natural de-icers

[Guest guest]

Anyone know of any natural de-icers besides salt? I've read about some

> products made from grain oils but haven't used them or talked with

> anyone that has. .......

> Carol W

 

Carol -- Here in Wisconsin, I have heard it suggested that you can use

store-bought fertilizers (as in, not manure ~ LOL) to help with ice. Seems

to me it was

in connection with ice build up along the eaves on the roof. It's been a

while since

I heard about this.... seems they were suggesting you put it nylon stockings

and lay

them along the ice build up, and it wouldn't harm the flower beds below like

salt would.

Not sure how accurate or useful any of this is for de-icing a sidewalk, but

it gives you a

direction for further research. (I would imagine strong fertilizers could do

some damage too).

We also keep a few pails of sand on hand for sidewalks, some from the beach,

some from

our own sandy soil -- I'm pretty sure those tubes of sand that you can buy

are treated with

something (especially since they warn you against using them for kids' play

sand.)

And I've also sprinkled ashes from the woodstove on the icey driveway when

it's at it's worst --

helps to roughen up the ice, but using them too close to the house leads to

ashes tracked in the

door.

Nancy M