Welcome to our Snow and Ice Melt Buying Guide. Every winter millions of people have to deal with the challenges of ice, snow and bitter cold. It’s important that you know what your options are so you can select the right ice melt for your home.
For example, if you have a dog or live in an area where dogs are common then you need to buy pet safe ice melt (Safe Paw ice melter). No question about it. There are a variety of types of ice melt and we set out to write this guide to dispel any myths and clarify the facts.
Snow & Ice Melt Buying Guide
Keeping on top of snow and ice is a big part of our winter maintenance program. There are many anti-icing and deicing methods that we can employ. Products vary and our application of these products can vary too. This article is intended to answer all your questions surrounding snow and ice melt. We’ll supply you with a buying guide to the best ice melt products as well as explain how ice melt works and what your best practices should be.
How does ice melt work?
Ice melt is a chemical process. Rock salt is the most common deicer, but many other chemicals can be used in a similar way. All chemicals used to melt ice work by means of a reaction to water, creating heat. The effect of ice melt is two-fold, it lowers the freezing point of the water and generates heat to melt the ice. When any of the chemicals used for deicing come into contact with moisture, they form a brine. This is really a solution of a chemical and water (most commonly salt). As the brine spreads across the surface, its temperature is higher than that of the ice. This then melts the ice or prevents ice from forming. It’s always more effective to apply an ice melt product before the ice forms, prevention being better than cure.
Safe Paw ice melt | How does it Work?
As the ice melt product reacts with the ice, the temperature of the ice melt lowers and the freezing point of the water increases. A point is reached where the heat generated can no longer increase and the freezing point of the water can longer decrease, this is known as the eutectic temperature. Once the eutectic temperature is reached, the ice melt will no longer be of any use. There is no point adding any more ice melt when this occurs. It is therefore important to use an ice melt product that matches the climatic conditions that you experience.
As we look at various ice melt products and the chemicals used, you’ll notice that they have different temperature ratings from 5°F down to -25°F. Products with a lower temperature rating will take longer to reach their eutectic temperature and will, therefore, be more effective in very cold weather and heavier ice. Ironically, ice melt with a lower temperature rating is referred to as being hotter, this is because they are more effective at melting ice and preventing it from refreezing.
Even though rock salt is the most common deicer, there are many other chemicals used and these are generally more effective and, in many cases, safer to use. So before we can fully understand ice melt we need to understand the chemicals used and how they work. Here’s a list of the most common chemicals used in ice melt products:
- Rock Salt (Sodium Chloride)
- Calcium Chloride (CaCl²)
- Magnesium Chloride
- Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA)
- Potassium Acetate
- Blended Calcium products
- Organic and other liquid ice melt products
While the actual chemicals used in an ice melt or deicing product may be of little concern to you, it helps to have a better knowledge of these chemicals. Your weather conditions may require a hotter chemical. In other words, a chemical that will be more effective and therefore better for cold climates and heavy ice. You may have concerns about the effect on your ice melt product on your plants. If you have pets, you’ll want to know that the ice melt product that you use won’t harm them. Some chemicals can harm concrete and are, therefore not the best idea if you have a concrete driveway. So let’s take a look at various situations and how to decide which chemicals are the best for these situations.
Snow Melt vs Ice Melt
This distinction doesn’t seem entirely logical. After all, snow is ice. It’s just that snow is made up of individual crystals of ice and when we refer to ice in this context, we’re looking at solid sheets of ice or snow that has been compacted to a point where it becomes a solid mass of ice. So water that has frozen on the surface can be seen as ice and snowflakes that have fallen from the sky is snow.
The question here is more about temperature. Solid ice needs a higher temperature to melt down to the surface than light snow that is not heavily compacted. The chemicals that we use to melt ice and snow have very different temperatures when they react with the ice or snow.
Rock salt is the cheapest and most common ice melt product but it doesn’t have a very high temperature. Rock salt will only melt to a temperature of 5° F and is therefore only suitable for light snow. The question really becomes about Rock Salt vs Ice Melt.
Ice melt products use one of the chemicals listed above or a combination of these. When we talk about true ice melt products, rock salt doesn’t fare too well, so we can say that this is more like a snow melt product. When we compare rock salt to a chemical like calcium chloride, the difference is quite evident. Calcium chloride will melt down to -25°F. We, therefore, refer to calcium chloride as a hotter ice melt product. In really cold weather, the melting properties of rock salt aren’t going to be too effective. A melting temperature of 5°F compared to -25°F is a big difference.
Though melting temperature is only one of the factors to look at and using different chemicals have their pros and cons. In general, the only benefit to using rock salt is its price, it’s not the most effective at melting ice. It is also highly corrosive and can harm your plants and pets.
How does Ice Melt affect the environment?
The use of chemical products can often have a detrimental effect on the environment, our pets, and plants. The brine that is created as a result of using these products will run from the surface and can come into contact with your plants. Placing some ice melt products directly onto your lawn, for example, can kill the lawn. The runoff of ice melt brine will also seep into the ground affecting the groundwater supply. In some cases, this brine can end up in the river system and can cause havoc with sensitive ecosystems.
If you need an environmentally friendly ice melt, there are a number of products formulated from natural products that are not harmful to plants, animals or the natural water supply. One of the best products in this regard has to be Snow Joe MELT25IB-BKT (incorrectly labeled on Amazon as AZ-25-IB-BKT) Melt-2-Go. As we progress through this article, we’ll be reviewing a number of Snow Joe ice melt products. There’s a good reason for choosing these Snow Joe products. This is a leading brand when it comes to winter outdoor solutions. They have a wide variety of ice melt blends for every situation. These products have been thoroughly tested and you have the assurance that it works safely and you’re guaranteed to find the right ice melt for your situation.
What’s the best ice melt? Here are several great options…
Snow Joe MELT25IB-BKT Melt-2-Go
Best ice melt that is pet safe and not harmful to the environment.
Features:
- Eco, pet- and kid friendly
- Enhanced with CMA (calcium magnesium acetate) for fast and effective results
- Color-coated crystals help visually measure and dispense the right amount
- Convenient refillable bucket with handy measuring scoop for easy dispensing
- Long lasting, time-relaxed formula provides superior traction control
- Will not harm grass, wood, concrete, metals, or other vegetation
- MELTS DOWN TO -20ºF: MELT Beet It effectively melts ice and snow on contact, even at temperatures as low as -20ºF.
- SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN: Apply early to prevent ice buildup.
- WET/HEAVY SNOW: Apply early to prevent bonding.
- LARGE ACCUMULATION: Clear excess snow, spread on stubborn ice or packed snow.
With the primary ingredient being natural beet juice, this Snow Joe product is their most environmentally friendly product. Its deicing ability is enhanced by the use of Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA). Although CMA is a refined chemical, it is one of the safest. CMA is noncorrosive, does not irritate the skin and does not harm plants if used as directed.
This natural blend is able to provide ice melt down to -25°F and is suitable for ambient temperatures down to -20°F. For an all-natural, environmentally friendly product, Snow Joe AZ-25-IB-BKT Melt-2-Go is remarkably effective. It will provide ice melt protection for up to 20-hours, which is not much less than the premium Snow Joe ice melt products.
VIDEO | See how the Snow Joe pet-safe ice melt works (MELT25IB-BKT)
One of the refreshing things about this natural product is that they haven’t hiked up the price. Many environmentally friendly products end up being more expensive. There is often no real reason for this, excepting that manufacturers seem to want to profit off those who have a green conscious. Snow Joe Melt-2-Go costs the same as their standard Calcium Chloride ice melt and is almost as effective. It comes in a handy, re-fillable 25 LB bucket with a dispensing scoop. They sell 50-LB refill bags and smaller 10-LB bottles.
Ice Melt and Pets
Rock salt and some other ice melt chemicals are corrosive and will cause skin irritation. While these products are commonly used in areas where vehicles drive (roads and driveways), they’re not great for plants or pets. Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA) is one of the best ice melt chemicals to use for pet safety as it doesn’t harm the skin.
You’ll notice that the environmentally friendly Snow Joe ice melt uses CMA in conjunction with beet juice. Well, they have another CMA ice melt product that is developed specifically for pets. Other chemicals used in pet safe ice melt products include Carbonyl Diamide and Glycol and have a very similar effect.
If you’re looking for an effective pet safe ice melt, here are two products that we can recommend as being the best.
Safe Paw Ice Melter
Best Pet Safe Ice Melter that can be used anywhere. Highly recommended even if you don’t have a pet, because dogs roam everywhere so why not just be proactive and reduce harming the environment or our furry Little friends. Your neighbors will appreciate it.
Features:
- Non-Toxic ice melt is guaranteed safe for pets
- Concentrated pellets cover twice the area of rock salt
- Timed-Release formulation helps prevent re-icing for up to three days
- Safe for animals, children, vegetation, and concrete brick and stone
- Easy to handle 8 lb. shaker jug
- Non-toxic safe to use around people, pets and children
- Safe on paws, eyes and skin, no need for gloves, masks or goggles
- Works to a low temperature of -2°F
- Includes a proprietary tracking agent
- Lasts up to 3 days
- Non-corrosive
Overview
Safe Paw Ice Melter uses Carbonyl Diamide and an admixture of Glycol as its active ingredients. This mixture will cover up to twice the area as one would using coarse salt and has the benefit of being non-toxic – safe for pets, children, and plants.
It will provide ice melt protection down to -2°F and has a time-release formula that will last up to three days. This long-lasting effect is one of the biggest advantages of using Safe Paw Ice Melter. It comes in a large 35-LB bucket that will last quite a while.
Snow Joe MELT25EB-BKT EB Enviro-Blend
25 Lb. Bucket Premium Environmentally-Friendly Blend Ice Melter w/ CMA
Features:
- Eco, pet- and kid-friendly
- Formulated with Pet Friendly Ingredients
- Protects Surrounding Hardscapes and Softscapes*
- Fewer Applications Required to Achieve Superior Performance
- Reduces Damage Towards Vegetation and Concrete*
- Formulated to Provide Soil Supporting Compounds
- Reduces Corrosion Towards Metals
- Anti-Caking Agents Added for Extended Shelf Life
- Enhanced with CMA (calcium magnesium acetate) for fast and effective results
- Color-coated crystals help to visually measure and dispense the right amount
- Convenient refillable dispenser bucket with handy scoop
- Long lasting, time-relaxed formula provides superior traction control
- Will not harm grass, wood, concrete, metals, or other vegetation
- Net weight: 25 lbs
- FAST ACTING: MELT EB goes to work immediately upon contact with snow and ice to accelerate the deicing and melting process. Pre-treating surfaces with MELT EB will also prevent ice and snow from accumulating.
- LONG LASTING: Stays on the surface area longer for added protection and better control of the freeze/thaw cycle.
- Will not dry out or irritate the skin and can be safely and easily dispensed without requiring the use of protective clothing.
- Will not track onto your home’s floors or carpets, so you can safely tread your footwear onto any treated surface without worry of damage to your shoes or your home.
✓ View or download the SPEC SHEET for the Snow Joe MELT25EB-BKT EB (Enviro Blend).
Snow Joe also offers a highly effective pet safe ice melt that uses CMA (calcium magnesium acetate) as the main ingredient. It goes to work very quickly and also has a time-delayed formula to last longer. It’s perfectly safe for pets and children as well as being one of the better ice melt products for use on metal, wood, or concrete. It also doesn’t harm plants if used correctly.
This product comes in a 25-LB bucket with 25-LB or 50-LB refill bags also available. There’s an option to get this product in a small 10-LB jug. One of the extra advantages to using Snow Joe MELT25EB-BKT pet safe ice melt is that doesn’t leave a residue and you won’t be tracking mess into your home.
VIDEO | Learn More about the Snow Joe EB Snow & Ice Melter
Buy the Snow Joe MELT25EB-BKT Enviro-Blend from Amazon. Visit the Snow Joe site to learn more.
Using Ice Melt on Concrete
Many driveways use concrete pavers or cast concrete and you’ll notice that these surfaces become damaged over time when using salt or some other chemical based ice melt products. So what is the best ice melt for concrete?
The truth is, that if your concrete is mixed and cured correctly, most deicers or ice melt products will work just fine. A lot has to do with the freeze and thaw cycles as the expansion and contraction that results from this can cause the concrete to crack. When it comes down to it, there are some products that are better for concrete and then there’s also toxicity to consider.
If you’re looking for the best ice melt product for concrete, look for one that uses Magnesium Chloride as the key ingredient. Magnesium chloride has a slow attack rate and is, therefore, the least corrosive when used on concrete driveways and walkways. It is also not harmful to plants.
One of the disadvantages of using magnesium chloride over more commonly used calcium chloride products is that magnesium chloride dissipates quickly and doesn’t offer the same length of ice melt protection as many other products. This means that you’ll need to apply a magnesium chloride ice melt product more regularly than you would with other deicers.
Another consideration to take into account is the melting temperature of magnesium chloride. While it beats rock salt, going down to -5°F, magnesium chloride isn’t as effective as calcium chloride that works down to -25°F.
Pet safe ice melt products may not be as beneficial as magnesium chloride, but these products are not corrosive and are generally recommended as being safe for concrete.
General Purpose Ice Melt Products
The most commonly used ice melt, after rock salt, has to be calcium chloride. It is relatively inexpensive and far more effective than rock salt. Calcium chloride melts down to -25°F and can last up to 24-hours. Though one must look at the type of calcium chloride product that you’re buying, as they are not all of the same quality. So far, we’ve looked at specialized snow melt products being, environmentally safe, pet safe or the best for concrete. Many people may simply want an ice melt that is more effective and less damaging than rock salt. So this section of the article is for you.
The following two products from Snow Joe both use calcium chloride as the active ingredient, though they are not identical. This is because of the concentration of calcium chloride that is used. A cheaper product may be fine for some, but one that uses a high concentration of calcium chloride is going to work more effectively.
Snow Joe AZ-25-CC-BKT Melt-2-Go
Professional Strength – contains 94% Pure CaCl2 Pellets
Features:
- Melts down to -25 DegreeF
- Convenient refillable bucket with handy scoop for easy dispensing
- Generates heat instantly upon contact with snow and Ice
- Lasts up to 24 hours for superior traction control
- Safer on sidewalks (when used as directed)
Snow Joe Melt-2-Go Premium Calcium Chloride Crystal ice melt gets to work quickly and is highly effective at melting ice down to -25°F and remains effective for up to 24-hours. It is non-tracking so you won’t have foot-prints trailing into your home.
This is a cost-effective general purpose ice melt and comes in a handy 25-LB bucket with the same economy 50-LB refill bags as all the other Snow Joe products, as well as a handy 10-LB jug.
Snow Joe AZ-25-CCP-BKT Melt-2-Go
Pet safe ice and snow melt. Professional Strength – contains 94% Pure CaCl2 Pellets
aFeatures:
- Professional Strength – contains 94% Pure CaCl2 Pellets
- Melts down to -25°F
- Convenient refillable bucket with handy scoop for easy dispensing
- Generates heat instantly upon contact with snow and ice
- Lasts up to 24 hours for superior traction control
- Safer for use on sidewalks when used as directed; Never use any ice melt products on freshly poured concrete that has not had adequate time to cure
- Net weight: 25 lb
The Melt-2-Go 94% Calcium Chloride Ice Melter from Snow Joe can be seen as turbo version of the Melt-2-Go Premium Calcium Chloride product that we just looked at. It has all the same properties and will also melt down to -25°F.
The main difference with this product (which costs more) is the concentration of pure Calcium Chloride (94%). The result is that this ice melt gets to work in a much faster time and you’ll probably end up using less than with cheaper calcium chloride ice melt products.
It comes in the same convenient packaging as the other Snow Joe ice melt products: a 25-LB bucket; 50-LB bag or 10-LB jug.
How to Use Ice Melt
We’ve reviewed quite a variety of ice melt products. Now it’s time to provide you with a guide to using ice melt, this will help you to get the most from the ice melt product that is best suited to your needs.
Choose your product correctly. After considering which product is the best in terms of environmental issues, pets, concrete and price, you need to make sure it’s going to be effective. You’ll notice that different chemicals have different temperature ratings and it’s important to take note of this if you want the product to be effective. If you have ice with a very low core temperature, you’ll need to use an ice melt compound that’s up to the task. An infrared heat gun is the best way to check the temperature of the surface beneath the ice.
YakTrax Pro will keep you from slipping when applying ice melt
Use the correct amount of ice melt. At the beginning of the article, I discussed eutectic temperature and now it’s time see how important this is in practice. Based on our knowledge of eutectic temperature, we now know that applying more ice melt than is necessary is simply a waste of money. Your ice melt product is only going to be effective up to the point where the eutectic temperature is reached. Thereafter it’s redundant. Each product is different and should be used in accordance with the instructions on the packaging. Use the recommended amount of ice melt per square yard and no more. Any excess ice melt will simply be washed away and serve no purpose.
Apply the ice melt evenly. You want to scatter the ice melt across the entire surface as evenly as possible. If you’re using the product in a small concentrated area, like a walkway, it’s quite easy to do this by hand. You’ll simply take the required amount and scatter it using a scoop or cup. However, larger areas, like driveways, may require a mechanical ice melt spreader to ensure the best results.
Prepare for the storm. It’s always best to apply ice melt just before a snow storm. This will prevent ice buildup in the first place. Once the snow has fallen, you’ll want to continue the treatment by blowing away all the loose snow and then applying the ice melt to the underlying ice in the correct dosage.
Allow concrete surfaces to cure. I know that many ice melt products, especially those that use magnesium chloride and other non-corrosive chemicals, are safe for concrete. Some of these products claim to be safe on concrete that is less than a year old. Building contractors don’t seem to agree to agree with this though. Perhaps they are just playing it safe to avoid comebacks, but the guys in the building industry don’t recommend using a deicer on concrete less than two years old. The concrete needs time to cure in order to adapt to the rapid expansion and contraction that results from using ice melt. This will only apply to poured concrete, pre-manufactured concrete pavers don’t require this waiting period.
Protect yourself. There are a lot of ice melt products that don’t harm the skin, this would include all pet safe ice melt products. However, products that are not rated as pet safe, will probably cause irritation and even damage to your skin. For these products, always use rubber gloves when working with the ice melt.