Why You Should Never Use Salts To Remove Ice?

If you search for ice melt on the internet, you will come across hundreds of products that promise to melt ice in a jiffy. While they work, most ice melt comes with salt as the main ingredient, which makes them risky.

The best ice melt for asphalt is the one that contains no salt. In this article, we’ll talk about why you should never use salts to remove ice and what is the best ice melt for asphalt. 

Ice Melt Without Salt

Let’s start:

1- Why Do They Use Salt To Melt Ice?

Most products contain road salt that isn’t as pure as the salt we consume.

Road salt has a brownish-gray appearance due to mineral contamination. It’s used in the production of ice melter due to its low price tag, but that isn’t the only reason. 

Salt is easily available, which makes it a great option. You will even find a lot of homemade ice melt recipes that contain salt. 

The truth is that it does melt ice and often works at a faster pace than alternatives, but it comes at a cost. 

It works on a simple principle: freezing point depression. 

Pure water freezes at 32F. This means that rainwater or snow will freeze if the ground temperature is 32F or colder.

Once salt is mixed with water, the freezing temperature falls to lower than 32F. 

Salt works by impeding the ability of water to form ice crystals. The freezing temperature, however, depends on how much water the solution contains. It can go as low as 15F and even lower in some cases depending on what other chemicals a product contains.

We should, however, mention that this principle works only when the solution already contains salt. This is why it is common for cities to spray saltwater before it snows.

2- Why Should I Use Ice Melt Instead Of Salt?

If you are looking for the best ice melt for asphalt then stay away from products that contain salt as it is bad for asphalt. 

Salt acts as a mild acid. It lowers the pH in the asphalt, which weakens the structure and makes it less durable. Moreover, it also increases the pore size, which allows more chemicals and water into the surface, which can aggravate it and create freeze cycle damage.

In addition to this, salt also leaves stains on the surface and can be bad for plant life, animals, and humans. Studies suggest that salts can result in allergic reactions, digestive issues, etc. 

Salty water can be bad for plants and might leave your lawn brown and dry. If you want your property to look lush and not sustain any damage then it is best that you avoid ice melter that contains salt.

Use a product like Safe Paw, which is not just 100% salt-free but also highly effective and safe for not just asphalt but also plants, animals, and humans. Moreover, it works efficiently and stays on the surface for up to 72 hours.