Remove Ice from a Driveway

When you’re facing an icy winter, you have to keep the driveway clear of ice to keep it safe. Covering the driveway in rock salt is the most common and time-tested method. Spraying the icy driveway with rubbing alcohol is also an effective way to melt the ice. Either way, be sure to shovel off any snow cover that’s on top of the ice first. Also shovel again once the ice has melted to clear the resulting slush off of your driveway.

Steps

Spreading Rock Salt

  1. Clear away any snow that’s on top of the ice. Using any kind of deicer is pointless if there is snow piled on the ice. Use a snow shovel to push the snow off of the ice before you do anything else. You don’t have to get the snow completely off, but try to get it down to two inches (5 cm) or less.[1]
    • If you have a plow that attaches to a four wheeler or tractor, it’s much faster to clear the snow this way.
  2. Sprinkle rock salt evenly over the ice. You’ll need about four pounds (1.8 kg) of rock salt per 1000 square feet (93 square meters) of driveway. Scoop up the salt with an old plastic cup and slowly shake it out over the surface of the driveway. Don’t pile too much salt on any specific spot.[2]
    • The freezing temperature of saltwater is lower than that of regular water, so this is the basic principle that causes salt to melt ice.
    • If you have a push behind rotary spreader, like the kind you’d use for yard fertilizer, fill it with salt and use it to spread the salt quickly and evenly.
    • Calcium Chloride pellets and Magnesium Chloride pellets can be substituted and applied in the same fashion.
  3. Splash some water around on the salt. Letting the salt sit on the ice will melt it slowly, but adding warm water to the mix will speed things up. Fill a spray bottle with lukewarm water and mist the entire area where you laid the salt. Simply pouring water from a jug would work too, but it will distribute the water unevenly.[2]
    • This is not necessary if you are using Calcium Chloride pellets or Magnesium Chloride pellets.
  4. Wait for the ice to soften. Thin ice will probably melt in 5-10 minutes, but for thicker ice you’ll need to wait longer. It could take up to 30 minutes or so. If it’s below freezing outside, you should wait inside to keep warm. Check the ice a couple of times until you notice that it has melted.
  5. Shovel the melted ice off of the driveway. To completely remove ice from the driveway, use a metal snow shovel to scrape off the slush that remains. If you leave the mostly melted ice on the driveway, there’s a risk of it freezing again.[3]
    • If you are in a hurry or it’s obvious that the ice has totally melted to water, don’t worry about shoveling off the slush.

Using Rubbing Alcohol

  1. Remove snow from on top of the ice. If you have ice on your driveway, you probably have some snow too. Any method that melts ice will melt snow, too, so you can’t effectively remove the ice if you don’t remove the snow first. Push it off of the driveway with a plow or snow shovel.
  2. Fill a spray bottle with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Grab a spray bottle that’s at least a quart (about one liter) or a half gallon (about 2 liters). Add the alcohol and put the spray nozzle back on. If you want to make the alcohol last longer, dilute it with water to a 50/50 ratio.[4]
    • Note that diluted alcohol may be slightly less effective at melting the ice.
    • If you don’t have a spray bottle, carefully use a sharp knife to poke four or five holes in the cap of the alcohol bottle and spray the alcohol in this way.
  3. Spray the alcohol around on the ice. Walk from side to side on the driveway, spraying the alcohol as you go. If you’re able to bend over, hold the bottle about a foot away from the ice so it hits it more directly. If the alcohol runs out before you cover the driveway, refill the bottle and continue.[4]
  4. Shovel the melted ice off to the side. After you leave the alcohol sitting on the ice for 15 to 30 minutes, grab a sturdy metal snow shovel. Break up the ice and push it off to the side of the driveway. In a pinch, you don’t have to shovel it off, but you risk it freezing again.[3]

Tips

  • Add an equal amount of sand to the rock salt if you won’t be able to shovel the ice off. This will help create traction in the melting ice. The same principle applies to spreading kitty litter.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://www.getridofthings.com/household/get-rid-icy-sidewalks/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.networx.com/article/we-tested-it-homemade-driveway-deicers
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a5600/driveway-ice-environment-55013001/
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-remove-ice-from-driveway/#.WUqPspJ97Hg
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