Ice Melt That's Safer for Lawns, Concrete, and Pets

Every winter the same yards show the same damage in spring: a strip of dead grass along the driveway, crumbling spots on the front steps, and shrubs browned on the side facing the walk. Most of it comes from ice melt. You can't skip it when the steps are glare ice, but you can choose a better one and use a lot less.

How ice melt works

Ice melts lower the freezing point of water. Spread them on ice and they make a brine that melts down through it and breaks its grip on the pavement. Each product works down to a different temperature, and each has different side effects.

The common choices

Rock salt (sodium chloride)

• Cheapest and most common.
• Works well down to about the mid-20s °F; slows a lot below that.
• Hard on plants: the sodium damages soil structure and burns grass and roots.
• Hard on concrete and metal: speeds up freeze-thaw damage and rust.
• Rough on paws.

Calcium chloride

• Works at much colder temperatures, well below zero.
• Gives off heat as it dissolves, so it works fast.
• Less sodium, but still salt. Use sparingly near plants.
• Can be irritating to skin and paws.

Magnesium chloride

• Works to very cold temperatures.
• Generally considered gentler on plants and concrete than rock salt.
• Costs more.

Potassium chloride

• Less harmful to plants than sodium chloride in normal use.
• Doesn't work well in deep cold.

Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA)

• Salt-free, much gentler on plants, concrete and metal.
• More expensive and slower.
• A good choice for new concrete and areas right next to plants.

"Pet-safe" products

Products marketed as pet-safe are usually based on magnesium chloride, CMA, or other blends. They're gentler, but "pet-safe" isn't a regulated term. Still wipe your dog's paws after walks.

Sand and grit

Sand and kitty litter don't melt anything, but they add traction. Mixed with a small amount of ice melt, they let you use far less chemical. The downside is tracking it inside and sweeping it up in spring.

Use less of whatever you use

This is where golf courses and good grounds crews save the most:

1. Shovel first. Clear snow before it gets packed down into ice. Ice melt is for what's left, not for melting a whole snowfall.
2. Spread thin. You want scattered granules a few inches apart, not a white crust. More doesn't melt faster.
3. Use a hand spreader for even coverage.
4. Keep it off the grass. Throw it on the pavement only, and shovel slush onto the pavement side, not onto the lawn and beds.
5. Sweep up leftovers after the ice is gone so they don't wash into the lawn.

Protect concrete

• New concrete (less than a year old) is especially vulnerable. Avoid deicers on it the first winter if you can; use sand for traction.
• Seal concrete in fall with a quality penetrating sealer.

Protect your pets

• Wipe paws with a damp cloth after walks.
• Keep dogs from licking treated areas.
• Booties help.

In spring

Water salt-damaged areas of lawn deeply in early spring to flush salt below the roots. Then reseed bare spots. See road salt damage on lawns and shrubs for the full fix.

Choosing a gentler product helps, but the biggest difference is simply using less.

Photo: Winter’s no match for the 52nd CES (7574398).jpg) by U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Anthony Plyler, Public domain.

Related: When to Stop Mowing for the Season (and How Low the Last Cut Should Be)