How to Remove Ice on a Driveway

Walking in a winter wonderland is all well and good until we're confronted with the task of removing it from our driveways. Although snow can usually be shoveled away with relative ease (excluding the back pain that follows, of course), ice can be a little trickier to eliminate. Many options are available, but here are some tried-and-true ideas that continue to stand up to the cold.

Instructions

- 1
  Make your shovel more user-friendly by adding floor wax to it before starting on your ice-packed driveway. The slickness will help the shovel glide through snow and ice and prevent snow from adhering to the shovel.
- 2
  Apply rock salt to your driveway for an inexpensive way to help melt away the ice.
- 3
  Use calcium chloride pellets to melt ice at lower temperatures than rock salt.
- 4
  Choose potassium chloride when it's not as frigid outdoors and temperatures are above 15 degrees F. It is less harmful than some of its fellow deicers.
- 5
  Remove ice using another kind of deicing product known as magnesium chloride. It removes ice at extremely low temperatures and is better for the environment because it releases less chloride than other salt deicers. Additionally, it is less harmful to plants, concrete and other surfaces than some of the other options.
- 6
  Melt away ice using a hand-held propane torch. These multifunctional units are also good for killing weeds and insects, so it will prove useful all year round.
- 7
  Eliminate driveway ice in the luxury of your own home by having an electric driveway heating system installed. True, this option is the priciest yet, but it may be worth it to avoid the many cold hours spent outside shoveling snow and ice.

How to Shovel Snow

How to Choose a Snowblower

Snow Removal