As a kid, few things in school are more exciting than when the chemistry teacher shows up with a bucket of dry ice. “OOOOOOO!” the entire class would howl as the steam seeped over the edge of the cooler and fell onto the table. It’s like you never knew that your teacher was a vampire or goblin aside from being your wacky, slightly creepy, orange-haired chemistry teacher (yes Mr. Savage, I’m calling you out!). What is dry ice, and for what is it actually used?

Dry ice is carbon dioxide (CO2) in a solid state. At -109.3°F (or -78.5°C), it changes quickly from a solid state directly to gas (this is called “sublimation” if you were wondering). You don’t see the melting like you would with normal ice. That’s why it makes a great “witches potion” on Halloween as it floats and falls out of the magical cauldron. This is ALSO what makes it the perfect cleaner for smoke residue restoration.

Using a process called Dry Ice Blasting, professionals can safely remove soot and debris from your smoke damaged surfaces. This is the best way to clean smoke damage. Dry Ice Blasters shoot compressed pellets of dry ice at a high velocity, which causes them to vaporize and explode against the contaminated wall or other surface. It’s like pressure washing, but much MUCH cooler (literally). This is called the “Thermal Kinetic Effect” and the “Thermal Shock Effect”.  On impact, gas instantaneously expands to nearly 800 times the volume of the pellet in a few milliseconds. This “Micro-explosion”, as the pellet changes to gas, lifts the soot off of the wall from between the micro layers of smoke damage.

In translation, why try to chisel away a mountain with a pick axe, when you can implant dynamite and blow off the top of the mountain from underneath! This is what dry ice blasting does. It explodes the lingering soot from underneath. It’s awesome. In fact, you should get one for dad for Christmas. Every dad will want a DRY ICE GUN THAT EXPLODES THINGS! Think about the shrieks of terror from children, and the laughter of dad, as he decides he wants to try out his new toy on a moving target.

Dry Ice Blasting Advantages:

  • It doesn’t require hazardous chemicals like other cleaners (which makes it safe for your kitchen and all areas of the house)
  • There is no dangerous residue that could harm you or the environment
  • It’s fast, non-abrasive, and can clean wood, machinery, and even electrical outlets
  • It’s EPA, FDA, and USDA approved
  • It eliminates smoky odors completely

If you have had a fire in your home or business, dry ice blasting is likely the best way to remove smoke damage from your home. I change my mind about getting dad the blaster for Christmas. Save the children, and leave the blasting to us. Our professionals are trained, and kid-safe.

Call us at (407)900-8996 for help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

This is a cool/informative video about dry ice blasting from “Modern Marvels” on the History Channel.