.
We avoid or test first: exposed foam, peeling foil with gaps behind it, bare leather, and any tape or label you want to keep. If we're unsure how a surface will react, we test a small spot before we commit.
Why it beats pressure washing
No water. Pressure washing drives moisture into electronics, bearings, and seams — and then you wait for it to dry. Dry ice leaves the surface clean and dry the moment we're done, and it's safe around the wiring and panels a hose should never touch.
Why it beats sand or media blasting
Every blasting method throws something at a surface with compressed air. Sand, soda, oxides, and walnut shells all leave a pile of spent media you have to capture and haul off — and they're abrasive. Dry ice is the one media that disappears. It turns to gas, so there's no grit in the gears and nothing to clean up but the contaminant itself. The cold shock is a bonus the others don't have.
Is it safe and clean?
Yes. The CO₂ we use is captured industrial gas — it does the job and releases as the same gas already in the air, so no new chemicals are introduced. No wastewater, no solvent runoff. Whatever we blast off drops to the floor to be swept and disposed of properly. Operators wear the right protection and we ventilate the space, since CO₂ displaces oxygen in a closed area.
Pricing
Send photos and we'll price it. Industrial pricing is based on the equipment, the buildup, and the time on site.
Frequently asked questions
Why haven't I heard of this before?
Dry ice blasting has been used in industry for years. It's only recently become refined and portable enough to be practical for vehicles and smaller jobs — which is why it's showing up more now.
What is dry ice, exactly?
Frozen carbon dioxide — the same CO₂ that's already in the air, chilled into a solid at roughly 109°F below zero.
Where does the dirt go?
Into the air, then onto the surrounding surfaces and the floor. We contain and ventilate the area, then sweep up and dispose of what came off.
Does it clean everything the same?
No. The result depends on the surface and what's on it. Heavy grease, carbon, and coatings come off dramatically; light surface rust improves but won't disappear. We match technique and flow to the job.
Can it remove rust?
It clears the scale and buildup sitting on top of metal and lifts loose surface rust. It can't reverse rust that has already eaten into the metal — no blasting method can.
Can it clean electronics and wiring?
Yes — that's one of its best uses. No water means we can clean control panels, motors, and wiring that a pressure washer would ruin.
How is it different from pressure washing?
No water and no dry time, and it's safe around electrical and sensitive areas a hose can't go near.
How is it different from sand or media blasting?
The media disappears. Dry ice turns to gas instead of piling up as grit, so there's nothing abrasive left in the works and nothing to clean up but the contaminant.
Can you clean carbon out of an engine intake?
Yes — with proper disassembly and a shop that knows the engine. We take care to keep loosened carbon out of the cylinders.
Do you do undercoating?
Not yet — it's coming once our vehicle lift is in. For now we focus on cleaning.
Request service
Tell us what you need cleaned and send a couple of photos. We'll come look, or quote it straight from the pictures. Columbia, SC and the surrounding area.