In short: Soda blasting is blast cleaning with baking soda, a gentler form of sandblasting. It works for quickly stripping coatings from larger, plain surfaces, when the area can be thoroughly cleaned up and the soda residue washed off afterwards. Laser cleaning works without abrasive or water, removes only the dirt and leaves the substrate intact, which is why it is better for historic monuments, details, porous brick and indoor work. The safest way to decide is after a test on a small area.
How does soda blasting differ from laser cleaning?
Soda blasting removes dirt by the impact of soda particles carried by compressed air, while the laser vaporises the dirt with light, without touching the surface. Soda is a soft abrasive: the particles break up on impact, so they abrade less than sand, but they still act mechanically on everything they hit. The laser is set so that the energy is absorbed by the layer of dirt, not by the clean material underneath, so the process stops at the boundary of the original surface.
How does soda blasting work and what is left after the job?
After soda blasting you are left with spent soda mixed with the removed paint and dirt, which has to be collected, and the surface usually has to be washed free of soda residue. The jet spreads dust all around, so the work area has to be screened off. With parts that can be removed and taken to a workshop, this is not a problem. On a facade, indoors or next to a running production line, cleaning up and screening off can be the biggest part of the job.
Does soda damage brick and stone?
Soda does not abrade brick as much as sand, but it is a water-soluble salt, so its residue has to be thoroughly removed from the pores of old brick and sandstone. Salts in the wall are a common cause of white efflorescence on facades and, with moisture, of the material deteriorating from the inside. That is why, with porous old walls, it is worth asking the contractor how they remove soda residue and whether they check the wall before further work, for example before repointing or painting. The laser introduces no substance into the wall, neither salt nor water.
When is soda blasting enough?
Soda blasting makes sense for larger, plain surfaces that need to be uncovered quickly, and for parts that can be dismantled and cleaned in a workshop. This is often the case with car parts, simple steel elements or furniture for restoration, where the work will be followed by washing, sanding and painting anyway. If the detail is not historic and the surface is not very soft, soda blasting is often the cheaper sensible choice. We say this honestly, even though we do not do soda blasting ourselves.
When is laser cleaning the better choice?
The laser works better wherever preserving the original surface matters and no abrasive, water or salt can be left behind after the job. Most often this means:
- historic brick and sandstone: old, soft brick and porous stone, where the scope of work is set by the conservator,
- wood with detail: ceiling beams, profiled joinery, wood carving, where the abrasive jet rounds off edges and wears away the soft growth rings,
- indoor work: churches, tenement buildings, rooms with the furnishings in place, halls with running production,
- metal and machinery: removing rust and paint locally, without dismantling and without abrasive in the mechanisms,
- work without dismantling: parts that cannot be removed or taken away.
We use the laser to remove paint, rust, soot, deposits and graffiti from brick and facades, wood and metal.
When is soda blasting not a good idea?
Soda blasting is not a good choice for historic monuments under a conservator’s supervision, for very soft wood with detail, or for work in places that cannot be screened off and thoroughly washed. Every blasting method, even a gentle one, acts mechanically on the face of the material, and dust and abrasive residue spread to the surroundings.
On historic buildings, the scope and method of cleaning are set by the conservator in charge of the work, and a building listed in the register of historic monuments needs a permit from the regional monument conservator. We carry out laser cleaning according to these decisions. We write more about this in the article laser cleaning of historic monuments.
Is the laser always better than soda blasting?
No. The laser is not the fastest method on large surfaces with a thick coating, for example powder coating on large steel structures, where blasting methods are often faster and cheaper. If the substrate does not need special protection, we will tell you straight. The laser makes sense where the material underneath matters more than the pace of work.
How much does laser cleaning cost compared with soda blasting?
We charge for laser cleaning per hour of the system with an operator: from PLN 250 net (continuous-wave CW laser) and from PLN 380 net (pulsed laser), less for longer projects. A price per square metre cannot be given honestly without seeing the surface, because the same material can take twice as long depending on what has been on it and for how long. That is why we do a test on a sample before quoting and measure the real working time. When comparing offers, also count what you do not see in the price of soda blasting: screening, cleaning up, removing the spent soda and washing after the job. More about costs in the article how much does laser cleaning cost.
Frequently asked questions
Is soda blasting the same as sandblasting?
Not quite. It is the same principle of a pressurised abrasive jet, but instead of sand it uses soft soda, which abrades less. We compare the laser with sandblasting in the article laser cleaning or sandblasting.
Does soda blasting wood damage the grain?
It can, especially with soft wood and profiled details, where the jet wears away the soft parts of the growth rings and rounds off edges. The laser removes paint from wood layer by layer, without abrasion.
Does the surface need washing after laser cleaning?
No. The laser uses no water or abrasive, and we collect the fine dust from the removed coating by extraction. The surface is dry and ready for further work.
Do you do soda blasting?
No. We do laser cleaning. If, after looking at the photos, we decide that soda blasting or another method would be better and cheaper in your case, we will tell you straight.
Where do you do laser cleaning?
Our head office is in Plewiska near Poznań, with a branch near Inowrocław. We work in Poznań, Inowrocław, Bydgoszcz, Toruń and the surrounding area, and for larger jobs we travel across Poland and the European Union.
Wondering whether to soda blast or laser clean?
Send a photo of the surface to biuro@omme.pl or via WhatsApp and we will tell you whether the laser makes sense here. You can also call: +48 570 471 653. We work across Poland, most often in Greater Poland and Kuyavia. Write or call
