FHGC Monthly Newsletter, December 2025
Salt? Sand? Sodium Chloride?
With the amount of snow storms this year, residents may be wondering what to stock up on to address ice on sidewalks and driveways. While there are many options, many turn to rock salt or ice melt.
Although rock salt is often people’s first option for deicing their driveway, many are unaware of the significant drawbacks to this method. Rock salt can cause serious damage to brick, concrete, and asphalt pavement, in addition to making the plant life around driveways lose its leaves. Sometimes, it can even be harmful to pets and children.
Ice melt is a blend of salts, including magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and potassium chloride. It is a product formulated to work at lower temperatures, lowering the freezing point of water, melting ice, and preventing more from forming. While effective, it is expensive, isn’t effective on thick ice, and many formulations can be harmful to the environment.
Sand can be used to prevent slipping but it doesn't melt the ice. And it needs to be cleaned up eventually (and clogs our storm drains).
The standard snow shovel is the most reliable tool, though it can be very tiring to use - as well as not always the best option in terms of time or fun - it always gets the job done. The sooner you shovel, the better prepared you’ll be. The goal is to remove as much snow from the driveway early on, before people start walking on it and compacting it down. Once people walk on freshly fallen snow, it becomes more difficult to clear away and more dangerous. If you shovel your driveway as soon as a storm has passed, the sun will have time to melt away any leftover snow, and black ice won’t form. This method only works when consistently applied, but it’s worth it to prevent slips and falls on your property. Some tout an environmentally friendly and effective way to melt the snow on driveways by using an, easy DIY solution of hot water, rubbing alcohol, and dish soap. Another ice melt alternative that may sound odd is fertilizer. While it may not be as effective as rock salt at removing ice, it is a readily available, affordable option. The key is to ensure you choose a fertilizer with a high percentage of nitrogen, which is effective at melting ice. Key nitrogen-rich ingredients include ammonium sulfate, potassium chloride, and urea.
If you don’t want to use fertilizer, you can do something that only a few actually know about. After making their morning coffee, some people distribute their coffee grounds (or add it to their compost.) The grounds are rich in nitrogen, which as mentioned above, is effective at melting ice.
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