How to Make Homemade Ice Thawers for Driveways

Driveway deicers commonly contain salt and chemicals that can deteriorate the concrete and cause damage to surrounding plant life. An alternative is to manually chip up the ice with a pick or shovel, or to install expensive radiant heating. You can also make your own inexpensive, simple homemade ice thawing solution with ingredients you may already have around the house. The thawers will work on icy windshields, walkways and driveways without damaging the surfaces.

Garden sprayer
Water
White vinegar
Rubbing alcohol
70 percent isopropyl alcohol
Dish washing liquid
Shovel

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the cap on a garden sprayer reservoir. Fill the reservoir with two parts white vinegar and one part water. You can also use the same ratio of rubbing alcohol to water instead of vinegar, or a bottle of 70 percent isopropyl alcohol and three drops of liquid dishwashing soap.
- 2
  Replace the cap on the garden sprayer reservoir. Turn the reservoir upside down to incorporate all the ingredients. If there is a layer of snow over the ice, remove the snow first so the solution has direct contact with the ice.
- 3
  Spray the mixture over the iced driveway. Start at the top of the driveway and work toward the bottom. The ice will begin to crack and melt away. You can hurry the process by removing chunks as they melt with a shovel.

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