3 Ways In Which Magnesium Chloride Is Hurting You And Your Pet
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During the winter, ice melt is an urgent necessity. It keeps sidewalks clear, cleans and de-ices driveways and parking lots, and makes roadways safe for driving. While ice melt is necessary, not all varieties are suitable for use around dogs. When consumed, some are extremely dangerous, while others irritate the paws, skin, and mucous membranes after exposure.
The Hidden Truth About Magnesium Chloride For Ice Removal
Winter months bring the magic of snowfall, but they also bring treacherous, icy conditions that need addressing. A popular solution for these conditions has been the use of Magnesium Chloride as an ice melt. This salt-based product can turn icy surfaces into a safer, liquid state. However, there’s more to the story than its ice-melting capabilities.
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Unraveling The Types of Magnesium Chloride Ice Melt Solutions
The forms of Magnesium Chloride available are quite diverse. From flakes and pellets to liquid solutions, it offers a variety that caters to specific ice melting needs. However, each form comes with its drawbacks.
Flakes, typically used for large areas with a thin layer of ice, often get dispersed by wind or displaced by pedestrians or vehicles, reducing their effectiveness. Pellets, while capable of breaking thicker ice due to their concentrated form, pose a slipping hazard until they have fully dissolved and started the melting process.
Liquid Magnesium Chloride, though efficient for pre-treatment before snowfall, requires special equipment for application. It can also create a slippery film if not used judiciously.
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The Reality of Magnesium Chloride’s Ice Melting Temperature
While Magnesium Chloride can effectively melt ice at temperatures as low as -10°F, this efficiency is contingent on specific concentrations and humidity levels. Under less ideal conditions, its effectiveness can drop significantly.
The Ingredients In Magnesium Chloride Ice Melt
Typically, Magnesium Chloride ice melt contains a high percentage of Magnesium Chloride, often over 90%. The remaining composition includes trace minerals and water. However, the exact composition can vary, leading to inconsistency in its ice-melting performance and potential unknown environmental impacts.
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Is magnesium chloride safe for pets? The answer is emphatical no. Simply strolling through a salted area exposes pets to all the hazardous effects of chloride. The salt will come into contact with their paws’ skin. It will get in their eyes if they scratch or rub their face. Animals enjoy the taste of salt, and ingesting it will cause disease. Excessive exposure can be lethal. Pets and humans are also affected by the magnesium chloride brine.
While Magnesium Chloride is frequently marketed as pet-friendly compared to more harmful ice melts, it’s not completely safe. Direct contact with this de-icers can cause dryness, cracking, and even chemical burns on your pet’s paws. Ingesting the substance, which can occur when pets clean their paws, can lead to gastrointestinal problems.
Magnesium chloride is harmful to pets, children, wildlife, and even adults. Many hazardous effects are listed on the Material Safety Data Sheet for magnesium chloride, including:
Contact lens irritates and burns the eyes.
It causes skin irritation and burns (particularly in the mouth and throat).
When consumed, it causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea in the gastrointestinal tract.
Its dust causes respiratory discomfort.
Inhaling or ingesting metal fumes causes flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, weakness, chest and muscle pain, and an increase in white blood cell count.
Ice Melt Safe For Pets
Safe Paw
The Original and the #1 Pet and Child Safe Ice Melt for over 20 years. Guaranteed environmentally safe – will not harm waterways and sensitive wetlands.
With pet safety a significant concern, it’s crucial to consider alternatives. Safe Paw emerges as an excellent choice here. This product is salt-free and entirely non-toxic to pets, even if ingested.
Contact with children has the same less dangerous results as it does with pets: irritation of the skin, eyes, mouth, and throat, as well as stomach discomfort. These dangers also exist for wildlife that is known to eat salt when they come upon it. Finally, skin contact and inhalation of magnesium chloride dust puts the person spreading the salt melt at risk.
Scrutinizing the Efficacy of Magnesium Chloride as an Ice Melt
There’s no doubt that Magnesium Chloride is an effective ice melt, capable of functioning even at temperatures as low as -10°F. However, its utility is often shadowed by its environmental and health impacts.
In humans, exposure to Magnesium Chloride can lead to skin and eye irritation. And while it’s less damaging to concrete and metal surfaces compared to other salts, it can still contribute to their gradual degradation.
In the environment, Magnesium Chloride poses concerns. It can cause harm to local flora and water bodies by introducing high levels of magnesium and chloride ions. In water bodies, an excess of these ions can harm aquatic life.
Selecting the Best Salt for Melting Ice: Calcium Chloride vs Magnesium Chloride vs Sodium Chloride?
Although Calcium Chloride vs Magnesium Chloride– both can outperform Sodium Chloride (rock salt) in ice melting, all these options come with potential pitfalls. These include harming pets, damaging concrete, and negatively impacting local water sources due to runoff.
In the face of these challenges, Safe Paw presents itself as an excellent alternative. This 100% salt-free product not only efficiently melts ice but also poses no risk to pets, kids, or the environment.
The Safest Ice Melt – Safe Paw
Use ice melt that is safe for the environment, pets, and children and is excellent for concrete. It is free of salt, chlorine, and acetate. If your driveway gets snowed in, make sure to clean it up as soon as possible.
Salt-free, natural ice melt disrupts the molecular structure of ice and snow, preventing water molecules from forming ice crystals. It is made up of a crystalline amide core with glycol. As a result, your concrete will remain safe while melting snow and ice without the need for hazardous chemicals.
It is non-conductive and non-corrosive, making it a safe ice melt for concrete. Pets and children are unaffected even if consumed. Just a smidgeon of this green marvel will keep you safe.
Conclusion
Although salt and chloride-based therapies are popular, they aren’t always the safest option. The thawing and freezing processes are unaffected by salt. When abused or mismatched, it can also become a serious environmental pollutant. Hence, it is advisable to use a chloride-free ice melt that is safe for new concrete and all other surfaces.
Gaia Enterprises Inc. delivers 100% pet-safe and environmentally friendly winter products. Safe Paw, our flagship product, is the #1 selling pet-safe ice melt that does not harm pets, safe if ingested, and safe on all types of concrete.
FAQs
A. While less toxic than other salts, Magnesium Chloride can cause skin irritation and discomfort in the eyes in children.
A. While a handful can treat approximately a square yard, excessive use can lead to environmental and potential surface damage.
A. Although less corrosive than other salts, Magnesium Chloride can still damage certain surfaces over time.
A. Safe Paw stands out for its non-toxic, salt-free, pet-friendly, and environmentally-friendly composition. It efficiently melts ice without the negative impacts of traditional salt-based melts.
A. Excessive use of Magnesium Chloride can lead to plant and grass damage due to increased soil salinity. It’s best to use eco-friendly alternatives like Safe Paw to prevent such harm.
Stay safe on slippery surfaces with a product that’s 100% natural and safe for pets, people, and your property. Use Traction Magic on sidewalks, steps, or as instant traction for your car.
Imagine an ice melt you can put down and never worry about. It won’t harm pets, kids and your property. That’s Safe Thaw. Unlike anything else on the market, Safe Thaw can change how winter affects our planet.
