How to Remove Ice From Steps Without Rock Salt

One of the best ways to remove ice from steps is to use rock salt. But what do you do when you don’t have any rock salt or no money to purchase any and need a quick fix? Removing ice can be done easily using simple household items you already have. Here are some tips for removing ice from steps without using rock salt so you can safely get yourself and your family downstairs in the winter.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cat litter
• Table salt or sea salt
• Sand
• Garden soil or dirt

1. Use cat litter to remove ice on steps and create traction. Cat litter is a great item for removing ice and helping to create stepping stones to getting down the stairs. Simply sprinkle a bit of cat litter on each step and spread out a bit with a shovel. Then you can easily walk down the steps and protect yourself from falling on slippery ice. Cat litter can also be used to put under the tires of your car when you’re stuck in the snow. The cat litter creates traction to stop the tires from spinning out on ice.

2. Use regular table salt to remove ice on steps. Just as rock salt melts ice on walkways, so too does regular table salt. If you have a large container of Morton’s table salt, you can sprinkle it on each step and spread it out to create a traction to step onto. Sea salt also works great since it’s grains are usually bigger than regular table salt and you can get better traction on ice. However, either kinds of salt will work to melt ice and help to keep you and your family safe when walking down steps that are icy in the winter.

3. Sand works great for creating traction on icy steps. If you have sand leftover from your child’s sandbox, or even have a few bags in the garage that you use to weigh down your car in the winter, you can use the sand to remove ice on steps. Sprinkle a few handfuls of sand over icy steps and spread out with a shovel to create traction on steps for safe walking. Sand works wonders for helping to get your car unstuck from an icy driveway or pile of snow as well. Sprinkle some sand under your car tires and you’ll prevent spinning wheels and get out of the ice or snow easier.

4. Garden soil or dirt also work great to create traction on icy steps in the winter. Get rid of ice on steps by simply using dirt or soil leftover from your summer garden. Sprinkle a few handfuls on icy steps as you would the rock salt and spread out with a shovel. The dirt or soil creates a traction for feet when stepping down the stairs and will keep you and your family safe from slipping. While dirt probably won’t melt the ice on steps, it will help to prevent falls by giving you something more solid to step onto rather than just the ice itself.

[goodselfme]

on 11/10/2009 tX for the way to remove ice from steps.

[makaksa]

on 11/10/2009 Great alternatives for removing ice from steps.

[godfather25]

on 11/9/2009 Awesome article on removing ice from steps.

[godfather25]

on 11/9/2009 Awesome article on removing ice from steps.