Dry ice cleaning: A new trend in automotive restoration

Automotive restoration is a big business across the world. It helps bring old cars back to life, by restoring, refurbishing old parts, and bringing them back to nearly-new condition. While there are many techniques used by professionals, a new method now seems to be trending, called 'Dry Ice cleaning'.

The new technique involves using dry ice - the solid form of carbon dioxide with a temperature of around -79 degrees Celsius. The cold material is blasted onto the surface using a pressurised hose for cleaning. The method is similar to media blasting, but without the use of abrasive materials.

Another difference is that dry ice cleaning will remove all the gunk, oil, and other materials, without removing the vehicle's paint. This is because, unlike sandblasting or other methods, it's not the impact of the abrasive materials that remove the dirt. Instead, dry ice upon impact with the surface turns back directly to a gas, which combined with its cold temperature, cleans the surface.

However, the technique can get messy and can create quite a bit of noise during the process. Also, since dry ice immediately turns into gas, it is advisable to wear the right protective equipment.

Source: The Drive