How to Treat a Sloped Driveway in the Winter

Remove the snow from your driveway with a snow shovel or blower. Work from side to side rather than up and down the driveway. By working side to side, you'll reduce your risk of falling by walking across the slope rather than up and down.

Fill a backpack or hand-held sprayer with liquid ice melt which is typically made with sodium chloride or calcium chloride, the same ingredients commonly found in solid forms of ice-melting products. You can purchase liquid de-icer at home improvement and hardware stores. Read the instructions to determine the amount needed to cover the area of your driveway. Avoid over-applying the product and use it only as directed. Liquid ice melt works better on a slope than salt nuggets or other dry ice-melt products that may simply bounce off the drive and roll down the slope.

Apply the liquid ice melt to the entire surface of your driveway. Use a back-and-forth sweeping motion and apply a thorough coat to the surface. Work from side to side until the entire driveway is covered.