How to Make Your Own Brine for an Icy Sidewalk

Freezing rain or snow can lead to the development of icy, dangerous conditions on sidewalks, driveways and other walkways. Your de-icing options are manual removal, scraping or applying commercially-available de-icing compounds. Alternatively, a homemade salt or brine solution can also be applied either before or after the storm. It is an anti-icer that prevents ice layers from ever forming.

Warm water
Brine backwash, salt or de-icing compound
Spraying or pouring device

Instructions

- 1
  Heat water or collect warm water directly out of the tap.
- 2
  Sprinkle rock salt, briny backwash or any other de-icing salt or compound into the water, stirring to help it dissolve. Continue adding the salt until the warm water will not hold anymore and the salt stays out of the solution as a solid.
- 3
  Spray or pour the brine solution thinly over any ice buildup. A brine solution will be less effective on ice if it has to work through a thick layer of packed snow.
- 4
  Repeat applications of the brine spray every several hours as needed. To make the solution work faster, apply additional solid salt or de-icing compound simultaneously.
- 5
  Spray the clear sidewalk surface with the brine solution one to two hours before wintry precipitation is expected. This will prevent the formation of an ice layer bonded to the sidewalk surface.

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