Dry Ice Cleaning in Southeastern MA

[eforty6_m3]

Hello fellow BMW enthusiasts,

Some of you may recognize my username, as I've been a forum member for many years. The reason for this thread is that I'm looking to potentially start a dry ice cleaning business (for automobiles), in hopes of pursuing my passion and leaving behind a dead-end desk job.

As this is a relatively new process in the automotive space (been around in commercial/industrial cleaning for decades), I'm not sure what the level of familiarity is with this process, but, honestly, it's amazing. If you are curious about learning about it, check out the Youtube pages for Scott Ales (the Dryce man) and R20 motorsports...bunch of great footage highlighting what this can do for vehicles.

And so I'm reaching out to potentially start building relationships and gauging interest from potential clients. I've been in IT for just about 15 years and as I near age 40 (turned 38 in March), I decided it was time for me to make a change in my life. I've got 2 young boys at home (5 and 3) and a wife who fully supports me, so back in April I started off on this venture and am hoping to see it to fruition, where I am (hopefully) able to soon open my own dry ice cleaning business in southeastern MA. Got a few more steps in the process before that happens, but I'd like to see what the interest level is from you guys (and perhaps any other friends/connections you have that you could share with me).

While I don't have a website yet (still trying to come up with a business name), check out the drycenation site in the meantime! I can answer (or at the very least, try to) any question(s) that may come up in terms of the process and what is involved.

It's certainly not a cheap one, nor is this for everybody, I am fully aware of that. And there are naysayers, which I get. But I've trained in this process and done it firsthand and it's simply incredible. I believe there is a market for this service and am hoping that this business takes off and becomes full-time, so I can leave my current IT job, where I've been fairly unhappy for a few years now.

So, in summary, I'm simply trying to network and hopefully build up some interest in my potential business so I don't lose my wife and/or house if it goes belly up! haha (but seriously!).

Here are some examples of before/after shots from some other colleagues:











Reach out and PM me if you've got any interest, questions, leads, etc. Thank you very much for your time! And if you aren't interested, feel free to ignore and continue living your life. That's totally fine, too!

-Shaun

[Davey27]

Best of luck! Kudos to you for deciding to make the change rather than stick with something you don't like, and after 15 years I'm sure that's not an easy thing to take that leap.

Though I have no immediate need for this, how much is current market rate for a sedan such as what we own? Is it tiered pricing based on scope of work or is it basically just the undercarriage and/or engine bay? Also curious given we live in New England, is this something that is meant to protect against or turn back the clock on rust issues?

I've seen videos in the past, certainly looks like a painstaking process and quite dirty, so I imagine it can't be cheap.

Dave

[eforty6_m3]

Originally Posted by Davey27

Best of luck! Kudos to you for deciding to make the change rather than stick with something you don't like, and after 15 years I'm sure that's not an easy thing to take that leap.

Though I have no immediate need for this, how much is current market rate for a sedan such as what we own? Is it tiered pricing based on scope of work or is it basically just the undercarriage and/or engine bay? Also curious given we live in New England, is this something that is meant to protect against or turn back the clock on rust issues?

I've seen videos in the past, certainly looks like a painstaking process and quite dirty, so I imagine it can't be cheap.

Dave

Thanks for the kind words, man! Been a stressful few months, but I'm really hoping all the hard work I've been putting into this pays off.

And you pretty much nailed it...there's no "set" price. Most guys in the country are charging anywhere from $250-300/hr, but in terms of the scope of the job, it really varies based on the condition of the vehicle in question. Obviously, something newer would theoretically be easier/quicker to clean. But was the car located near the ocean, driven in salt/snow, have any fluid leaks, etc etc. Lot of factors play into it.

Can definitely help with surface rust. Also, can literally take the salt off paint without marring it, so a good "waterless" option for our winters. And I'll be treating these newly cleaned, bare metals to prevent future corrosion. Win:win!

Again, thanks for reaching out and definitely spread the word if you know anyone else who might be interested. I plan on having an open house once my shop is up and running so people can see, firsthand, how truly remarkable dry ice cleaning is! Cheers!

[jp1984]

Good luck, friend!

The results are beautiful, I wish I could afford it, however, if I ever hear someone asking for a shop, I will forward their service your way!

[eforty6_m3]

Originally Posted by jp1984

Good luck, friend!

The results are beautiful, I wish I could afford it, however, if I ever hear someone asking for a shop, I will forward their service your way!

Thank you for the kind words and that's all I can ask for! Much appreciated!

[CTMike]

Very cool (heh)… the results are incredible! Best of luck to you. If you are looking for a potential fallback in IT, shoot me a PM.

[eforty6_m3]

Originally Posted by CTMike

Very cool (heh)… the results are incredible! Best of luck to you. If you are looking for a potential fallback in IT, shoot me a PM.

Thank you, sir!

Also, PM'd you.

[WoodwardMotorsport]

I'm looking forward to you opening Shaun and you know you have our full support @ Woodward Motorsport. we will be sending some projects your way.

[eforty6_m3]

Originally Posted by WoodwardMotorsport

I'm looking forward to you opening Shaun and you know you have our full support @ Woodward Motorsport. we will be sending some projects your way.

Thank you, brother, that means a lot! And I'll absolutely be referring people your way, as well.

[eforty6_m3]

An update for anyone interested/following along:

After months of waiting, we are finally in our building! Still lots of work ahead, but this was a huge step for @enticedgarage and I’m still hoping to open up shop sometime in Q1. Stay tuned for more updates!
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#dryice #dryicecleaning #dryiceblasting #autodetailing #detailing #detailersofinstagram #dryce #drycenation #entICEDgarage @enticedgarage https://www.facebook.com/entICEDgarage/

[CTMike]

Very exciting update!

[DrFerry]

eforty6_m3 One observation I've made when watching the various Dry Ice cleaning videos - such as from Ammo NYC etc. - is the vaporized dirt becomes a very fine dust that seems to get everywhere inside Dry Ice cleaning facilities. Have you thought about installing high volume air extractor fans and filtration systems as well as plastic screen drapes around the lifts to mitigate these issues? Ultimately, and since this is a new shop, fresh air extractor filtration vacuum type systems may go along way to mitigating any long term health issues from doing such work as well as make for a much cleaner shop environment not to mention a cleaner place for customers to visit.

Other questions I've had are about market size and customer profiles: 1) Do you expect retail car enthusiasts to make up the lion's share of your customers? 2) Or do you expect antique car restoration companies, and used car Dealers (commercial) to be the lion's share of your business?

I wish you well in this endeavor. In truth I've had a similar thought about starting such as business. See the threads on M3Post about Dry Ice Cleaning. Kudos to you for getting out of the rat race. Your health will thank you for doing that IMO. Spend time with your boys. They grow up quickly and then they are gone. Bringing up my own twin boys was the greatest privilege, gift from God and work I could have ever of had or done.

Edit: In order to keep this thread alive consider posting some videos of the shop interior, equipment, lifts etc. and update with videos of customer work.. Just a suggestion and my two cents.
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1854637

[eforty6_m3]

Originally Posted by DrFerry

eforty6_m3 One observation I've made when watching the various Dry Ice cleaning videos - such as from Ammo NYC etc. - is the vaporized dirt becomes a very fine dust that seems to get everywhere inside Dry Ice cleaning facilities. Have you thought about installing high volume air extractor fans and filtration systems as well as plastic screen drapes around the lifts to mitigate these issues? Ultimately, and since this is a new shop, fresh air extractor filtration vacuum type systems may go along way to mitigating any long term health issues from doing such work as well as make for a much cleaner shop environment not to mention a cleaner place for customers to visit.

Other questions I've had are about market size and customer profiles: 1) Do you expect retail car enthusiasts to make up the lion's share of your customers? 2) Or do you expect antique car restoration companies, and used car Dealers (commercial) to be the lion's share of your business?

I wish you well in this endeavor. In truth I've had a similar thought about starting such as business. See the threads on M3Post about Dry Ice Cleaning. Kudos to you for getting out of the rat race. Your health will thank you for doing that IMO. Spend time with your boys. They grow up quickly and then they are gone. Bringing up my own twin boys was the greatest privilege, gift from God and work I could have ever of had or done.

Edit: In order to keep this thread alive consider posting some videos of the shop interior, equipment, lifts etc. and update with videos of customer work.. Just a suggestion and my two cents.
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1854637

Thank you for the kind words!!!

As for dry ice, I will say, if you wish to be misinformed, Larry is your guy! I was a big Ammo NYC guy before Larry started spreading false information about dry ice cleaning based on his experience with the wrong operator and the wrong equipment. Clearly he sees this process as a potential hindrance to his brand and his methods, so why not attack it, I suppose?! It's sad, really.

Long-term, yes, I envision having some sort of "booth" in place that extracts the air out of the space, similar to this one: https://redirect.viglink.com/?format..._web_copy_link

I talked about this very thing in my garage journal thread. In the short-term, my goal is to utilize some sort of containment in place, probably along the lines of this (similar to what you alluded to):

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/...4-jpg.1597466/

I'll typically be wearing a full-face respirator when doing work, so I'll be taking the proper precautions. I appreciate the questions and feedback you provide, as this is how good conversation occurs and helpful information can be provided!

In terms of clientele, I'm hoping it's a mix of enthusiasts/car collectors/high-end restoration shops/etc. I'll also be more than happy to clean any disassembled parts that individuals may want to bring in. It's not a process for everyone, especially when you factor in the cost. But seeing truly is believing here and I'm hoping that word of mouth really helps drive clients to my shop.

And lastly, thank you for providing the link to that other thread. I'll definitely follow and contribute to that one! Cheers and thanks again for the support and kind words!

[DrFerry]

Originally Posted by eforty6_m3

I talked about this very thing in my garage journal thread. In the short-term, my goal is to utilize some sort of containment in place, probably along the lines of this (similar to what you alluded to):

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/...4-jpg.1597466/

I'd love to read more at your garage journal thread but the link gives an error.
.

[eforty6_m3]

Originally Posted by DrFerry

I'd love to read more at your garage journal thread but the link gives an error.
.

Try this:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/...6/post-9426474

[DrFerry]

Originally Posted by eforty6_m3

Try this:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/...6/post-9426474

That link worked. Now I see the booth idea. Nice thread. Bookmarked it. The training photos with Scot Ales are interesting. I've never heard of Scot Ales. I wonder if he has a favorite IPA? Haha.. Just an FYI, but have you heard of these guys?

https://cryodetail.com/

They're located in Coral Springs, FL near Pompano Beach and seem to be a first class example of what the business can be - or become with the right clientele and business connections. Auction houses, collectors as well as restoration projects seem to be a big part of Cryodetail's business. Some of their videos as well as their before and after example photos are amazing.

[eforty6_m3]

Originally Posted by DrFerry

That link worked. Now I see the booth idea. Nice thread. Bookmarked it. The training photos with Scot Ales are interesting. I've never heard of Scot Ales. I wonder if he has a favorite IPA? Just and FYI but have you heard of these guys?

https://cryodetail.com/

They're located in Coral Springs, FL near Pompano Beach and seem to be a first class example of what the business can be - or become with the right clientele and business connections. Auction houses, collectors as well as restoration projects seem to be a big part of Cryodetail's business. Some of their videos as well as their before and after example photos are amazing.

Scott Ales is actually the individual in the video from your post (#27) in this thread: https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1854637

He's the Dryceman: https://instagram.com/thedryceman

And this is his site: https://www.drycenation.com/

I don't think I've heard of them, specifically, but there is a similarly named company on the West Coast (Cryo Werks, I believe).

I would love to align myself with sellers on Bring A Trailer for cleaning and even presenting/photographing cars for sale.

[eforty6_m3]

Lift is in and electrical is done (pending inspection). Getting closer, day by day!

[DrFerry]

Originally Posted by eforty6_m3

Lift is in and electrical is done (pending inspection). Getting closer, day by day!

Looks like a really clean install. It's coming along nicely. Well done and thanks for the updates. Hopefully the inspection will go well. Would love to see some pics of the air handling and dirt filtration system(s) when you get around to installing those.

Seems many of the existing, older, Dry Ice cleaning business are faced with cleaning up piles of debris, dirt and dust after job completion - as they forgot the dirt becomes atomized and the CO2 simply evaporates leaving the dirt behind to "fall-out" of the atmosphere. Great job taking such a big leap of faith to start your own business and for leaving the corporate rat race... And that's exactly what it is.. Well done. Kudos.

[eforty6_m3]

Originally Posted by DrFerry

Looks like a really clean install. It's coming along nicely. Well done and thanks for the updates. Hopefully the inspection will go well. Would love to see some pics of the air handling and dirt filtration system(s) when you get around to installing those.

Seems many of the existing, older, Dry Ice cleaning business are faced with cleaning up piles of debris, dirt and dust after job completion - as they forgot the dirt becomes atomized and the CO2 simply evaporates leaving the dirt behind to "fall-out" of the atmosphere. Great job taking such a big leap of faith to start your own business and for leaving the corporate rat race... And that's exactly what it is.. Well done. Kudos.

Yessir! That'll all come in due time, for sure. I've got big plans!

I've said it before and I'll say it again...THANK YOU for the extremely kind words and the encouragement. This is a very exciting and scary step for myself (and my wife, too), but I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't believe in it or in myself. It's time for a change and I'm making it happen.

[DrFerry]

I'm not sure if you saw this from 23-Jan-'22. His latest vid just blew me away. Best watched at 1.25X. Once completed, the NSX looks almost brand new after the decades of crud were removed by the dry ice blasting. Over 1.7 Million views in less than a month on YT. Heck at that rate of click through one could make $$ just off of YT.. His set-up seems simple enough, but the smaller wand and pressure jet seem to make easy work of the NSX suspension. Odd that no respirators are being worn though.... Truly amazing tech..

DRY ICE CLEANING the MOST ICONIC Honda? The Honda NSX

[eforty6_m3]

Originally Posted by DrFerry

I'm not sure if you saw this from 23-Jan-'22. His latest vid just blew me away. Best watched at 1.25X. Once completed, the NSX looks almost brand new after the decades of crud were removed by the dry ice blasting. Over 1.7 Million views in less than a month on YT. Heck at that rate of click through one could make $$ just off of YT.. His set-up seems simple enough, but the smaller wand and pressure jet seem to make easy work of the NSX suspension. Odd that no respirators are being worn though.... Truly amazing tech..

DRY ICE CLEANING the MOST ICONIC Honda? The Honda NSX

Yes, Jakub from IAMDetailing is pretty much the best of the best in terms of dry ice cleaners...I aspire to be 1/2 as good as he is!!! Who am I kidding...I want to be as good, or better.