If you have a cleaning job that needs a pressure washer but your Karcher just isn’t up to it, you may need to call in a company that specialises in heavy duty pressure cleaning equipment.
There are a number of really tough cleaning jobs that a commercial pressure washer can take on without breaking a sweat. Some of these include: boat hulls, paint stripping, metal cleaning, brickwork and masonry, soot, oak beam restoration and the removal of chewing gum and graffiti.
Apart from water blasting with a pressure washer, there are three other commercial pressure washer cleaning methods and these include:
- Sand Blasting
Using compressed air to propel abrasive agents, this type of cleaning is used for cleaning serious smoke damage or soot, removing paint and cleaning brickwork, stone and metal. Sand blasting is also commonly used to refurbish the inside or outside of homes and offices.
Each type of blasting method has a specific characteristic which will determine its application. Media blasting strips away rust and old paint, while grit and abrasive blasting removes sand and scale in the fettling of castings. It’s often used to prepare surfaces before welding (to remove rust or paint), and afterwards to improve the adhesion of coatings (paint, or galvanising).
There are also plenty of other pressure washer cleaning methods to read about. You should check out the different types of pressure washers in the link previous and make sure you select the correct one that suits your needds.
- Soda Blasting
Soda blasting is a cleaning process in which sodium bicarbonate is applied using compressed air. In the 1980s, soda blasting was used to restore the Statue of Liberty. Soda blasting is a much milder form of abrasive blasting than sand blasting but is just as effective.
Industrial grade sodium bicarbonate – otherwise known as baking soda – is applied to a surface using highly compressed air. Upon contact with the surface, the energy created from the impact of the bicarbonate crystals breaks up the dirt and removes it from the surface without causing any damage.
Soda blasting can remove odours as well as stains. It’s an environmentally friendly cleaning method and is safe to use on stonework, glass and concrete. Because of its versatility, soda blasting can be used for many applications. Its non-abrasive nature means it can be used on most materials and is often used in building refurbishment projects. It’s also the perfect choice for the restoration of machinery and leaves no damage or imperfections on the surfaces being cleaned. It can remove gum and graffiti, masonry, brickwork, oak timbers and beams, and it can even be used to clean the inside surfaces of swimming pools.
- Dry ice blasting
Dry ice blasting is a cleaning method that uses carbon dioxide (dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide). The dry ice is accelerated in a pressurised air stream onto a dirty surface. An alternative media for non-abrasive blasting is water-ice (known as ice blasting).
Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide. It’s kept at a temperature of below -79°C in the form of dry ice pellets. During the cleaning process, these tiny pellets are ejected at very high speeds onto the surface being cleaned. The extremely cold temperature of the pellets causes the dirt to freeze and crack and come away from the surface.
On impact with the surface being cleaned, the dry ice pellets vaporise and turn back into CO2, thereby leaving no trace or any remnants on the surface. The benefits of using dry ice blasting include
- Dry ice pellets can reach the smallest surfaces
- Minimal preparation is required
- The cleaning method is completely non-abrasive
- No drying time is needed after cleaning
- Can be used with electrical and mechanical parts
- Contains no contaminants and is therefore environmentally friendly
The fact that dry ice cleaning leaves no residue behind means it can be used on food production lines, factory machinery, injection moulds, and even dirty or marked walls. Dry ice blasting is powerful enough to remove the most difficult burnt-in dirt deposits safely and easily. It can also remove different types of glues, paint, dust and other residues from heavy machinery, even in the most difficult places.
