How to Get Rid of Sleet on Driveways

Sleet is made of raindrops that freeze as they fall, and bounce upon impact with the ground or other objects. During a cold spell, sleet can form sheets of ice on your driveway, making it difficult to walk or drive. Sleet can also mix with snow, which hides the ice layer and makes the situation even more dangerous because you cannot see the slippery ice. Removing sleet from your driveway takes a combination of manual labor and chemicals.

Shovel
Calcium magnesium acetate--based deicer or rock salt
Icepick
Sand

Instructions

- 1
  Shovel as much snow and loose sleet off the driveway as possible. Do this while the sleet is still loose and has not frozen into sheets. If the sleet is already frozen to the driveway, shovel the snow away.
- 2
  Sprinkle the ice layer with a calcium magnesium acetate--based deicer, or you can use rock salt. Rock salt can harm nearby plant life, so use it sparingly. Apply either deicer according to the package directions.
- 3
  Let the deicer sit for 30 minutes. Use the sharp edge of the shovel or an icepick to loosen the ice around the top edge of the driveway.
- 4
  Shovel the sleet off the driveway as you loosen it. Work from the top of the driveway to the bottom. Sprinkle sand over the bare driveway as you clear the ice away to provide traction and prevent further sleet from freezing over the surface.

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