I came home during a freezing rain storm on Sunday Night. My cement steps were treacherous and I was out of Ice Salt and table salt. I racked my brain to think of what I could use and went to make myself a pot of coffee then I thought of the used coffee grounds. They don't disintegrate so I tried them on my steps. They are still there and have not frozen over and are doing a fine job of keeping my stairs free of ice and snow. They don't seem to track in either.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I live in an upstairs condo and in the winter we generally get some ice in Dallas. This means I am a prisoner in my home when it ices since I can't use my steep staircase until it melts. The condos do not allow us to use salt since it will kill the plants under the staircase nor can they afford to pay someone to remove the ice.
I've tried all kinds of kitty litter and sand mixtures and this just makes a muddy mess. Is there anything I can spray on the stairs that will prevent the build up of ice? I'm not in the best of health and almost fell when I tried to use a shovel to break up the 3 inches of ice that built up last year. I've heard of an environmentally safe product named Ice Melt Down, but can't find any reviews on it. Thanks!
By Fran
I googled reviews of ice melt products, and found Earth Friendly Products Ice Melt, which says it is environmentally friendly, and leaves an ice fighting coating on things. You may want to check out this product.
Potash fertilizer will melt the ice, and not harm plants, grass or the sidewalks. You will know where you have used it, and how much, because it is pink. Keep it dry, though. Otherwise it will turn into a brick.
You can get ice melt from Home Depot it works well for ice
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Here's an idea for a cheap salt bucket. If, like me, you occasionally purchase one of those large tubs of ice cream, save at least one tub to fill with salt for winter ice.
