Is dry ice cleaning safe for your car?
What dry ice does and does not do to paint, rubber, wiring and sensors, how we mask the car, and how we handle hybrids, electric cars and classics.
What dry ice does to a car
Dry ice cleaning fires pellets of solid CO2 at about -78°C with compressed air. The cold makes dirt brittle, and the pellets turn straight into gas on impact, so there is no water, no chemicals and no abrasive left behind. That is why we use it in the engine bay and under the car, and on parts with wiring or sensors.
Most of the questions we get come from people who have had a car cleaned badly before, or who own something they cannot easily replace. This post answers them one part at a time.
Paint
The pellets are much softer than sand. On the Mohs scale dry ice sits at 1.5-2 and sand at 7, which is why it does not scratch the way sandblasting does. We also set the pressure and the pellet flow for each surface instead of running one setting over the whole car.
Dry ice does not change the surface profile of metal. That is a limit as well as a benefit: for thick rust, or for preparing bare metal for paint, classic sandblasting is the better tool, and we offer it separately for underbodies.
Rubber, plastic and seals
Nothing in the process attacks rubber or plastic, because nothing is applied. Degreasers can soften seals and hoses, which is the usual reason people avoid chemical cleaning on an older car.
The one thing to know is temperature. The engine must be at ambient temperature before we start. Dry ice is around -78°C, and putting it on an engine that is still 90-100°C is too sharp a change for some plastic and rubber parts. If you drive in, expect to wait.
Wiring, sensors and electronics
Dry ice does not conduct electricity and leaves no moisture, so it can be used around connectors and sensors where a pressure washer cannot. We still do not rely on that alone. Before blasting we inspect the car, then mask the parts that must not take product or ice: brake components, connectors, the exhaust and shafts. On an underbody job we mask every electrical connector, hose, bushing and joint individually, and remove the masking afterwards.
We also clean loose electronic parts, such as circuit boards and electrical panels, when they are brought to the workshop.
Hybrid and electric cars
These cars have high-voltage cables, usually orange. We protect them before any washing or blasting, in the same way as the rest of the electrical system. Where the car has marked high-voltage areas, we follow the manufacturer's guidance. If your car has a specific instruction in its manual, tell us when you book.
Collector cars and original paint
If the car has original paint or is a classic, we talk about its history first and about anything you want us to leave alone, and then we take extra care. On older cars the usual alternatives carry their own risks: pressure washing can push water into old electrical parts, degreasing chemicals can attack rubber seals and original finishes, and abrasive blasting removes original surface for good.
What we will not do
- On a new car's rust-proofing job we do not dry-ice blast the underbody: it is not needed, and the new-car price does not include it.
- We do not rebuild structurally corroded metal or do bodywork. If cleaning shows an area that needs new sheet metal, we tell you and you take the car to a body shop.
- We do not clean a hot engine.
- We do not travel to you. All work is done at our workshop in Mera, about ten minutes from Cluj.
Practical details
We take two cars a week. You drop the car off on Monday and collect it the following Monday. The inspection costs 181.50 lei incl. VAT (150 lei + VAT) and is deducted from the work if you go ahead.
Cleaning on its own has no warranty. The warranty applies only to the Dinitrol anticorrosion treatment: two years on labour, on the condition that you bring the car for the checks at 3, 6 and 11 months. Prices for that treatment are on the anticorrosion price page.
Book a slot or call 0770 794 523.
Arctic Works is part of the BetterQA group.
Frequently asked questions
Will dry ice scratch my paint?
No. The pellets are far softer than sand, and we set the pressure for each surface. If the car has original paint or you are worried about a particular panel, say so when you book and we will talk it through first.
Can you clean the engine bay of a hybrid or electric car?
Yes, with the high-voltage cables protected first and the manufacturer's guidance followed for any marked high-voltage areas. The process is dry and leaves no moisture.
Does the engine need to be cold?
Yes, it must be at ambient temperature. If it is hot, we wait.
Is the cleaning covered by a warranty?
No. Only the Dinitrol anticorrosion treatment is, for two years on labour, with checks at 3, 6 and 11 months.
Sources and references:
- Mohs hardness scale (Friedrich Mohs, 1812)