How to Melt Ice with Bleach

Chlorine bleach is a powerful deicer. It works in two ways--by forming a solution with water ice whose freezing point is lower than water alone and by reacting with water to produce heat. Despite its excellent deicing properties, however, bleach is too corrosive to be used as a regular deicer. However, in an emergency, you can use bleach to deice a driveway fast.

Chlorine bleach
Breathing mask
Safety goggles
Safety gloves
Broom

Instructions

- 1
  Change into work clothes if necessary. Any bleach that comes into contact with colored clothes will discolor them.
- 2
  Put on a breathing mask, safety gloves and safety goggles. Working with undiluted bleach in large quantities presents a significant safety risk, as you can imagine if you have ever burned your nostrils using smaller amounts of bleach for household cleaning.
- 3
  Pour plain household chlorine bleach over the iced surface, taking care to minimize or avoid splashing and spattering. Only deice paved ground---never the surfaces of your car, unpaved ground, plants or anything intended for consumption by humans or animals. Do not pour bleach on property you do not own without the landowner's consent. Do not deice in an unventilated, enclosed area.
- 4
  Wait for the ice to melt. This may take up to a half-hour.
- 5
  Sweep the bleach into the nearest gutter, if feasible.
- 6
  Purchase a traditional deicer such as calcium chloride at your next convenience, so that you won't need to deice with bleach in the future.
- 7
  Avoid using bleach as a deicer again for at least the next several weeks.

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