Homeowners Are Ditching Salt For An Item That Can Melt Snow & Ice Away

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Shoveling your property out from below inches of snow and ice can be a headache year after year. If the snow is particularly dense, extra treatments will need to be added to make sure the ground is not unsafe or dangerously slippery. Many people use common household staples to make the ground less icy, including sand and rock salt as simple ways to make driveway snow removal easier. But there is a new convenient solution that homeowners are depending on more and more for brisk mornings. Packages of calcium chloride pellets have become a popular way to de-ice walkways after a snowstorm.

Calcium chloride is a combination of chloride ions and calcium. It absorbs water and moisture from the air, so it will dissolve ice directly when applied on the ground. Its high concentration of chlorine leads to powerful results in a short amount of time. This fast-acting formula can break down ice in temperatures as cold as -25 degrees Fahrenheit, unlike rock salt, which does not work in negative temperatures. The granular consistency makes calcium chloride pellets easy to apply after harsh storms. Just sprinkle it over patches of ice, and sit back as the compound breaks down the thick frozen sheets.

Morning is the best time to shovel snow for easier removal, and adding pellets of calcium chloride to your winter maintenance routine will simplify the cold clean up. It can be applied proactively before a storm to stop ice from forming but should be reapplied as snow continues to fall. Distribute the calcium chloride evenly to prevent clumps and shovel away slush that appears as the result of melting ice.

Because of their vigorous melting capabilities, calcium chloride pellets will not just rest on top of ice but will penetrate the surface of the ice to break it down from within. However, its advanced abilities mean it will typically cost more than rock salt. A 20 pound package of calcium chloride pellets can be purchased on Amazon for roughly $27 — but it will last through multiple weeks or even years of snowstorms before it runs out.

This chemical compound ice melt is one of the best types of ice melt to use on patio pavers without causing damage. Just make sure not to use an excessive amount of it as too much can cause concrete to dilate. Certain types of calcium chloride pellets may also be safe to use on vegetation so gardens can be de-iced without weakening plants.