GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - A new cleaning company says its the first of its kind on the Western Slope. Colorado Eco Cleaning, based in Palisade, uses dry ice to strip nearly any surface, according to its owner Kim Parker.

"Turn the machine on and start blasting away," says dry ice blasting technician Don Parker, Kim's husband.

The vacuum-like machine emits an extremely powerful and frigid flow of dry ice, or frozen carbon dioxide.

One of Colorado Eco Cleaning's latest projects was helping to strip the frame of a 1933 Plymouth Coup for antique car restorer Randy Taylor of Grand Junction.

"Paintable surface in one fraction of the time," says Taylor.

The force of the frigid dry ice blast shrinks and loosens the grime away from the surface. The CO2 then explodes into vapor, expanding 800 times its original size, blowing away the contaminates.

"it can do amazing things. It's very versatile," says Kim Parker.

Dry ice blasting can clean off mold, smoke, paint, grit, grime, rust and other contaminants. It's tough enough for steel, yet gentle enough for wood or even old books.

However, perhaps the best perk of dry ice is that it's completely environmentally safe. There are no harsh chemicals or solvents necessary. "We borrow CO2 from the atmosphere. When it sublimates, it sublimates back into CO2," says Don.

Dry ice blasting can also be less expensive than traditional methods, along with being much faster.