Don’t Salt Your Concrete Driveway- Use This Instead

People in areas with harsh winters are familiar with the dangers of a slick, icy driveway. Your driveways can become slip and fall hazards, putting you at risk of falling and having to nurse a wounded rib or elbow—or worse—with every step you take. An ice melt salt, which swiftly breaks up ice and generates traction, is the solution to this winter disaster. Although it’s a simple repair, applying salt or other chloride ice melter on concrete roads might have unintended repercussions. The answer is a concrete-safe ice melt that will keep snow away from the driveway without damaging it.

Is Rock Salt Poisonous?

Rock salt is not only poisonous for your pets and plants but also highly corrosive. Its harmful chlorides cause health risks to children and pets—salt damages concrete driveways, patios, and sidewalks indirectly. Salt corrodes concrete beneath the surface, resulting in discolored, cracked, and crumbling concrete. It is caused mainly by chemicals reacting with the pavement surface. 

Salt reduces the freezing point of water. It increases the pressure of frozen water, amplifying the freeze-thaw cycle’s effect. So if anyone asks you this question, is rock salt poisonous? The answer is yes. It is deadly for pets, plants, and even concrete and metals.

Ice Melt Salts For Driveways

• Salt-free And Natural Ice Melt

It does not have any toxic chlorides and is non-corrosive. It is safe for pets and plants. Its all-natural ingredients will melt snow without damaging your concrete. It also gives you long-lasting protection from snow accumulation.

• Sand 

It provides traction on the slippery driveway, preventing your friends and family from slipping and falling. It is suitable for traction, but sand is not an ice melter. Moreover, it needs to be cleaned thoroughly. Otherwise, it can clog the drains.

• Kitty Litter 

Kitty litter is similar to sand in that it gives grip for a non-slip surface while not melting snow and ice. However, it would help to put extra effort into cleaning the messy residue left behind by kitty litter.

• Vinegar 

Vinegar includes citric acid, which aids in the melting of snow and ice. However, it may take a few applications. Therefore, use it if you have plenty of time to wait for the melting process to begin. Not ideal for immediate effect.

• Beet Juice With Sugar 

One of the other methods to de-ice your home without salt is to use sugar beet juice. Sugar beet juice decreases the melting point of ice and snow. However, sugar may attract the unnecessary attention of unwanted crawlers and creatures to your driveway. Therefore, it would be best to wash your driveway thoroughly after each application to get rid of red patches.

Conclusion

Salt can dry up your pet’s paws, rust the metal on the underbelly of your car, and damage your plants if it seeps into the soil, in addition to drying out landscapes. Furthermore, salt used on roads and sidewalks is washed into lakes, streams, and groundwater supplies. Hence, this winter, say no to salt and use a green product, safe for your driveway and everyone around you.

Other Ice Melt Products

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.