Cleaning of electric motor parts is performed in every electrical apparatus service center. This begs the question of whether or not cleaning is being done productively and with minimal safety and environmental consequences.

Flooding in the aftermath of tropical storms, including hurricanes, monsoons and cyclones, and with their associated heavy rainfall can shut down hundreds of plants along the Gulf Coast, from Florida to Texas, as well as in other places around the world. And they are doing so more often. To get them up and running again, maintenance departments and motor repairers face the daunting task of cleaning muck and moisture from many thousands of electric motors and generators. The process involved in such situations can take weeks, if not months, and requires special clean-up procedures for motors contaminated by saltwater.

Dry ice is a relatively new alternative to grit or solvent cleaning of electrical equipment. It is often not feasible to have a motor taken out of service and sent to a shop for cleaning, either due to shear size or difficulty in dismantling the machine. Transportation to and from the service center can also add considerable downtime that can be very costly. Dry ice is a practical alternative. Dry ice cleaning can be done on site with minimal downtime. It is possible to clean the external parts of a motor with dry ice without any interruption of service.