7 (Better) Alternatives to Salt for De-Icing Driveways (2023)

FAQs

What can I use instead of salt for driveway? ›

Natural Fertilizer: Alfalfa meal, wood ashes, coffee grounds. Alfalfa meal is a great non-chemical fertilizer that won't burn your plants. Wood ash from your fireplace contains potassium salts that help melt ice. Ash also absorbs solar energy, increasing the temperature to melt the ice.

Create a Hot Water, Soap, and Rubbing Alcohol Mixture

Simply grab a bucket and add half of a gallon of hot water, one-fourth a cup of rubbing alcohol, and around six drops of dish soap. Once it's all combined, you pour the solution over the driveway. The snow should bubble up and begin melting.

Calcium chloride is typically regarded as the best performing ice melt for fast melting and long lasting action.

Vinegar can melt ice on the driveway when combined with wood ash and water. While vinegar is acidic enough to lower the melting point of ice, it needs these other ingredients to effectively remove pesky layers from the driveway.

To Sum Up: What Melts Ice the Fastest? In conclusion, the salt melts ice the fastest. You can use some combination of sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and/or magnesium chloride (a mixture often referred to as ice melt). This combination will work more effectively than plain rock salt.

The combination of the dish soap, rubbing alcohol and hot water helps prevent further icing and speeds up melting process. Once the mixture is poured onto icy or snowy surfaces, it'll bubble up, and melt. Bonus use: put the mixture in a spray bottle and spritz it on your car windows to melt away ice.

Hot Water – If the ice is thick and won't come off, boil a large pot of hot water and apply it to the chunk of ice, making sure to sweep the water off the surface so that it doesn't get cold and freeze on the driveway. This can be effective to remove ice from the driveway in stubborn areas.

Sugar. Sugar is a great homemade de-icer. It de-ices the same way as salt by lowering the freezing point of the water. However, sugar may be more costly than a rock salt ice melt, so you may only want to use it on smaller areas, like your front porch or your back step.

What is the safest ice melt for concrete? ›

What is the safest ice melt for concrete? Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA) and Sodium Acetate (NAAC) are often considered the finest concrete-safe ice melt solutions available. When applied to concrete, both CMA and sodium acetate are much less corrosive than a number of other ice salts.

1. Calcium Chloride Ice Melt. Calcium chloride ice melt is the most effective ice melt in lower temperatures when compared to other ice-melt compounds. It is less expensive than sodium acetate but more expensive than other compounds.

Kitty Litter absorbs moisture and can provide traction on snow, slush, and ice.

Cat litter: Using kitty litter is a great way to provide traction and prevent slipping on icy driveways and sidewalks, however, kitty litter will not help to melt the ice.

After 15 minutes: The salt and baking soda ice cubes were quite melty and textured. Success! In conclusion: Baking soda works — not quite as well as salt, but it works! It is better than nothing, and will give icy surfaces a little grip, so it'll work in a pinch.

The acetic acid in vinegar is a chemical compound that lowers ice's melting point, but it doesn't melt ice quite as well as rock salt and some of the above alternatives.

The larger the surface area of the ice cube the more heat it absorbs, so the spherical ice cube will melt the slowest if it has the least surface area.

Vinegar. By mixing equivalent amounts of vinegar and water you can produce a less potent deicer. If the ice is very thick combine 40 percent water and 60 percent vinegar. Pour the mixture on iced surfaces and ice will slowly turn to liquid.

Do coffee grounds melt ice? ›

Coffee grounds can also be spread on the ice instead of being tossed out. Like sand, the grounds absorb sunlight to make the ice melt faster and add a bit of traction. Wood ash, likewise, can be spread on the ice instead of disposed of. It absorbs sunlight to help ice melt and provides traction.

Sand: Sand is one of the most commonly used rock salt alternatives, primarily because it helps provide traction on slippery areas and roadways. It is relatively inexpensive and does not pose significant risks to the environment.

For a solution you can stow away year-round, combine two parts rubbing alcohol with one part warm water in a spray bottle and spray the solution onto the surface of your sideway or driveway to gradually melt the ice.

Salt, baking soda, and sugar will all act to lower the freezing point of the ice, making it melt quicker than the untouched ice cube.

Mixing hydrogen peroxide with water can create a solution that remains liquid to -57℃. It's an excellent combination for homemade ice packs. However, pouring hydrogen peroxide over ice doesn't result in speedy ice melting. It can melt ice but takes up to three times as long as a sodium chloride salt.

In a bucket, combine a half-gallon of hot water, about six drops of dish soap, and ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol. Once you pour the homemade ice melt mixture onto your sidewalk or driveway, the snow and ice will begin to bubble up and melt. Just keep a shovel handy to scrape away any leftover pieces of ice.

Of all the concrete deicers on the market, calcium chloride will melt ice the fastest and it remains effective at temperatures as low as -25º F, compared to the 15º to 20º F range at which rock salt is effective.

Does WD40 Melt Ice? Even though WD40 can be used to unfreeze a lock, it does not melt ice. If you need to melt ice, the best way to get the ice to melt is to use salt. Salt lowers the freezing point of ice, causing it to melt at a lower temperature.

Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride

Of all the common de-icers on the market, tests have shown that calcium chloride is the least harmful to concrete. It is also among the most effective, melting ice at temperatures as low as minus-25 degrees Fahrenheit.

Natural Alternative® Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA) Ice Melt provides a breakthrough in snow and ice management with chloride-free, low-corrosive and environmentally-friendly properties, melting ice and snow to 15°F. CMA is chloride-free and less corrosive than tap water.

What is the best product for ice on concrete? ›

Calcium Chloride

This is a popular snow-melt product that's considered one of the best options for concrete. It's effective at lower temperatures (down to -26 degrees Fahrenheit) and works by breaking the bond between the surface of concrete and ice.

The chloride can cause the mix to shrink as it cures, creating cracks in the surface. There is also an increased risk of scaling in concrete made with chloride accelerators, especially in disproportionate mixes or concrete exposed to deicers.

NON-TOXIC, SAFE & STAIN FREE: Keep it Green Ice Melter is the best option for your home and your family because it is pet friendly, child safe and won't harm vegetation. Better yet, it won't stain carpets, kitchen floors, concrete, brick or stone.

Magnesium Chloride

It can destroy ice quickly and remain very effective until about -13 degrees. It is safe for use on concrete and asphalt and is not very damaging to your home or landscaping.

Potassium Chloride

Salt substitutes made from potassium chloride alone look like regular salt and have a salty flavor, but have zero sodium. “But potassium doesn't activate the same taste cells as sodium,” Breslin says. That's why people complain that these substitutes often leave a bitter or metallic aftertaste.

Try herbs like rosemary, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, cilantro, sage, and celery seed. A squeeze of lemon or lime on some foods can provide that extra zip you need without the extra sodium.

Sand, sawdust, coffee grinds and kitty litter. Although they won't melt ice, these products will add traction to slippery surfaces. Juice from sugar beets lowers the melting point of ice and snow and is considered safe for animals, plants and concrete.

Sand, because it is an abrasive material, is applied to icy roads to provide traction. It can capably create traction on ice at any temperature, whereas rock salt is not effective in extreme cold. But sand is only effective if it is on the surface of the ice. If it gets buried under snow, it needs to be reapplied.

Sand basics

While it does not melt the ice, sand is an abrasive material that increases traction between ice and tires or shoes. Snowplows often spread a mixture of salt and sand when working to deice a road, since the salt will melt ice and the sand will increase the traction for cars.

How do you melt ice on concrete without salt? ›

Create a Hot Water, Soap, and Rubbing Alcohol Mixture

Simply grab a bucket and add half of a gallon of hot water, one-fourth a cup of rubbing alcohol, and around six drops of dish soap. Once it's all combined, you pour the solution over the driveway. The snow should bubble up and begin melting.

Epsom Salt: Epsom salt isn't as harmful to plants or vegetation as rock salt (or table salt). You may already have some on hand from the garden. It is an abrasive and melts ice slowly. To speed up your Epsom salts' melting power, combine sugar and Epsom salt in a 1:1 ratio.

Fresh Step Non-Clumping Clay Cat Litter: This seems to be a favorite kitty litter for ice melting. People like it because it's a pet-safe solution to regular road salts.

Sand: Sand is one of the most commonly used rock salt alternatives, primarily because it helps provide traction on slippery areas and roadways. It is relatively inexpensive and does not pose significant risks to the environment.

American Home Shield said you can try table salt, but don't use a lot because it could harm grass and plants. Epsom salt also works but is more expensive. Sugar works like salt, but is again more expensive than table salt. Rubbing alcohol will also help melt ice.

Combine a solution of a half-gallon of hot water, six drops of dish soap, and 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol into a bucket. This is an effective and satisfying way to learn how to get rid of ice on your driveway as you watch the ice bubble up and melt away.

It is a perfect ice melt for your icy areas at very little expense. Generously sprinkle baking soda on the ice- or snow-covered area, and wait for the ice to start melting. This may take a bit longer to melt than other options, but it will work. Do not use the soda-sprinkled path until the baking soda has done its job.

Compared to the US, Canada uses approximately five million tons of rock salt with Toronto using anywhere between 130,000 – 150,000 tons, and Montreal using 130,000 tons per year (Shillington, 2019).

4) Beet and tomato juice de-icers.

Many cities now use beet juice or pickle brine to help salt and sand stick to roadways and minimize runoff. (Wisconsin has even been using cheese brine for this purpose.) The upside? Beet juice and cheese brine are biodegradable and less harmful to wildlife.

In a bucket, combine a half-gallon of hot water, about six drops of dish soap, and ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol. Once you pour the homemade ice melt mixture onto your sidewalk or driveway, the snow and ice will begin to bubble up and melt.

What melts ice the fastest besides salt? ›

Like isopropyl alcohol, vinegar can technically be used on its own, but it provides better results in a mixture of equal parts vinegar and hot water. This solution can rapidly melt solid sheets of ice, at which point they can be broken up with shoveling.

Because of its chemical make-up, aluminum transfers heat better than both paper and cloth, so heat from the room reaches the cube more quickly. Also, paper and cloth have air pockets that trap heat and help keep it away from the cubes. The cubes stay frozen longer.