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Melt Ice

7 Ways to Melt Ice without Salt or Ice Melt

The 7 ways to melt ice without salt or ice melt include snow melting matsfertilizercoffee groundsrubbing alcoholsugar beet juicechloride compounds and vinegar

Though you and your family may be safe from the snowy storm raging outside your home, it’s a dangerous task to step out of the house once the snowfall stops. The snow collects and forms slippery hard ice which can cause you or your family to fall down and get injured. You can try to clear the snow from different parts of your property to prevent the snow from forming into ice. Though this is an effective solution to remove snow and prevent ice, it is definitely a time-consuming and laborious task. This task also exposes you to the severe cold of winter and increases the risk of injuries from slipping and falling down.

Don’t stress over selecting the right product or completing the application. Eden has professionals on stand-by to complete.

Instead, you can choose an alternate technique to ensure that your property remains clear of ice even when there is no more salt rock available. There are several such techniques that help to melt the ice from your property without using conventional methods.

Let’s take a look at the 7 ways to melt ice without salt or ice melt.

1. Snow Melting Mats

One of the best passive methods for eliminating ice on your property is by using snow melting mats. These are innovative devices that are designed to effectively avoid the need for rock salt and even shoveling. You can lay these along the walkway or porch and simply plug them into the nearest power outlet. The mats generate heat which melts any ice or snow around and prevents it from forming on the areas covered by the mats. 

Though the cost of buying snow melting mats may be significantly higher than buying rock salt, it may be worth the cost as you won’t have to worry about shoveling the driveway or porch or hiring professionals to do it.

2. Fertilizer

Effectiveness aside, convenience is also a major factor when choosing an alternate to rock salt and ice melt to melt ice forming on your property. You can actually use the fertilizer stored in your shed or garage. Thought fertilizer may not work as quickly as rock salt, but fertilizers that have potassium chloride, urea, or ammonium sulfate are effective. Just like rock salt, these compounds lower the melting point of ice but without damaging your paved surfaces, such as walkway or driveway. 

3. Coffee Grounds

We usually throw away coffee grounds in the trash, or turn it into compost when needed. This organic waste is another excellent alternative to melt ice without using rock salt or anti-freeze product. Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, which helps to lower the melting point of ice. Besides this, the dark color of the coffee grounds absorbs the heat from the sun and retains it to prevent ice and snow from forming on the patio or driveway.

4. Rubbing Alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol is used for cleaning but can also be poured on ice to clear the driveway or walkway. However, you can’t just empty an entire bottle of alcohol on your driveway as it would be inefficient and definitely expensive. 

Instead, experts at professional landscaping and lawn care firms, such as Eden recommend combining ¼ cup of alcohol with 6 drops of concentrated dish soap and mix this in a ½ gallon of hot water in a bucket. This is an effective and inexpensive homemade anti-ice solution for your property.

5. Sugar Beet Juice

Sugar beet juice is a surprising alternative solution to remove snow and ice from your property. The chemical composition of sugar beet juice is similar to rock salt. Though it sounds like an unconventional option it is extremely effective in melting ice off of paved surfaces, such as driveways, porches and walkways. However, the juice can potentially stain concrete so make sure to clean up the sugar beet juice as soon as the ice melts.

6. Chloride Compounds

Calcium chloride is one of the most environmentally friendly and effective alternate to rock salt but is as effective in melting snow and ice. It works when the temperatures are between 0 and 30 degrees Fahrenheit. You can find this compound easily at your nearest home improvement store. Similarly, you can also use potassium chloride to melt ice. Besides this, magnesium chloride is considered to be the most eco-friendly ice melting alternatives. It can work at temperatures as low as -13 degrees Fahrenheit. 

7. Vinegar

Vinegar is another excellent homemade alternate for rock salt to melt ice. The acetic acid in vinegar helps to lower the melting point of ice though it works slightly slower than rock salt. You can use pure vinegar but you will get better results if you mix equal parts vinegar and hot water. This solution can quickly melt thick sheets of ice which you can then break down into smaller pieces and shovel them off of your driveway.

Conclusion

The top 7 ways to melt ice without salt or ice melt are snow melting mats, fertilizer, coffee grounds, rubbing alcohol, sugar beet juice, chloride compounds and vinegar. You can find out more about such alternatives by calling lawn care experts at Eden.

If you don’t want to shovel the snow yourself don’t worry our trusty snowplow operator will clear your driveway! EDEN is just a Call away.

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