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Alternatives to Salt When Melting Ice

Snow, ice, and everything... not nice. These are things we are all too familiar with in Delaware. When you get to remain cozy inside your Handler Home, these things are much less bothersome. But that is not a luxury you can always have. When you must venture outside, it's common to layer salt on the ground to keep pathways and stairs free of snow and ice. But what if you don't have salt or snow melt? Here are some alternatives you can use to melt ice when you are in a pinch.

Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds are something that most American households have. Because they are accessible, they make a great ice melting candidate. Instead of throwing grounds away after making your morning brew, sprinkle them over your driveway and stairs. Coffee grounds are naturally high in nitrogen which works well to lower the melting point of ice. Plus, because of their dark color, they absorb light better from the sun, which also works to melt ice faster.

Isopropyl Alcohol

Another item that you likely have lying around is isopropyl alcohol. Rubbing alcohol has a myriad of uses, and effectively melting ice is one of them. You can just pour a bottle of it straight over ice, but if you want to get more bang for your buck, you can mix ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol with ½ a gallon of hot water in a bucket and toss that over icy patches. Make sure to shovel away any excess liquid after the ice has melted so that it does not refreeze over the same spot.

Vinegar

Similarly, to rubbing alcohol, you can mix ¼ cup of vinegar with ½ gallon of hot water and use this mixture as a quick and easy ice melt. The acidic nature of vinegar works well to lower the melting point of ice. Again, just make sure to clear away any excess liquid to prevent ice from forming all over again.

And there you have it. Just a few accessible ice melting solutions to tide you over until you can replenish your salt stock. All of us at Handler Homes hope you enjoy the rest of the season and stay safe while doing so!

By Handler Homes 2-18-2022