What Can I Use to De-ice Stairs?

Manual Removal

• Breaking up the ice and shoveling it away is the most nature-friendly way to remove ice from steps. Using an ice breaker and a shovel, crack apart sheets of ice and shovel it to the sides of the stairs, leaving the stairs entirely clear of ice. You can use cat litter or sand to give yourself traction on the ice as you break and clear it away.

Rock Salt

• Rock salt is one of the most popular materials used for deicing. When rain or snow begins to fall, liberally cover the stairs with rock salt, adding another coating for every inch or so of snow. Check on the stairs frequently and continue to treat with rock salt as needed to keep the stairs from forming layers of ice. Spread the salt evenly and thinly across each step. Salt can damage new concrete; if your steps are less than 4 or 5 years old, you may want to use a different product. Concrete that already has cracks or is uneven will not be much further damaged by salt.

Magnesium Chloride Deicer

• Magnesium chloride is also another fast ice-melting material. This usually comes in containers of small pellets that can easily be spread across steps. However, magnesium chloride can harm plants, so try not to sprinkle it on foliage or roots. Do not use magnesium chloride in driveways or parking areas, as it can corrode metal.

Calcium Chloride Deicer

• Calcium chloride, a material similar but not identical to salt, can also deice stairs. As with salt or magnesium chloride, sprinkle it thinly and evenly across all of the steps, and avoid getting it on plants. Calcium chloride can also be used to pre-treat stairs; begin putting it on the steps before snow or sleet is predicted, and add more as snow or ice accumulates. Like magnesium chloride, calcium chloride can corrode metal, so avoid using it near cars or metal railings.