Coldsweep

This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.

Solid carbon dioxide—commonly known as dry ice—is a key ingredient in homemade root beer and creates fog for special effects. But did you know that it is also an environmentally friendly cleaning tool?

I was impressed to learn about the many cleaning applications for dry ice when I chatted with Randell Heath of Coldsweep. Randell founded Mountain Green-based Coldsweep in 2001 to provide specialized cleaning services for industrial and restoration applications.

Randell says that dry ice blasting is an Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration and USDA approved cleaning method that uses dry ice made from recycled CO2 to clean everything from coal-fired boilers to smoke-damaged books. This environmentally friendly process provides the ability to clean all types of equipment in place, eliminating the need for disassembly and transport. Because the dry ice disappears on contact, no secondary waste is created, making this process ideal for industries that need to minimize downtime.

Last year Coldsweep added dust-free abrasive cleaning to its services. This technology creates 95 percent less dust than sandblasting and is half as abrasive, thus providing a cleaning action that is more delicate than traditional sandblasting. Coldsweep has used the process to remove paint and graffiti from historic locations like Trolley Square, the American Can building, Tracy Aviary and the Union Pacific Station at the Gateway. Coldsweep recently used the technique to remove failing coatings inside a pipeline that runs from Pineview Dam to the mouth of Ogden Canyon.

While industrial cleaning is the backbone of Coldsweep, Randell especially enjoys working with museums to clean things like dinosaur bones and clipper ships. Every job is an adventure, Randell says, since he rarely does the same thing twice.

For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.