You’ve probably heard about dry ice cleaning a time or two. But maybe you didn’t know that this method is also used in the field of car preparation. How dry ice cleaning actually works and what else there is to know, will now be revealed.
How does this method work?
Dry ice is basically nothing more than frozen CO2 at about -80 degrees. It is completely environmentally neutral, as it is non-toxic and does not even contain water. To be able to clean with dry ice, it is pressed into pellets that are about the size of grains of rice. A special machine is used to apply the pellets to the surface to be cleaned.
Thanks to the insanely high speed and the enormous cold, the dirt becomes brittle and cracks appear. However, the surface itself is not affected at all, because the dry ice is not abrasive. When the pellets hit the surface, they increase their volume by a factor of 760 and blast off the dirt particles. The dry ice itself goes into a gaseous state and is dissolved without leaving any residue.
This means that there is no wetness or moisture, as with conventional cleaning.
Dry ice in car reconditioning
Dry ice offers unique properties, which is why it is often used in car reconditioning and the cleaning of engines, electrical components and car interiors. With dry ice, cleaning can simply be done more gently, better and also faster than with conventional cleaning agents. Moreover, it is neither aggressive nor harmful to health.
Dry ice is most commonly used in the following areas of the car:
- Cockpit: cleanliness is guaranteed down to the smallest crevices with dry ice cleaning. Even electronic speedometers or displays can be cleaned with it without any problems.
- Interior cleaning: Very sensitive components such as boxes or switches can be cleaned without hesitation with the gentle dry ice, because no damage will occur.
- Engine wash: Since more and more car manufacturers prohibit the cleaning of the engine with water and high-pressure cleaners, the cleaning with dry ice is a wonderful alternative.
Cost of such cleaning at the car
In contrast to the cleaning process with other compressed air equipment, dry ice cleaning is quite cheap. This is mainly due to the fact that no water, chemicals and other blasting agents are needed. Moreover, there are no additional costs, because you do not have to pay for the disposal of the dirt.
You only have to pay for the dry ice blasting equipment and the dry ice pellets. The pellets cost between 1.10 and 5.00 euros per kilogram. If you hire a professional, you can expect to pay between 190 and 300 euros per hour. However, this price varies greatly depending on the local conditions.
Source:
felix – stock.adobe.com