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Cleaning Methods Compared

Dry ice, sand, high-pressure, chemical — which fits your application? This overview compares them across eight decisive criteria.

1 min read
  • Material safety — Dry ice: very high (non-abrasive); Sandblasting: low (abrasive); High-pressure: medium (can erode); Chemical: low-medium (attacks surfaces).
  • Water demand — Dry ice: none; Sandblasting: none; High-pressure: high (hundreds of l/h); Chemical: medium (rinse water).
  • Chemicals — Dry ice: none; Sandblasting: none; High-pressure: sometimes surfactants; Chemical: yes, often toxic.
  • Secondary waste — Dry ice: none (CO₂ sublimates); Sandblasting: high (spent media + dirt); High-pressure: medium (wastewater); Chemical: high (contaminated rinse water).
  • In-place cleaning — Dry ice: yes, even live circuits; Sandblasting: no; High-pressure: limited; Chemical: limited.
  • Speed — Dry ice: fast; Sandblasting: medium; High-pressure: fast; Chemical: slow (dwell time).
  • Noise level — Dry ice: high (compressed air); Sandblasting: very high; High-pressure: high; Chemical: low.
  • Investment cost — Dry ice: medium-high; Sandblasting: low-medium; High-pressure: low-medium; Chemical: low.

Cleaning methods compared

The following points summarise how the four common cleaning methods differ in practice — from material safety to investment cost.

Choose dry ice when

  • Materials must not be attacked (electronics, paint, plastics).
  • No secondary waste may occur.
  • Cleaning must happen during operation.
  • Water or chemicals are excluded.

Choose sandblasting when

  • The material will be recoated anyway.
  • Aggressive crusts must be removed.
  • Material damage is tolerable or desired.

Choose high-pressure when

  • Exterior surfaces or robust industrial assets are cleaned.
  • Water and drainage are available.
  • Fast large-surface cleaning is needed.

Choose chemical when

  • Contamination is very specific (fats, oils).
  • Low mechanisation is desired.
  • Dwell time is non-critical.

Unsure what fits your application?

We analyse your cleaning task and tell you honestly whether dry ice is the right method — or one of the alternatives.

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