DIY Driveway Melting

Check the temperature outside with a thermometer and choose a de-icing agent that will work below the current temperature. For example, solutions with magnesium chloride work up to -13 degrees F, and potassium chloride works up to -25 degrees F.

Scoop off loose snow with a snow shovel and throw it off to the side so it won’t blow back on the pavement. Clearing off snow enables you to apply de-icing agents directly over ice.

Spray a potassium chloride, calcium chloride or magnesium chloride de-icing solution over any thick patches of ice. Do not apply these solutions within 6 inches of the edge of the driveway or over-exposed pavement. Wait about 20 minutes or follow the wait time specified on the product's instructions.

Mix rock salt with warm water in a pail until it dissolves and then pour it into a garden pump sprayer. If you don’t have a de-icing solution at home, this homemade version will lower the freezing temperature of ice to 15 degrees F. Spray a mist coat of the solution over ice patches. If the entire driveway is coated with ice, note that 1 gallon of the solution will cover about 1,000 square feet.

Scoop off melting ice patches and dump them on a snow bank near the end of the driveway so they don’t melt into your lawn.

Use a grainy natural de-icer to add traction and prevent more ice from forming. Spread alfalfa meal over the entire driveway by dipping a cup in the bag and shaking it out over the surface. This natural fertilizer is less corrosive than salt and other fertilizers because it contains less nitrogen.