Hints for using deicers and cat litter

Here are some other tips on using deicers from Ed Brookmyer of Bare Ground, a company that manufactures granular and liquid ice-melting products:

Use deicers when temperatures are in the mid- to upper teens, 20s or lower 30s. Calcium chloride can work down to minus 20 degrees, sodium chloride to 10 degrees. Liquid deicers to zero degrees or lower, but that doesn’t mean it’s ideal to use them then. One reason is melt water, the aftereffect of using any deicing agent. “Once the deicer does create melt water, you have to be there to remove it,” Brookmyer says. He advises that on thick ice, liquid ice melters are particularly likely to cause that problem, but “any of these products are subject to refreezing, especially when it’s that cold.”

Liquid deicer works well for pretreatment. If deicer is placed on walkways and driveways right before a storm hits, it can reduce accumulations by a couple of inches, Brookmyer says. Be careful with storms that start off with rain, however, since it will wash away the product.

Use cat litter, not to melt wintry precipitation, but to get traction. Cat litter is made of granules that will help a vehicle gain traction when stuck on snow or ice. It will also help underfoot on slippery surfaces, Brookmyer says. Bare Ground also makes Slip-Grip Infused Traction Granules, a pumice alternative that includes an ice-melting agent. Slip-Grip is priced at $12.95 for a five pound carton.

Consider buying a spreader or a sprayer to make it easier to distribute deicer. Manufacturers like Meyer Products make drop spreaders, which just drop deicer in spots as they are wheeled around, and broadcast spreaders, which disperse material in a circular pattern, says Craig Kemmerling of Meyer. Bare Ground, likewise, makes rolling and backpack sprayers for its liquid deicer. Salt spreaders can cost anywhere from $40 to $400, while sprayers cost $40-$60.

Older people should use liquid deicer. For arthritic residents and those who can’t carry a 50-pound bag of ice melt, a liquid might be the only option. And you get better coverage from a liquid than you do from a granular ice melt. In fact, one gallon of liquid deicer can treat the same space as a 50-pound bag of rock salt or other ice melt.