How to Clear a Driveway & Sidewalk of Ice

Purchase a preventative de-icer from a local home improvement store. Spray the solution before a snow storm to help prevent ice buildup as well as make shoveling snow easier after the storm.

Wear heavy boots with a gripping sole to prevent slips on the driveway and sidewalk surfaces. Remove vehicles from the driveway. Shovel snow from the driveway and sidewalk if any is present. Try to remove snow as soon as possible after a storm so that it does not have the opportunity to melt and freeze over to create a larger sheet of ice.

Buy an after-snow de-icer from a local home improvement store. De-icers are available in salt form, pellets or granules. Wear gloves to protect the skin from the chemicals used to create de-icer compounds.

Spread a light layer of de-icer onto the surface of both the driveway and the sidewalk. Do not cover the surfaces completely in a blanket of de-icing compound -- de-icers will still work with a few inches between granules as long as the de-icer is spread evenly on the surface of the driveway and sidewalk. Read the manufacturer's label on how many pounds are required per square foot to help gauge how much to use, since each compound covers a different amount.

Allow one to two hours for the de-icer to work fully, but effects will start to show immediately with most compounds.