
How To Make Your Slick Casper Sidewalks Safe
If your neighborhood in Casper does not receive snow removal help, you've been dealing with icy streets and sidewalks.
The older you get, the more painful a fall on the ice can be. So, taking care of that icy sidewalk should be on your high-priority list.
Your first thought may be to break out the salt and scatter it on slick spots, but you may want to consider alternatives.
When you use rock salt to melt ice, you're doing more than that to the area where you used it.
The salt can affect your concrete/pavement, soil, plants, grass, and pets.
- Salt can break down the paving material on your sidewalk, driveway, or street, causing it to crack or crumble.
- Salt can cause your pet's paws to dry out, crack, and have open sores. Ingesting too much salt can also be lethal to your pets.
- The salty runoff can contaminate water sources, affecting the fish and amphibians.
- Plants take up the salt in the roots, which could make it difficult for them to absorb water and cause the plant to dry out.
- Too much salt can cause soil drainage issues.
The Farmers Almanac offers alternative ways to care for slick surfaces besides rock salt.
- Rubbing Alcohol: To make an ice-melting solution, combine 1/2 gallon of warm water, six drops of dish soap, and 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol will concoct an ice-melting solution.
- Epsom Salt: Less harmful to plants and vegetation. It is a bit more expensive than rock salt, so you may want to use it in smaller areas. To speed up the process, add 1:1 sugar.
- Garden Fertilizer: Check the ingredients for Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride. These salts are not as harsh as rock salt.
- Urea: It is not a salt-based product; it is environmentally safe and better for your pets.
- Calcium Magnesium Acetate: A new salt-free melting agent. The material has little effect on plants, animals, or surface material (concrete, asphalt, or brick).
- Natural Fertilizer: Ashes, coffee grounds, and alfalfa meal are all-natural items that can help eliminate your icy problems.
- Salt and Hot Water: Boil water and pour it on the ice. Sweep away the water so it doesn't freeze, then sprinkle the salts. The water makes the salt less harmful, so you'll use less.
- Abrasive Materials: Sand, kitty litter, or sawdust can add traction to slippery conditions. These materials work best if they're used in addition to a deicing solution.
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