Salt is one of many ice-melt options:
Traditionally, we have turned to salt to help keep surfaces from freezing over during winter months. The salt works after it mixes with water by lowering the freezing point of that water – it doesn’t actually do anything to unmelted snow. We have noticed, through the years, some issues with salt. It is hard on pavement, encourages our vehicles to rust, and kills off vegetation. With all of these concerning traits, a few alternatives have come to light:
- Hot water: inexpensive and readily available but make sure you have a plan to remove the hot water AND the snowmelt before the mixture refreezes
- Rubbing alcohol: inexpensive but difficult to apply over a large area and painful in the eyes, consider saving this for frozen car doors
- Epsom salts: more expensive and slower acting than traditional salt but easier on your plants
- Alternative salts:
Calcium chloride: very effective at low temperatures, damaging to metal, concrete, soil, leather,and carpets at high concentrations
Magnesium chloride: used by the road crews before a weather event
Potassium chloride (table salt): used on food but damaging to plants - Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA): a newer, salt-free melting agent, is more expensive, and (supposedly) environmentally friendly, usually marketed toward pet owners
- Sugar or sugar beet juice: will melt ice but is more expensive than traditional salt products
- Urea: a fertilizer with limited deicing properties but your yard will green-up quickly come spring
- Sand, kitty litter, coffee grounds: these products will not melt any ice but they are effective at providing a rougher surface to walk or drive on, just don’t forget to kick your shoes off at the door or you’ll have grit all through your house
Easy ways to make a difference
Okay, so salt is bad for the environment, but what can we do about it? Turns out, a lot! Here are some simple things we can all do to help:
1. Read the package: No matter what you’re planning on putting on the ground, it is always important to read the package before you start. You can make sure the product is going to do what you need done, how much you need to place, and when to avoid applications. Get the most for your money and time – read the instructions.
2. Use indoor car washes: It is important to get road salt off of your car if you want to prevent rust and corrosion. However, it can be tricky to find a day that is warm enough to wash your car and by then, the road salt is stuck like glue. Take a soft sponge with you to the car wash and use a little elbow grease. You’ll have less rust and the floor drain will take the salty water to the treatment plant instead of the waterways.
3. Pick up poo: Fido knows it is cold out but that doesn’t mean we can just leave the doo and walk away. Those leavings are full of bacteria and viruses that can make people sick (pathogens); the melting snow carries those baddies to local waterways. No matter the weather outside, do your doody.
4. Keep an eye on drains: Snow covers up many valuable items: mail boxes, sidewalks, fire hydrants, and storm drains. While you’re out shoveling, take a few moments to make sure any melting water has somewhere to flow. Frozen or buried drains cause water to stick around and re-freeze which leads to hazardous road conditions and can contribute to localized flooding.
