Choosing the best de-icer product for your driveway, plants and pets

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on December 05, 2012 at 4:16 PM, updated December 05, 2012 at 4:18 PM
SHOVEL-DEICER-SNOW.JPG Apply ice-melting products thinly and evenly over the pavement before ice formation. But first, clear a path like Callahan Lawler, of Hudson, did on his neighbor's sidewalk in 2010.

If you detest shoveling or it's hard on your body, and a snow blower is beyond your budget, it's tempting to toss some inexpensive de-icer salt on your sidewalk and be done with it.

Cheap salt might do the trick in the short run, but you could eventually end up with the eyesore and expense of replacing a cracked sidewalk or driveway, replacing the edges of your lawn or digging up dead perennials. It can also corrode metal and damage cars.

Check the shelves at Home Depot, Lowe's and other stores that carry de-icers and you'll see that there are many choices. That could mean reading lots of labels if you've never purchased any in the past. But taking the time, and opening your wallet a little wider, will be worth it.

It's best to purchase de-icers early in the season to make sure you have an ample supply. Ice-melting products are most effective when spread thinly and evenly over the pavement prior to ice formation. It's much easier to prevent ice than trying to melt a thick layer of it.

Generally, ice-melt products attract moisture to form a brine that generates heat and melts ice, lawn-care expert Kelly Burke writes for Here are some specifics about various types of de-icers.

The information comes from Burke; Cynthia Druckenbrod, director of horticulture at Cleveland Botanical Garden; and "Melting Ice Safely," a bulletin by the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension.

Sodium chloride (rock salt). This is the least expensive, but it's efficient. However, it can also damage concrete and metal, and harm plants.

Magnesium chloride. With a minimum working temperature of minus 13 degrees, this is very similar to calcium chloride. It works very fast and is less corrosive and safer on concrete and plants.

Calcium chloride. This will melt to temperatures of minus 25 degrees. It gives off heat as it dissolves but leaves a slimy residue. It can also damage concrete and metal, and harm plants.

"We use calcium chloride sparingly on our main outdoor walkways, and we try to place it down right before a snow event; that way we use less product," says Druckenbrod. "Otherwise we use shovels and equipment to move snow around."

Potassium chloride. This is more expensive than other products, but it works well when mixed 50/50 with rock salt, Burke writes. It's relatively safe unless over-applied.

Natural alternatives to salt pose less harm to the environment. They include sand, sawdust, wood shavings and kitty litter, but they're much less effective.

Some pet owners worry about their pets licking their paws after stepping on salted sidewalks. For them, there's a nonsalt product called Safe Paw Ice Melter. The manufacturer describes it as a "dual-effect" compound that works by attracting solar heat. There is a store locator on the company website.
