When conditions are projected to get slippery, take it with a grain of salt—or don’t
When winter arrives, cozying up in front of the fire, building snowmen in the backyard, and sledding down the slopes sound superb. But frigid forecasts also bring their fair share of hassles—like learning how to melt ice on your driveway.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to oust ice. Rock salt, ice melts, mat melts, and DIY solutions are common options. But which one is the best? We’ll talk you through the options for how to melt ice on a driveway with salt and without salt so you don’t lose your footing.
Rock salt is an economical, easy-to-get-ahold of, fast-working ice remover. Salt melts ice by lowering the melting point of water. Follow the steps below to have a frost-free driveway in no time using salt.
If there’s been an overnight dump of snow, you’ll need to shift that material first to get to the ice underneath. If you don’t have a fast-clearing snow plow, use a shovel and try to get rid of as much snow as possible so the salt can work effectively and quickly.
Do you already have a rotary spreader for laying fertilizer on your lawn? This device is perfect for swift and even distribution of salt. No rotary spreader on hand? No problem. Simply scatter using a cup, being careful not to let big piles of salt gather in one place.
Don’t go overboard—a thin layer of salt is all you’ll need. Corrosive concrete damage is more likely with a thick blanket of salt. Around four pounds per 1,000 square feet is more than enough.
Thin ice will start melting before your eyes, but a thick layer needs time for the salt to penetrate it before it becomes watery slush. Head inside for a cup of hot cocoa before returning after around 30 minutes.
If you’re not feeling patient, you can speed up the salt de-icing process by pouring hot or warm water over the icy area to help thaw it. After it's melted a bit, you should toss on the rock salt. The result? A nice brine that will help move along the ice-melting process.
When doing this, you should tread carefully—literally. Make sure the water is not cold, or you could risk creating more ice if temperatures are extremely low. But avoid pouring boiling-hot water, as well, because you risk burning yourself. Be sure to spread the salt as soon as possible after you douse the ice with the heated water.
Once the ice is suitably slushy, you’re good to go. But, if you have the time, removing the slush helps to prevent it from refreezing. A hard-bristle brush or floor squeegee is ideal for sloshing away the slush, or you can use your snow shovel or other snow removal equipment, taking care not to drag it over the concrete roughly.
Not sure about using salt products on your driveway or walkway? Consider these alternative methods instead.
Rather than being pure sodium chloride, like rock salt, commercial ice melt products are usually some blend of sodium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium chloride, or magnesium chloride. You might also see some that use urea or calcium magnesium acetate.
They cost more than rock salt but often work faster and in lower temperatures. However, ice melts typically have the same risks for pets, plants, and pavers. The best ice melt product for you depends on your budget, how chilly your winters are, how short on time you are, the size of your driveway, and how eco-conscious you are.
Magnesium chloride ice removal products are more effective than rock salt, less corrosive, and better for the environment. Not sure where to start? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created ice melt products that meet its Safer Choice Standards. Manufacturer's instructions vary depending on the type you choose, but usually, you’ll follow similar steps to those used for spreading rock salt.
Invest in a set of snow melt mats to save some grunt work and protect your pets, plants, pavers, and waterways. There might be more cost-effective ways to clear snow from a long driveway, but if you live in a region with a long, cold winter, it could be a better long-term investment.
Simply lay them along your driveway and plug them in. The heat they generate melts the ice without needing shovels, spreaders, or chemicals.
Tread with caution and understand the hazards of rock salt and commercial de-icers. Some tips for safe application include:
Use gloves to prevent irritation, especially if you're scattering by hand.
Keep chemicals off lawns and flowerbeds to avoid burning.
Walk your dog around the driveway and keep cats away after application. Salt and deicers can irritate pets' paws and are toxic when licked off the paws and ingested.
Mixing your ice melt with an abrasive, like sand, dilutes the corrosive and polluting properties while providing some helpful traction.
If a big freeze is forecast, spreading ice melt products before it hits means you’ll have less work—and less chance of slipping—once the cold temperatures arrive.
Once the temperatures rise, scoop up any lingering salt to reduce the risk to your pets, plants, and pavers.
While salt is often an effective way of melting ice on driveways, it does come with some downsides that might make you rethink choosing it as the best method. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), road salt can contaminate water, harm or kill wildlife, worsen soil erosion, and damage property. As such, some homeowners may prefer using one of the following methods as an alternative to melting ice on driveways.
Of course, if you don’t have any of the DIY ingredients on hand and are in a jiffy, you can attach a hose to an indoor faucet and spray hot water over the ice to melt it away. Alternatively, you can take the slower route and boil water to pour over the ice.
Calcium chloride is one of the least harmful chemicals you can use to melt ice if you’re concerned about damaging your concrete driveway. Calcium chloride is one of the fastest deicers on the market. Here's how to use it:
Scoop out a handful of calcium chloride at a time.
Lay a thin layer before and after snow storms.
Shovel away ice or snow to keep your driveway clear.
Before you invest in some of the more costly methods for melting ice without salt, you may have items around your home that can get the job done without the outing. Check out these DIY ice-melting solutions.
Bear with us on this one. Though beet juice may seem to be an unusual solution, sugar beet juice, when mixed with salt brine, can be highly effective at turning ice into slush. In fact, you can easily find beet juice deicer online to stock up on in preparation for colder months. Though it still has some salt in it, the amount is much less than your typical salt method.
To use beet juice deicer, mix 80% salt brine with 20% beet juice and apply to your driveway as needed.
Since fertilizer is high in nitrogen, it can make for an effective deicer. Choose a fertilizer that’s high in urea and either potassium chloride or ammonium sulfate. You can apply fertilizer just as you would with salt—just be sure to be a little more patient with this alternative.
Isopropyl alcohol can power through tough ice, but since rubbing alcohol isn’t cheap, you’re best off combining 1/4 cup of it with 1/2 a gallon of hot water and a few drops of dish soap to serve as a cheaper but effective ice remover.
Is there anything vinegar can’t do? Vinegar is another staple household item that just so happens to be an effective ice remover for your driveway. Simply mix equal ratios of vinegar and hot water and start pouring it over the areas of your driveway you want to clear.
Portable heating mats are a type of heated driveway that you can use to melt ice. Simply lay the mats over the areas of your driveway that you want to heat and plug them in. You can combine mats to create a custom layout that best melts ice where you need it to without investing in more than you need to get the job done.
For a permanent solution, you can install a heated driveway system. These systems go directly into your driveway and plug into an electric system or hydronic system. This method for removing ice on driveways requires a professional driveway company to install it. You shouldn’t attempt to DIY these systems because they’re complex, costly, and may involve removing your driveway entirely.
Once a pro installs your heated driveway, your system will turn on and off automatically using sensors, though you can also manually turn the system on and off in some cases.
If your winter blues are worsened by the chore of constantly removing snow and ice from your driveway, it might be time to consider a low-maintenance option. A heated driveway system can help save you the trouble of needing to figure out a game plan every winter. These systems last a good 15 to 20 years and help keep your driveway free from ice and snow, but they do come at a cost.
Heated driveways cost between $3,000 and $25,000 or $13,000, making them a major investment that should be considered thoroughly. Weigh the pros and cons of heated driveways before you make your decision.
If you have the funds and you want to save your back, consider hiring a local snow removal pro. An annual snow removal contract costs around $350 to $450, and this investment is well spent in a snowy setting.
If you’re on a budget, spreading salt yourself is more wallet-friendly. Rock salt costs around $10 to $20 per 50-pound bag. The average two-car driveway is around 600 square feet, and you might use around three to four pounds per driveway application.
If a big freeze catches you by surprise and you don’t have any deicer to hand, you can reduce the chance of taking a tumble by laying gritty, anti-slip materials. Some natural, readily-available options that don’t melt ice but offer traction underfoot include sand, wood shavings, kitty litter, and fireplace ash.
If you’re struggling to find anything else suitable in your cupboards, a vinegar and water ice melt makes for a passable quick fix. Just don’t expect it to clear your concrete the way commercial products or rock salt will. Mix equal parts vinegar and warm water and squeegee away the watery slush to prevent more slippery surfaces from forming.
Whether salt melts ice overnight will depend on how low the temperature drops. If temperatures stay around 30 degrees Fahrenheit, you can count on salt melting ice overnight. Otherwise, the lower temperatures get, the less effective the salt is in melting ice, and the more likely you’ll wake up with a slippery driveway the next day.