Do It Yourself: De-Icing Your Driveway Safely

Living in a colder climate where snow and ice are a common occurrence means you will likely need to remove ice from your driveway at some point. If you don't de-ice your driveway, your safety is at risk each time you walk or drive down your driveway. Removing the ice from your driveway may require little work if you keep at it throughout the winter, or you may need to give your driveway more attention if you let it go too long between de-icing.

Salt
Calcium chloride
Calcium magnesium acetate
Ice removal tool

Instructions

- 1
  Spread a layer of salt over your driveway in a sparse layer. The salt works to warm and melt the ice, effectively de-incing your driveway. Salt is effective down to temperatures of 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
  Apply calcium chloride to your driveway in temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. This chemical provides more effective ice melting at lower temperatures.
- 3
  Use calcium magnesium acetate in place of salt or calcium chloride if you have young children or pets in your home. Salt can be dangerous if children or pets handle or ingest it. Calcium magnesium acetate is a safer alternative.
- 4
  Chip away at the ice with an ice removal tool, which is a flat blade on the end of a long handle, similar to a shovel. Using this tool after the salt or other de-icer has worked for a couple of hours is more effective.

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