Hold Tight Solutions by Chesapeake Soda Clean

Now that you soda blasted your project, what is the next step?

Clearing the air of myths and misinformation.

I get this question almost daily and, in the beginning, I did not have the correct answers. In the past, I was told many things; from "just don't worry about it" to, "just plain water" or "vinegar and water" (nobody knew the correct ratio) and even alcohol and water. Lately, I'm hearing products like dish soap or Simple Green cleaner and I know that method can leave a residue. I now know that there isn't a single stock answer to this question as there are many different kinds of substrates that we encounter with soda (and sand) blasting and each one has its own treatment.

The main question to ask - is a coating going to be re-applied? If so, some sort of cleaning of the surface needs to be done. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) has a higher than neutral pH and contains some degree of salt (chlorides). You must have a clean, oil free and pH neutral surface to ensure that you won't have a coatings failure after any type of media blasting. Coating failures after soda blasting can usually be traced back to no pre-paint preparation, poor preparation or incorrect preparation. Baking soda is a wonderful media that allows you to do things that no other media will accomplish, but you need to educate yourself about the media and follow a few simple steps after blasting.

Consulting with coatings manufacturers before application can reveal a wealth of valuable information and help insure a positive outcome to your project.

Here is a sampling of substrates and what we have found that works after soda blasting:
  • Metals - Hold Tight® 102 or Chlor*rid Hold*Blast are the best all around products that we have found.
  • Fiberglass - HoldTight® 102 or Chlor*rid Hold*Blast for use on boat bottoms and vehicles. Fiberglass Surface Prep #YMA601 by Interlux may also be used.
  • Wood - Sun Brite Wood Brightener - a citrus based wood bleach. Can be also used to brighten wood and remove rust stains.
  • Concrete - HoldTight® 102, Chlor*rid Hold*Blast or Sun Brite Wood Brightener.
  • Brick, block & mortar - Sun Brite Wood Brightener.

    Links to the products mentioned can be found on our Links page. Additional products that can be identified may be used. Please check with the product manufacturer regarding the proper use and application of other products.

Chesapeake Soda Clean, Inc. is a dealer for HoldTight Solutions in the mid-Atlantic region. We stock 1 gallon and 4 -1 gallon master packs and are UPS shippable. In addition, we can drop ship 55 gallon drums to your business or job site. Car guys, HoldTight 102 is the best product we've found to remove soda blast residue, cleanse the surface, and remove contaminates. HoldTight 102 leaves no residue to interfere with new coatings and has a rust inhibitor built in. HoldTight Solutions has been recommended by most major coatings manufacturers.

  1. HoldTight® 102 will eliminate all Salts, Chlorides and Contaminants (which cause flash rusting and coating failures) on metal.
  2. HoldTight® 102 will delay flash rusting for a 48 to 96 hours, allowing ample time to apply primer or coating of your choice.
  3. HoldTight® 102 will increase primer adhesion by up to 70%.

Coating Manufacturers Endorsements

HoldTight 102: PPG, Sherwin-Williams, Valspar, Ameron, Carboline, Hempel International, Sigma, Tnemec, Acro, Dampney, Lord Elastomers, Plasite, Polibrid.

Chlor*rid Hold*Blast: Permite, Tnemec, Plastite, Wasser, Corroseal, Bridgecoat, XymaX Coatings, U.S. Coast Guard. See their web site for testimonials.

What is HoldTight 102?

HoldTight® 102 is NOT a coating - it is NOT "applied"

One of the most common misconceptions about HoldTight® 102 salt remover / flash rust inhibitor is that it can be "sprayed on" or otherwise applied like a coating. NOT SO! Sure, it is physically possible to do so, but its effect on the surface if used that way will be of little value. And if it is "put on" this way at full strength (i.e., without at least a 50 to 1 dilution -- potable water to 102) it will not evaporate and will become a residue that will be a problem for some coatings.

The key to using 102 effectively is to dilute it properly AND to pressure wash the surface with the water + 102 fluid -- we say "treated water" -- the more pressure the better but the water volume need not be greater than 1 gallon per minute -- a common flow rate for pressure washers. Higher pressure improves performance, higher volume doesn't help add much. Most off-the-shelf (at Home Depot or Lowe’s, for example) can easily generate 1500 psi of pressure with a flow rate of 1 gallon per minute. Industrial washers can go much higher 5,000 psi or above and they are more efficient.

Why is pressure and flow important? Simply because 102 is a washing agent, a surfactant like soap, but UNLIKE soap, it leaves no residue if allowed to evaporate with the water that contains it. Forcing the water with the 102 into the profile or pores of the surface results in more thorough cleaning. When the surface is dry, the 102 is gone. There is nothing to remove. You are ready to apply your primer or coating or you can wait several days without seeing flash rust.

HoldTight®102 is like soap – but it is not soap:

It cleans, but you don’t have to rinse it off

102 is NOT applied any more that you would “apply soap” to wash dishes. Like a detergent it adds to the natural cleaning power of water. It doesn't convert or chemically alter contaminants that cause flash rust, thought it does cut grease. When used at the recommended pressures in a stream of water it removes contaminants, both those that were on the surface before the blast (abrasive or ultra-high pressure) and those that were created or freed-up by the blast.The best analogy is soap. Suds (foam) are fun but they don't clean -- scrubbing with soap and water cleans -- soap in a dishwasher with proper water flow, agitation, etc., cleans even better. Dip a dirty dish in soapy water and some grease and food residue will be removed; scrub a dirty dish with a sponge or brush with soap and water and you will remove more; use a dishwasher -- with detergent -- and you will generally remove it all. Using 102 and water in a pressure washer is similar to using a dishwasher to clean. And here’s the bonus: clean surfaces simply don't rust as fast. 102 prevents flash rust not by forming a film to separate the surface from air and humidity, but by leaving an exceptionally clean surface. Contaminants of any kind – visible or invisible – literally suck moisture out of the air, like sponges. To be a bit crude, but clear, about it, 102 removes those suckers. Because 102 evaporates with the water in which it has been dissolved, it does not leave a residue as do some salt removers and virtually all conventional “inhibitors.” It does not solve one problem by creating another.

Why Specify HoldTight® 102

It KILLS Chlorides and STOPS Flash Rust in One Pass. It Leaves No Residue. It's Good to Coatings.

  • a cost-effective alternative to single purpose, multi-step salt removal products
  • a coating-friendly and effective alternative to old fashioned nitrate, phosphate, film-forming, and solvent-based flash rust inhibitors
  • reams (or megabytes) of data and more than a decade of field experience to back it up

When Chlorides (or other contaminants) are a problem, HoldTight® 102 is a cost effective and reliable solution. If flash rust is an issue, HoldTight® 102 is THE answer. Cost Conscious? Check out our dilution ratios and consult us for estimating assistance. Using UHP? HoldTight®102 will end the "good rust" vs "bad rust" dilemma and, used properly, will work with any equipment. If Coating Compatibility is a concern: ask Ameron, Carboline, Dampney, Hempel, Keeler & Long, PPG, Sherwin-Williams, Sigma, Tnemec, Wasser or most any other coating supplier and compare to other products: no nitrates, no phosphates, no solvents, no film, no residue, non-acidic, neutral pH when applied.

HoldTight 102 Application
When a client is going to be applying HoldTight 102 after we are done with soda blasting, we make sure they have a copy of the proper application instructions.

Cleaning and Salt* Removal with Hand / Power Tools and Hand Washing.

HoldTight Retail Price List

HOLD*BLAST™

Surface Passivator & Soluble Salt Remover By Chlor*Rid International

Chlor*rid Hold*Blast is a surface passivator which stops the formation of flash rust for long periods of time, often several days.

Surface corrosion can occur when water wet surfaces react with atmospheric oxygen. The formation of flash rust can be eliminated with the use of HOLD*BLAST, which chemically changes the active surface of metal to a much less reactive state.

HOLD*BLAST is a concentrated, organic chemistry liquid, which is added to water and sprayed onto surfaces during preparation for coating. As a surface passivator, it chemically changes the active surface of metal to a much less reactive state. It does not leave a film or residue to interfere with coating adhesion.

HOLD*BLAST also removes soluble salts as it passivates, and is an effective alternative to hazardous chemical rust inhibitors..

HOLD*BLAST is a cost effective, environmentally safe and coating friendly product. It leaves no chemical residue, is biodegradable, non-hazardous, and is a safe.

Application.  Apply HOLD*BLAST in a dilution of 1:50 with potable water directly onto the substrate (1 part HOLD*BLAST to 50 parts water). Sufficient product must be applied uniformly across the substrate to thoroughly wash the surface, with no areas missed. This may be accomplished by various methods, such as pressure washer, airless sprayer, conventional sprayer, roller, brush, pump up sprayer, after UHP water jetting or during wet abrasive blasting. Wet abrasive blasting or slurry blasting typically allow much higher dilution rates, often up to 1:250. It is highly recommended that a minimum of a 1500 psi pressure washer be used. This is to ensure "driving" the solution into the profile of the surface.

Start work at the highest point and progress downwards. After the substrate has been thoroughly washed, it should be allowed to dry, or be dried, prior to coating application. Usually, dilution may be increased with good quality water and/or low salt contamination levels. Poorer quality water can often be used, but will require a higher concentration of HOLD*BLAST. Water quality, salt contamination levels, humidity and temperature are all variables that can affect dilution rates and results. Test on a small area and adjust the dilution rate until the desired results are obtained.

Post-Application.  Excess or puddled water should be swept, wiped or blown from flat surfaces. After application of HOLD*BLAST, surfaces should always be tested to assure any remaining soluble salts are at an acceptable level. High levels of soluble salts will cause premature coating failure and degradation of the substrate. Test for levels of chlorides and nitrates with the standard CHLOR*TEST kit. Test for levels of chlorides, sulfates and nitrates with the CHLOR*TEST "CSN Salts" kit. Both kits offer the highest degree of accuracy and are the easiest to use of any complete field test kit available.

Typical time for "holding the blast" is 72 hours or longer with no rain, dew or condensation on the surface. In highly humid environments, with surfaces contaminated with low salt levels, the 1:50 dilution should be sufficient. In low humidity and low salt levels, the dilution ratio may be extended. 

Safety Precautions.  Keep out of reach of children. Do not mix with other chemicals. See MSDS for full precautions prior to use.

MSDS - HoldTight 102

CSC - HoldTight102 MSDS.pdf