Why soda blast? It will not harm surfaces. Soda has a low hardness.  The cleaning action is caused by the shape of the particles. Under a microscope, the particles appear angular. When they strike a surface under pressure, the particles explode removing any coatings leaving the substrate undamaged.
Soda is water soluble and leaves no toxic residue. It is FDA approved for cleaning food equipment (yes it is food grade, but not very tasty!).

How is soda blasting different from sand blasting or grinding? Sand blasting and grinding are more aggressive as these processes “clean” by wearing away the surface distorting the metal due to heat and friction. This warps parts and creates pits and crevices for contaminants, which allows corrosion to develop.

Can soda remove rust? Soda is ideal for removing paint, primer, bondo, grease, mold, char from fires and light surface rust (scale).  For medium to heavy rust we use a different material such as recycled glass.  The severity of the corrosion determines what grade of glass to use.  Fine glass leaves a very smooth surface like stainless steel, and courser grades will produce some texture.  Therefore, it is not recommended to use glass on entire projects.  It is more effective to use soda first and glass as needed for heavy deterioration.

How long can blasted parts remain untreated? Treated parts in a protected environment (indoors) with low relative humidity can be stored almost indefinitely for two reasons:

• Soda leaves a film on the surfaces which can be handled without being removed.  This film protects from corrosion until it is removed by cleaning.
• In the automotive industry, dating back to the twenties, body panels were galvanized by dipping them in molten zinc. Soda will not remove this coating since it does not break the surface tension of the metal.

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