When the cold weather hits, an icy driveway suddenly become a skate rink right outside your home. Aside from the dangers of slipping over, it also makes it increasingly difficult to move your vehicle on and off the driveway safely.
For years and years, I've always reached for a sack of rock salt, praising it for its ability to melt away the ice and snow and create a crunchy surface for traction. But, it turns out, salt might not be the best solution.
Why cat litter can de-ice your driveway
According to Eric Bramlett, owner of Bramlett Real Estate, we should be using cat litter to de-ice our driveways instead: "Cat litter is an affordable, practical solution to keep in your home throughout winter. Its gritty texture adds grip to slippery surfaces, and it also does a great job at absorbing excess moisture, so you can use it to create your own mini dehumidifier."
And whilst he suggests it's an effective way to combat damp and condensation throughout your home, Eric also says that sprinkling it on your driveway can "de-ice, improve traction, and prevent slips."
It doesn't quite work the same as salt, unable to lower the freezing point of water to melt it the ice away like salt does, but it can absorb some of the moisture and create enough traction to make navigating your driveway a lot safer — and it's also a lot cheaper to use.
How to do it
Fortunately, de-icing your driveway with cat litter is as simple as using rock salt. Simply spread a generous layer of cat litter across your driveway, especially in spots where the most ice has frozen, such as around the tyres, and in high-traffic areas.
While you can shake the box or bag across the driveway, if you want a more concentrated approach and don't want to use your hands, a funnel can be a really great way to apply it more accurately.
You'll also need to top it up whenever needed, so keep an eye on your driveway and any extra icy patches to cover up again should the cat litter dissipate.
It's also worth noting that the clean up of the cat litter can take some time. So, you can either opt for non-clumping cat litter, which is a little more expensive, or prepare yourself to sweep away the litter once it's done its job.
Other ways to de-ice your drive
Aside from rock salt and the cheaper alternative of cat litter, there's other solutions for how to remove ice from a driveway quickly and safely.
You can mix rubbing alcohol and dish soap together with warm water to help melt the snow and ice, making it easier to shovel way. You could also opt for a warm water and vinegar solution to pour over the ice which will have a similar effect.
If you're looking to focus on creating traction on your driveway, there's other lumpy materials you can use to do just that like coffee grounds, sand or even ash from your fireplace (though it can get a little messy).
And if none of these tricks are working, you might need to get a bit more hands on, arming yourself with a shovel or pitchfork to break through the larger, thicker pieces of ice and removing them first before attempting any de-icing method.
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