How to Melt Snow

Using Salt or Pellets to Melt Snow

Use water softener salt pellets as a cost-effective way to melt snow. This material is sold at hardware stores and is relatively cheap. Spread the salt pellets evenly over your driveway before or after a snow storm. A 40 lb (18 kg) bag of water softener salt pellets goes for around $6. Best of all, you only need to use one bag of these pellets per winter! One benefit to using water softener salt pellets is that they do not damage asphalt. Do not use this material if you have pets.

Sprinkle pet-safe pellets onto your driveway. If you have pets, use this material instead of water softener salt pellets. Simply spread a few handfuls of these pellets evenly across the snow. While they are a bit more expensive than water softener salt pellets, they are much better for your pet’s feet and fur. You can spread these pellets before it snows if you'd like. You can buy a 35 lb (16 kg) bucket for about $65.

Apply rock salt for a traditional way to melt snow. Rock salt remains an effective way to get rid of snow and is cheaper than pet-safe pellets. You can buy bags of rock salt at your local hardware store and spread it across your driveway before or after a storm to melt snow. Make sure to spread it evenly and don’t overuse the salt. A little bit of salt goes a long way. Use 0.7–1.4 ounces (20–40 g) per square foot (0.1 square meters) of your driveway to prevent snow from sticking to the ground. If you use too much salt, it could cause permanent damage to your asphalt driveway. You can get a 25 lb (11 kg) bag of rock salt for around $10. Do not use rock salt if you have pets. The salt can get into your pet’s paws and cause redness and ulcers.Tip: Hardware stores will often run out of rock salt. If you see a storm coming in the forecast, head out to your local hardware store as soon as you can and get a few bags of rock salt.

Trying Alternatives to Salt

Spread alfalfa meal over the snow to melt it and create traction. Alfalfa meal is mostly used as an organic fertilizer, but it makes for a surprisingly effective snow melter. Alfalfa meal’s small amounts of nitrogen make it a good deicer. Use alfalfa meal sparingly, sprinkling only a few handfuls onto the snow in your driveway. You can spread the alfalfa meal before it snows as well. Alfalfa meal is pet friendly and you can get a 40 lb (18 kg) bag for around $15.Did you know? Alfalfa meal has a grainy texture which provides traction for your car as you exit your driveway.

Try leftover coffee grounds to melt ice and snow. Coffee grounds are a pet-safe material that have nitrogen and acids in them that effectively melt snow. Scatter the grounds along your driveway right after you shovel the snow away, or before it begins to snow in the first place. If your sidewalks are icy, spread some grounds over them to add extra grip. Use all of the leftover grounds you have in your home to get the job done. Other materials that add traction to slippery surfaces include sand, wood ash, and sawdust. You can spread these material the same way you would coffee grounds. However, they can be harmful to your pets, so don't use them if you have a dog.

Cover your driveway with plastic tarps before a storm comes. In the hours leading up to a storm, place plastic tarps along the pathways that lead from your driveway to your house and on your driveway itself. Depending on how much snow falls, you might have to shovel the snow off the tarp itself. If only 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) fall, you can simply drag the tarp away from your driveway and push the snow off the tarp from there. You’ll have to empty the tarp soon after the snow falls; otherwise the snow could freeze on the tarp if the weather stays below freezing. Make sure your cars are in your garage before you do this. You don’t want to run over your tarp with your car and damage the material.

Combining Water, Dish Soap, and Rubbing Alcohol

Fill a bucket with about 1.9 litres (0.50 US gal) of hot water. Instead of using alfalfa meal, coffee grounds, or tarp, you can create a homemade snow melter and use it as an alternative to ice. The hotter the water is, the faster the snow will melt initially. While you can use warm water to melt the snow, hot water will be more effective. Let the faucet run for about 1 minute and place your hand under the stream to check the temperature of the water. When the water feels hot to the touch, place the bucket under the tap and fill the bucket until there’s around 0.5 gallons (1.9 L) in it. You don’t need exactly 0.5 gallons (1.9 L) to melt the snow, so don’t spend extra time trying to fill up the bucket to the exact measurement. This is a pet-safe option.

Add 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of liquid dish soap and 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of rubbing alcohol. Measure the dish soap and rubbing alcohol in a spoon and pour the contents into the bucket. Use the same spoon to stir the mixture for 5 minutes to combine the water with the dish soap and rubbing alcohol. Make sure to wash the spoon thoroughly before using it again.

Spread the solution across the snow. Take the bucket outside and pour the solution onto the snow. Evenly spread the mixture onto the steps of your home, the pathway leading up to your house, and your driveway. A little bit of this mixture goes a long way, so don’t pour too much of the solution in one spot. Check back in 15 minutes to see how much of the snow has melted.Tip: Start by applying this solution to the steps and pathway leading up to your home. Use the entire solution on this area to wipe away the snow. Then, make more of the solution to spread it around your driveway.

Make the solution again and apply it multiple times. Mix hot water, dish soap, and rubbing alcohol together in that same bucket and go back over the front of your home and your driveway to melt as much snow as you can. Repeat the process of making this solution 3-4 times, or until you’ve made enough to cover most of your driveway. This is one of the cheapest methods to melting snow, but it is still effective nonetheless.