Rock Salt

Salt shouldn’t be your long-term solution for melting ice because it can damage your lawn, erode your concrete, and cause animals to get sick! But in a pinch, it will do!

Calcium Chloride

Calcium Chloride granules or powder is another form of salt that is great for deicing and is good for temperatures down to -20°F. Let’s hope we don’t need that, here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area! While a little safer than rock salt for plants and animals, it can still harm them in large quantities. You may have some on hand for other uses, and it’s readily available, but you’re probably less likely to have it on hand than you are table salt!

Pet and Environmentally Friendly Alternative Chemicals

If you’re worried about environmental impacts from deicers, there are plenty of eco-friendly deicers on the market. Many claim to be pet-safe, less damaging to lawn and waterways, and less damaging to your concrete, if slightly less effective than traditional deicers. Many are available on Amazon.

Sand

A readily available option that many have right in their backyard is sand! It doesn’t melt ice, but it can add traction to slippery areas. If you’re looking to get a purchase for your tires on a slightly inclined driveway or help keep your sidewalk just a little safer, sand is a great option that won’t degrade your concrete or hurt your lawn. The biggest downside is the mucky mess it makes when the ice finally melts, but that’s a mop problem, which is certainly better than an injury problem! Sand can help on stairs, but melting the ice is the safer solution!

Heated Mats

Heated mats are an expensive solution, most likely added to a new build, and more widely used. If you’re building a new home or commercial property, this might not be a bad option to consider!

Anti-icers

Anti-icing solution is a chemical spray that is applied to your sidewalks and driveways before wintery mixes and snowstorms happen. Most come as a liquid in a jug and use a sprayer similar to a fertilizer or pesticide sprayer. Many claim to be eco and bio-friendly and non-toxic, though, like any chemical you apply outside, you’ll want to use it as sparingly as possible. Anti-icers are easy to find (though they may be more readily available in colder climates) and are a great choice for retail and multifamily properties, where slip and fall suits might be a concern.

Shoveling

Good, old fashioned shoveling might do what you need if your ice isn’t too thick, and you don’t have too large a surface to shovel. You’ll want to use a flat, wide shovel if you have one available.