Dry Ice Cleaning – Residue-Free, Material-Gentle, and Water-Free Cleaning

Dry ice cleaning is the right choice when surfaces need to be cleaned thoroughly yet gently – entirely without water, chemicals, or abrasive blasting media. For a detailed explanation of the physical process behind it, see our page on dry ice blasting. Here, we focus on what can be cleaned with it – and where dry ice cleaning plays to its greatest strengths.

What kinds of contamination does dry ice cleaning remove particularly well?

Dry ice cleaning is particularly well suited to organic and polymer-based residues:

Oils, greases, and release agents – often directly on machines and equipment without dismantling
Paint, lacquer, and coatings – including layer by layer, for controlled removal
Adhesive, resin, wax, rubber, and silicone residues
Soot and fire residues – an established use case in fire damage restoration
Biofilms and microbial deposits – without water or chemicals, relevant for hygiene-sensitive areas

For inorganic, heavily encrusted layers such as thick oxide layers or mineral deposits, a preliminary test is usually needed to realistically assess the achievable effect.

What makes dry ice cleaning economically attractive

No dismantling required – cleaning often takes place directly on installed, sometimes still-warm equipment
No drying or waiting time – unlike water-based methods, ready for use immediately
Reduced cleaning and labor costs – due to eliminated post-processing and disposal of blasting media
Less waste – no secondary waste that needs to be collected and disposed of

How does dry ice cleaning work with Südstrahl equipment?

1. Choose the right machine – For precision work on sensitive components, our compact table-top dry ice blasting machines, CUBE, are ideal; for large-scale industrial applications, our robust standing dry ice blasting machines, PowerJet.

2. Set dry ice quantity and pellet size – Depending on the model, you control the dry ice feed steplessly via rotary dial or touch panel. On our Vario models, you can also adjust the pellet size directly on the machine – coarser for heavy contamination, finer for sensitive surfaces.

3. Adjust air pressure to the application – Using your compressor's compressed air supply, you set the blasting pressure to match the material: lower pressure for sensitive components such as control cabinets, higher pressure for stubborn contamination on robust industrial surfaces.

4. Carry out the blasting process via the blasting gun – Using the blast hose (5 m, extendable if needed) and remote start button on the blasting gun, you clean directly at the component without dismantling the equipment.

5. Check the result – The operating hours counter and safety features (emergency stop switch, lockable main switch) help you document the process safely and make adjustments if needed.

Discover our dry ice blasting machines

Which industries use dry ice cleaning?

Automotive industry: cleaning of production equipment, robots, paint lines, and molds
Mold and plastics processing: injection and die-casting molds, extruders, and deflashing machines
Electrical engineering: control cabinets, circuit boards, generators, and motors, without risk of short circuit or damage
Wood, façades & heritage conservation: gentle removal of dirt and coatings from sensitive surfaces
Food industry: hygienic, water-free cleaning of baking molds, conveyor belts, ovens, and packaging machines
Printing industry: removal of printing ink and paper dust from printing machines and rollers
General maintenance: efficient cleaning of machines and equipment across virtually every industrial sector

Dry ice cleaning by material

Metals & industrial components
Steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and cast metal – e.g. machines, tools, equipment, motors, and molds. Reliably removes oil, grease, release agents, and production residues without attacking the surface. Our standing dry ice blasting machines are designed for continuous industrial use on larger surfaces.

Plastics & rubber
Suitable for housings, panels, seals, and conveyor systems. Particularly relevant in plastics processing: molds and pressing tools can often be cleaned while installed and even still warm – without the usual hours spent on solvents or manual scraping.

Electronics & sensitive components
Cleaning of control cabinets, circuit boards, and controllers, since no moisture is generated and no abrasive material is used – a process that is clearly advantageous here compared to water-based methods. Our compact table-top dry ice blasting machines are particularly well suited to this kind of precision work.

Natural stone, façades & heritage conservation
Dry ice cleaning is increasingly used in restoration, for example to remove corrosion from cast-iron cultural artifacts or to remove wax from historic wooden surfaces. Important: dry ice cleaning is not universally suitable for natural stone – depending on the type of stone (sandstone, marble, limestone) and any pre-existing damage, it can cause harm. An expert condition assessment and a documented test area prior to full-scale cleaning are essential here.

Wood
Unlike metal, wood is a borderline case due to its insulating properties and temperature sensitivity – more details on our page on dry ice blasting wood.

Which process suits your cleaning task?

Not every cleaning task necessarily requires dry ice. You'll find a detailed technical comparison of sandblasting, soda blasting, high-pressure cleaning, and chemical cleaning on our page on dry ice blasting. If you already know that dry ice is the right process for you, you'll find the right machine in our product overview of dry ice blasting machines.

Do you have questions?

Please contact us to clarify individual questions.
Call us, send us an e-mail or arrange a personal call schedule.

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FAQ about dry ice cleaning

Find answers to the most common questions about dry ice cleaning here

What can dry ice clean?

Dry ice cleaning is particularly well suited to organic and polymer-based contamination such as oils, greases, and release agents; paint, lacquer, and coatings; adhesive, resin, and rubber residues; soot and fire residues; as well as biofilms and microbial deposits. Underbody protection and old paint in vehicle restoration, as well as graffiti on façades, can also be gently removed this way. The process is less suited to heavily encrusted inorganic layers such as thick oxide layers or mineral deposits – a preliminary test is recommended in these cases.

How does dry ice cleaning work?

First, the right machine is selected – compact table-top dry ice blasting machines for precision work on sensitive components, robust standing dry ice blasting machines for large-scale industrial applications. Dry ice quantity, pellet size, and air pressure are then matched to the material via rotary dial or touch panel. Cleaning is carried out directly on the component using the blast hose and gun, usually without dismantling the equipment. The physical background (cold shock, sublimation) is explained in detail on our page on dry ice blasting.

How much does dry ice cleaning cost?

There's no flat rate that applies to every application. The actual cost depends on dry ice consumption (between 0 and 150 kg/hr, depending on the machine), the surface area and cleaning duration, and whether you purchase dry ice or produce it yourself with your own pelletizer. Against this are offset savings elsewhere, such as eliminated drying time or reduced downtime. For a realistic assessment of your individual use case, we're happy to advise you personally.

What are the disadvantages of dry ice cleaning?

For pure material removal, such as heavy rust or thick old coatings, classic sandblasting is often the more economical choice. Natural stone and wood surfaces are not universally suitable and should be assessed beforehand. Since CO₂ gas is released during sublimation, adequate ventilation is required, and dry ice cannot be stored long-term. In addition, the correct settings for pressure, pellet quantity, and distance determine the result, which is why trained use is important. Also important: the cold reduces microbial load but does not replace separate disinfection.