Occasionally, you will have equipment, machinery or even part of your facility that needs cleaning outside the traditional methods. The maintenance may require a specialized approach to cleaning due to water or contamination risks to sensitive ingredients, components, finished products, etc. That's where dry ice cleaning comes in. Service-Tech's dry ice blasting services are available for commercial and industrial facilities nationwide.
Quick Answer: Dry ice cleaning (also called dry ice blasting) uses pressurized air to propel frozen CO₂ pellets against industrial surfaces, removing contaminants without water, chemicals, or abrasive residue. It's ideal for heat exchangers, ovens, electronics, and food processing equipment. Professional dry ice blasting services typically cost $2,000–$4,500 per day depending on job scope.
Dry ice cleaning is a specialized organic approach to facility hygienics that uses pressured air to blast frozen CO2 to remove debris from soiled surfaces.
It differs from traditional cleaning methods because it doesn't use chemicals and leaves no byproduct or waste. As such, it is necessary in situations where an alternative to water is needed.
Standard components cleaned with dry ice include:
Other natural and organic materials used if frozen CO2 is not the best solution include:
Corn husks
Walnut shells
Sand
Dry ice cleaning – also known as dry ice blasting – uses specialized equipment to blow small, rice-sized crystals of frozen CO2 through pressurized air. But the cleaning action isn't just physical impact. There are three mechanisms working simultaneously that make it so effective on industrial surfaces.
| Mechanism | What Happens |
| Kinetic Impact | CO₂ pellets strike the surface at high velocity, loosening deposits and contaminants without scratching or abrading the underlying material. |
| Thermal Shock | At −78.5°C, the frozen pellets rapidly cool the contaminant layer, making it brittle and breaking its bond with the surface beneath. |
| Sublimation | On impact, dry ice converts directly from solid to gas — expanding up to 800 times in volume — lifting residue away from the surface and leaving nothing behind. |
The result: contaminants are removed cleanly and completely, with no water, no chemical residue, and no secondary waste to dispose of.
Dry ice cleaning is a multi-purpose solution for a variety of surfaces, including:
The blasting of particles quickly and easily removes flaking and brittle materials off of surfaces.
While dry ice cleaning is excellent for sensitive surfaces, it has limits.
Dry ice blasting doesn't work well on soft or pliable surfaces. The CO2 crystals will clean effectively when impacting a hard surface. Softer surfaces absorb the impact, which lessens the cleaning efficacy.
Additionally, dry ice blasting struggles to clean up grease and oils, which usually require chemical removal.
Safety Note: Dry ice blasting should always be performed by trained professionals. In confined spaces, the sublimation of CO₂ can displace oxygen and create a hazardous atmosphere. Improper operation can also cause severe damage to machinery — costing far more than the service itself.
In terms of frequency, this will depend on the surface needing to be cleaned. Some projects are just one-off applications of dry ice blasting, such as removing paint from a surface. Other jobs require more frequency. For example, heat exchangers need to be serviced two-to-four times a year, depending on use.
To determine the frequency your equipment needs servicing, you can contact the manufacturer or an industrial hygienics specialist for support. For complex facility-wide maintenance programs, our team of industrial cleaning specialists can help assess the right schedule for your equipment.
Yes — and it's one of the most important applications for the technology. Dry ice is food-grade and approved by the FDA, EPA, and USDA as a cleaning medium, making it an ideal solution for facilities where chemical residue, moisture, or cross-contamination are unacceptable risks.
Food processing environments benefit from dry ice blasting because the process leaves no secondary waste, requires no disassembly of equipment in most cases, and gets production lines back up faster than traditional wet cleaning methods. It's especially effective on conveyor belts, mixers, ovens, molds, and food-contact surfaces that can't tolerate harsh chemicals or prolonged downtime.
For facilities operating under strict sanitation standards, dry ice blasting pairs well with a broader food plant sanitation program to maintain compliance and protect product integrity.
Dry ice cleaning isn't right for every situation — but compared to other industrial cleaning methods, it has significant advantages for sensitive equipment and regulated environments.
| Method | Leaves Residue? | Safe for Electronics? | Safe for Food Equipment? |
| Dry Ice Blasting | No — CO₂ sublimates completely | Yes — non-conductive | Yes — FDA/EPA/USDA approved |
| Pressure Washing | Yes — water and runoff | No — moisture damage risk | Limited — moisture/mold risk |
| Sandblasting | Yes — abrasive media cleanup required | No — abrasive damage risk | No — contamination risk |
| Chemical Cleaning | Yes — chemical residue and disposal | Risky — depends on chemical | Limited — strict protocols required |
Several factors go into determining the cost of getting dry ice cleaning done.
Are you planning on renting or buying a machine? How strong of a machine do you need for cleaning? How much dry ice will you use?
Depending on your needs, the answers to these questions will vary.
Dry ice blasters can run from a few thousand USD for limited applications and up to over thirty-thousand USD for more robust machines used in a heavy industrial setting.
Since most factories only need dry ice cleaning occasionally, buying equipment is usually not economically viable.
Also, improper or untrained use of dry ice-blasting equipment can cause severe damage to your machinery, costing you far more than the price of the machine itself. Cleaning with CO2 can also be dangerous in confined spaces, due to excessive carbon dioxide and a lack of oxygen in the air. As such, it's best to rely on trained professionals using their equipment for dry ice cleaning.
The cost of having your machinery cleaned through dry ice blasting will, like the purchase of the machine itself, vary on the size and scope of your cleaning job.
You will need a professional crew to come out for at least half or up to a whole day for standard industrial equipment maintenance. This service will cost, on average, $2,000 - $4,000. But since each job is different, the price will vary.
Worth Knowing: Pricing is driven by several variables — the type and size of the surface, thickness and type of contaminant, amount of dry ice required, equipment used, and job site location. Contractors may price by the day ($2,500–$4,500) or by square footage ($3–$5/sq ft). Getting a site-specific estimate is always the most accurate way to budget.
Ready to get a quote? Service-Tech provides free estimates for dry ice blasting at commercial and industrial facilities nationwide. Request a free estimate or call 866.950.0994.
If you're ready to have your industrial equipment cleaned with a responsible and licensed team of experts, look no further than Service-Tech.
We specialize in industrial cleaning of all applications, including dry ice blasting. We'll work with you to ensure cleaning services don't interfere with peak operating hours and get you on a schedule so you never have to worry about dirty equipment slowing down or shutting down your factory.
Let us know what machinery needs cleaning, and we will provide you with a quick estimate. We look forward to working with you.
Yes. Dry ice blasting is non-conductive, making it one of the few cleaning methods safe to use on energized or sensitive electrical equipment. Because no water or liquid is introduced and the CO₂ sublimates completely on contact, there is no risk of short circuits or moisture damage. This makes it a preferred method for cleaning electrical panels, motors, and control systems without taking equipment offline.
Frequency depends on the type of equipment and its operating conditions. One-off applications like paint removal require a single service. Equipment under heavy use, such as heat exchangers, typically needs dry ice cleaning two to four times per year. An industrial hygienics specialist can assess your specific equipment and recommend an appropriate maintenance schedule.
Dry ice blasting has higher upfront service costs due to the price of CO₂ pellets, specialized equipment, and the expertise required to operate it safely. However, it often delivers a lower total cost of ownership — equipment doesn't need to be disassembled, there's no secondary waste cleanup, and downtime is significantly shorter. For sensitive equipment where water or chemical cleaning would risk damage, dry ice blasting is frequently the most cost-effective choice overall.
Machine rentals are available, but they come with significant risks. Dry ice blasting equipment requires a compatible high-pressure air compressor, proper safety training, and experience calibrating blast pressure for different surfaces. Improper use can damage equipment or create dangerous CO₂ buildup in enclosed spaces. For most industrial applications, hiring a licensed professional team is the safer and more economical choice.
Dry ice blasting is not effective on soft, pliable, or rubber-based surfaces, which absorb the impact of the pellets rather than releasing contaminants. It also has limited effectiveness against heavy grease and oil buildup, which typically requires chemical removal. For surfaces or contaminants outside the range of dry ice, Service-Tech can recommend alternative industrial cleaning methods suited to your facility.