Quick Answer: A chloride remover like HoldTight 102 or Chlor*Rid lifts invisible ocean and road salt off bare steel before paint. On Ontario containers, you pressure wash at 2,500 PSI with the chloride remover diluted in the water, dry 4 to 8 hours, then verify under 7 micrograms per square centimetre with a Bresle test patch. Skip it and the new coating blisters within two or three winters. Brantford-based since 1995, family-operated, 4.9-star verified (140+ Google reviews). 1-3 day delivery Ontario-wide.
In This Guide
- Why does salt hide in container steel?
- What does HoldTight 102 actually do?
- Is road salt worse than ocean salt in Ontario?
- How do you run a Bresle patch test?
- What is the Brantford yard chloride protocol?
- What dilution and pressure should you use?
- How long should a container dry before paint?
- What does chloride removal cost to do yourself?
- What are the most common chloride-removal mistakes?
- When can you skip chloride removal?
- FAQs
Reading Time: 13 minutes
Why does salt hide in container steel?
Salt hides in container steel because chloride ions are microscopic, water-soluble, and they bury themselves in the low points of the corrugations and behind the welds where a visual inspection never catches them. The steel looks dry and clean while it is loaded with invisible salt. That salt is what pulls moisture through fresh paint and blisters a coating from underneath, often within two or three Ontario winters of the repaint.
Every used shipping container in Ontario carries salt. Ocean crossings deposit chloride ions in the corrugation valleys and behind the welds. Once those ions sit in the steel, they pull moisture through any coating that goes over top. The paint can look perfect for six months. Then a bubble appears, then a rust bloom, then a peel, the same corrosion cycle we cover in our guide to keeping a bin sound through Ontario winters.
The frustrating part is that you cannot see chloride. The container looks dry, the metal looks clean, the previous coat looks intact. Salt is invisible until it has already failed the new paint job. That is why the coatings industry developed soluble salt removers and why every serious container repaint in the province starts with one.
Salt remediation is one stage inside our full decontamination and floor-prep sequence, but it is the stage that decides whether the new paint lasts two years or twelve. If you skip it, the rest of the prep work is wasted.
What chloride does to steel under paint
Chloride ions are hygroscopic. They pull water vapour out of the surrounding air, hold it against the steel, and create a micro-electrolyte at the paint-to-steel boundary. The result is osmotic blistering, undercoat corrosion, and adhesion failure long before the topcoat itself wears out. Independent testing by KTA-Tator and others shows that as little as 7 micrograms per square centimetre of soluble chloride is enough to compromise a marine-grade coating system.
What does HoldTight 102 actually do?
HoldTight 102 is the chloride remover most Ontario coating contractors reach for. It is a liquid concentrate added to the pressure-wash water. It bonds with chloride, sulphate, nitrate, and phosphate ions on the surface, lifts them off in the rinse, and then evaporates with the water. It leaves zero residue and prevents flash rust for roughly 48 to 72 hours so you have a working window to lay down primer.
Paul LeBlanc, owner: “I have watched salt eat through good paint for the better part of two decades in this trade. The chemistry is not magic. It just grabs the ions a pressure washer leaves behind and carries them off in the water. The customers who do that one step are the ones who do not call me back about blisters.”
HoldTight 102 is not the only product on the shelf. Chlor*Rid is the other common option, with the same job, a slightly different chemistry, and a comparable cost. Both are approved by major coating manufacturers. Either one will do the work on a container. The table below shows how a dedicated chloride remover stacks up against the two shortcuts people try instead.
| Approach | Removes bonded chloride ions? | Flash-rust inhibition | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain pressure wash (water only) | Partial, roughly 30 to 50 percent | None | Loose dirt and debris only |
| Marine salt rinse (Salt-Away type) | No, not to coating thresholds | None | Boats and recreational gear, not repaint steel |
| Chloride remover (HoldTight 102 or Chlor*Rid) | Yes, down under 7 micrograms per cm² | 48 to 72 hours | Any repaint meant to last a decade |
What these products are not: they are not solvents and they are not degreasers. If your container has oil, road tar, or grease from sitting on a chassis for a decade, you clean that off first with a separate alkaline degreaser. The chloride remover is the final rinse step, the one that gets you from “visually clean” to “actually clean.”
One-gallon goes further than you think
HoldTight 102 dilutes between 50 to 1 and 100 to 1 with water. A single one-gallon container of concentrate treats roughly 50 to 100 gallons of working solution, which is enough rinse water for a full 40ft exterior plus the roof. Most repaint jobs on a 40ft only consume two to three gallons of concentrate total. Buy by the gallon, not the pail, unless you are repainting a fleet.
Is road salt worse than ocean salt in Ontario?
In Ontario, road salt is usually the bigger chloride problem, not ocean salt. Most articles about chloride removal assume coastal exposure. Here, the heavier source is winter road salt. The Ministry of Transportation spreads roughly 600,000 tonnes of sodium chloride on provincial highways every winter. Containers stored outdoors near highways, in industrial yards, or behind anything that gets plowed pick up airborne salt spray for five months of the year.
A container that has lived in Brantford or Hamilton for two Ontario winters carries more soluble chloride on its panels than a container that crossed the Pacific once and went straight into dry storage. The dockside arrival looks salty, but it has often been rinsed by rain on the trip inland. The container that sat in a Mississauga yard through two winters has had salt baked into the corrugations by sun and wet-dry cycling.
This is the part that catches first-time repainters off guard. They assume because the unit looks dry and inland, it is clean. The Bresle patch tells a different story. We have measured 20 to 35 micrograms per square centimetre on Ontario-stored containers that look immaculate.
Christian LeBlanc, second-generation operator: “People bring us bins from a farm in Norfolk or a yard in Etobicoke and want to know why their last paint job blistered in the second winter. We swab the steel with a Bresle patch in front of them. The chloride reads high every single time. It is not the paint that failed, it is what was under the paint.”
How do you run a Bresle patch test?
You run a Bresle patch test by sealing a small latex patch to clean steel, injecting deionised water through it, agitating, and then reading the conductivity of the water you draw back out. The Bresle method is the international standard for measuring soluble salt on steel. It is described in ISO 8502-6 and 8502-9 and adopted by SSPC, NACE, ASTM, the US Navy, and IMO. The procedure sounds laboratory-formal but it takes about ten minutes per swab on a yard floor.
A latex Bresle patch is stuck to a clean section of the container. You inject deionised water through one port, agitate the water against the steel for two minutes, then withdraw the sample through the other port. The water now carries any soluble ions that were on the surface. You measure conductivity with a handheld meter and convert to chloride concentration with the manufacturer’s chart.
Anything under 7 micrograms per square centimetre is generally accepted as safe for marine-grade coating. Some specifications drop that to 3 micrograms for immersion service. For a Brantford container being repainted as a yard storage unit, 7 is the working threshold.
What goes into a Bresle test kit
- Reusable Bresle patches: the cheapest line item, and each patch is good for 10 to 20 swabs.
- Handheld conductivity meter: the single biggest part of the kit (Hanna, Oakton, Apera all make field models).
- Deionised water: a few dollars for a gallon at any hardware store.
- Syringe and patch kit starter: a modest add-on from KTA Gage or DeFelsko.
- Total first-job kit: dominated by the one-time meter purchase, with everything else a minor share of the total.
What is the Brantford yard chloride protocol?
The Brantford yard chloride protocol is the fixed, ten-step sequence we walk through with a contractor when a customer brings a container in for a repaint. It runs from visual inspection to topcoat and it gates the paint on a Bresle reading. The protocol has stayed roughly the same for fifteen years of repaint work, with the chloride remover step added once Bresle testing became affordable for field use.
- Visual inspection. Loose paint, scaling rust, and oil contamination logged.
- Alkaline degrease where needed, rinsed off completely.
- Mechanical abrasion of failed areas. Wire wheel on hinges and seams, orbital sander on flat panels.
- Initial pressure wash with plain water at 2,500 PSI to remove loose debris.
- Second pressure wash with HoldTight 102 in the water, working top to bottom through every corrugation valley.
- Bresle swab on three locations: roof centre, lower side panel, door interior. Average the readings.
- If average is under 7 micrograms per square centimetre, proceed to dry phase. If over, repeat the chloride wash and re-swab.
- Dry under cover for 4 to 8 hours. Verify no flash rust developed.
- Prime within the 48 to 72 hour HoldTight inhibition window.
- Topcoat per manufacturer schedule.
The whole sequence runs three-quarters of a day on a 40ft container with two people working. The chloride wash itself is maybe 40 minutes of that. The Bresle testing adds 30 minutes. The payoff is a coating system that lasts ten to fifteen years instead of two to three.
What dilution and pressure should you use?
For chloride removal, you dilute HoldTight 102 at roughly 1 part concentrate to 100 parts water for the rinse, and you wash at 2,500 to 3,500 PSI in single top-to-bottom passes. The technical data sheet allows a stronger 1 to 50 mix for heavily contaminated surfaces. Mix it in the pressure washer’s chemical injector or in a downstream proportioner. Do not pour concentrate directly onto the steel and try to scrub it in. The chemistry works in dilution, not as a paste.
Pressure matters less than people think. The technical data sheet calls for 2,500 to 3,500 PSI at the nozzle and a water flow of about one gallon per minute. Higher pressure with lower flow is better than the reverse because the high pressure mechanically lifts ions out of the corrugation valleys while the chemistry binds them.
Work in overlapping vertical passes from the top of the container down to the bottom. One pass per section. Going back and forth over the same spot with chloride-saturated runoff actually redeposits salt lower on the panel. Top to bottom, one pass, then move on.
The roof gets the worst of it
On an Ontario container, the roof carries three to five times the chloride concentration of the side panels. Snow melt sits on the roof for weeks while side panels drain quickly. Spend extra time on the roof corrugations and swab the roof centre as one of your three Bresle locations every time. If the roof passes, the rest of the unit usually passes.
How long should a container dry before paint?
A container should dry completely before primer, which means 4 to 8 hours in summer under cover, 12 to 18 hours in cooler spring or fall air, and indoor heated storage in winter. After the chloride rinse, trapped moisture under fresh paint is the second-biggest cause of repaint failure on containers, right behind chloride contamination itself.
In summer, under cover with airflow, a pressure-washed container is paint-ready in 4 to 8 hours. In spring or fall, with cooler air and higher humidity, plan on 12 to 18 hours. In winter, plan on indoor heated storage or do not repaint until the weather opens up. Painting a damp container in March because the customer is impatient is how warranty calls happen.
HoldTight 102 provides flash rust inhibition for 48 to 72 hours depending on temperature, humidity, and how thoroughly you rinsed. That window is your paint deadline. If life intervenes and you miss it, re-rinse with HoldTight before priming. Do not just sand the flash rust off and paint over.
What does chloride removal cost to do yourself?
Chloride removal on a one-time owner-operator repaint comes down to a short, predictable list of materials rather than a single sticker number. The real drivers are how big the unit is, how contaminated the steel was, and whether you already own a pressure washer and a conductivity meter. The table below shows what each item is, how much you consume per repaint, and whether the spend is a one-time tool purchase or a per-job consumable.
| Item | Quantity per 40ft repaint | Spend type |
|---|---|---|
| HoldTight 102 concentrate (1 gallon) | 2 to 3 gallons | Per-job consumable |
| Pressure washer rental (4 hours) | 1 rental | Per-job (or owned) |
| Chemical injector kit (if washer lacks one) | 1 kit | One-time tool |
| Bresle patches (5-pack) | 1 pack | Reusable consumable |
| Deionised water | 2 gallons | Per-job consumable |
| Conductivity meter (one-time) | 1 unit | One-time tool |
| Total materials per repaint | 1 full kit | Mostly consumables, plus a one-time meter |
The chloride removal materials run a small fraction of the cost of the paint system itself, which for a quality two-coat epoxy build on container steel or a direct-to-metal application on a 40ft is by far the larger line item. Spending a little on prep to protect a much bigger paint investment is the most obvious math in container ownership. If you are still choosing the unit, starting with a sound, repaint-ready box from our graded used inventory saves you from prepping over hidden structural problems.
Cost discipline matters because depreciation curves and timing on used bins reward owners who keep coatings tight. A peeled, blistered container sells for hundreds of dollars less than a properly prepped unit of the same age.
What are the most common chloride-removal mistakes?
The most common chloride-removal mistakes are skipping the test, pouring concentrate neat, using hot water in winter, and painting over flash rust. Over a decade of watching customers do their own repaints, the same handful of errors come up. They are listed below in rough order of how often we see them.
- Skipping the test. Most owner-painters assume their container is clean because it looks clean. The Bresle patch is what separates assumption from evidence. A pack of patches and a conductivity meter pays for itself the first time it catches a high reading.
- Concentrate poured neat. HoldTight is a dilution product. Pouring it from the gallon jug onto the steel does not work and wastes expensive concentrate. It must mix into the rinse water.
- Hot water in winter. Hot pressure-washer water plus cold steel equals condensation everywhere and a chloride bloom you cannot rinse out. Use ambient-temperature water year-round.
- Painting over flash rust. Once you see the orange tint return, you are outside the inhibition window. Re-rinse, dry, then paint. Do not sand and overcoat.
- Rinsing inside-out. Some people rinse the inside first, then the outside, and let the inside rinse drip salt back down the exterior. Outside first, top to bottom, then handle the interior separately.
- One Bresle swab. A single test from the side panel can pass while the roof is still loaded. Three swabs, always, in different geometry.
When can you skip chloride removal?
You can skip chloride removal when the steel has not had a chance to accumulate salt: cosmetic door-interior touch-ups, scratch repairs on a nearly new one-trip unit, or a short-life rust-block coat on an as-is bin headed for scrap. Not every repaint needs Bresle-level rigour, and we tell customers when the protocol is overkill.
If you are repainting only the door interiors or the lockbox surrounds for cosmetic reasons, plain pressure wash with a degreaser is enough. The interior steel has rarely seen ocean exposure and Ontario road salt does not get inside a closed container.
If you are touching up scratches on a one-trip container that is less than a year old, plain solvent wipe is sufficient. The factory coating is still intact and the underlying steel has not had time to accumulate ionic contamination.
If you are doing a quick rust-block coating on an as-is container that you intend to scrap in five years, full chloride removal is more rigour than the application warrants. A simple wire-wheel and rust-converter sequence is honest enough.
Where you do not skip it: any repaint that needs to last a decade, any food-grade or pharma-spec conversion, any container intended for export shipping after the repaint, any unit that has spent more than one Ontario winter outdoors. For those, the chloride protocol is non-negotiable.
Family farm storage repaint in Norfolk County
A customer brought us a 1998-build 20ft last fall. The container had sat behind a Norfolk County barn for fourteen years with two prior repaints that had both blistered within three winters. We swabbed three locations and got an average of 28 micrograms per square centimetre, four times the safe threshold. Two HoldTight rinses brought it down to 4. The customer applied a single-coat DTM after that and the unit looked tight when he texted us a photo this April after the worst freeze-thaw cycle in five years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a chloride remover and why does a shipping container need one?
A chloride remover is a liquid chemical, usually HoldTight 102 or Chlor*Rid, that bonds with salt ions on bare steel and lifts them off in the rinse water. Shipping containers accumulate chloride from ocean crossings and Ontario road salt. Even invisible amounts cause blistering and peeling under fresh paint within two to three years.
How much chloride is safe before painting a container?
The widely accepted threshold is 7 micrograms per square centimetre measured by the Bresle method described in ISO 8502-6. Marine and immersion service drops to 3 micrograms. A Brantford yard repaint that needs to last 10 to 15 years should land under 7 with consistent readings across roof, side, and door.
How do I test for chloride on my container at home?
Buy a reusable Bresle patch kit, a small bottle of deionised water, and a handheld conductivity meter, with the meter being the only meaningful one-time cost. Apply the latex patch, inject water through one port, agitate for two minutes, withdraw the sample, and read conductivity. Convert to chloride with the manufacturer’s chart. Three swab locations gives a reliable average.
Can I just pressure wash instead of using a chloride remover?
Plain pressure washing removes dirt, loose paint, and surface contamination but leaves bonded salt ions on the steel. KTA-Tator and SSPC testing both show pressure water alone reduces chloride by maybe 30 to 50 percent. A chemical chloride remover combined with pressure water gets it under the safe threshold consistently.
How long after chloride removal do I have to paint?
HoldTight 102 inhibits flash rust for 48 to 72 hours depending on temperature and humidity. That is the working window for primer application. If you miss it, re-rinse with HoldTight before priming. Do not sand off any developing flash rust and paint over it because the chloride binding is lost once rust returns.
Does an Ontario container really have more salt than an ocean container?
Often, yes. Two Ontario winters of road salt and freeze-thaw cycling deposit more soluble chloride on outside-stored steel than a single ocean crossing followed by inland rail transport. We have measured Mississauga and Hamilton-stored bins at 25 to 35 micrograms per square centimetre. Dockside arrivals usually test between 8 and 18.
What is the difference between HoldTight 102 and Chlor*Rid?
Both are commercial soluble salt removers approved by major coating manufacturers. HoldTight 102 is concentrated and adds flash rust inhibition for 48 to 72 hours. Chlor*Rid has a slightly different ion-binding chemistry and a similar inhibition window. Pricing is comparable. Most Ontario coating contractors pick one and stay with it for consistency.
Can I use Salt-Away from a marine store instead?
Salt-Away is biodegradable and works on boats, outboard motors, and recreational equipment. It is not formulated to bind chloride ions at coating-system thresholds. For container pre-paint where the goal is under 7 micrograms per square centimetre, use a coating-industry product like HoldTight 102 or Chlor*Rid that has SSPC and major coating manufacturer approvals.
Does Van Blanc do chloride removal as a service?
We do not run a coating shop, but we can refer customers to two Ontario contractors who do full-service pre-paint protocols including Bresle testing and HoldTight rinses. Most customers buying repaint-grade containers from us handle the prep themselves with their painter. The Brantford yard sells units already inspected for repaint suitability.
What if I am only painting the doors or a small repair?
For door interiors, small touch-ups on a one-trip container, or quick rust-block coatings on as-is units, full chloride protocol is overkill. Plain pressure wash with a degreaser is enough. Reserve the Bresle and HoldTight protocol for full exterior repaints, food-grade conversions, and any coating system you need to last more than five years.
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Sources
- HoldTight Solutions. (2024). HoldTight 102 Product Data Sheet. holdtight.com
- International Organization for Standardization. (2020). ISO 8502-6:2020 Preparation of steel substrates before application of paints and related products, Bresle method. iso.org
- KTA-Tator Inc. (2023). Surface Soluble Salt Testing: The Latest in Extraction and Analysis Procedures. kta.com
- SSPC. (2014). SSPC Guide 24, Soluble Salt Testing Frequency and Locations on New Steel Surfaces. Association for Materials Protection and Performance. ampp.org
- Ministry of Transportation Ontario. (2024). Winter highway maintenance: salt and de-icing. ontario.ca
- DeFelsko. (2024). Measuring Soluble Salts in Accordance with ISO 8502-6 and ISO 8502-9: the Bresle Method. defelsko.com
Reach Van Blanc in Brantford
We have been supplying shipping containers across Ontario since 1995. Our warehouse is at 90 Morton Avenue E in Brantford, and we deliver right across the province on 1-3 day lead times from our 4 Brantford yards. Every quote comes with a real lead time, not a hopeful one.
Van Blanc Ent. Inc. 90 Morton Ave E Unit 1B, Brantford, ON N3R 7J7 +1 888-509-6658
If you are planning a repaint and want to start with steel that is already inspected for grade, drive to our yard and walk a few candidates with Christian or Paul before you commit. Worth the drive for unbeatable quality, family customer service with 30 years of experience.