There’s a chance you’ve been using your ice melt incorrectly. Commonly, people tend to shovel the walk or driveway, then put down ice melt to prevent a sheet of ice later. Unfortunately, while that may help a little, it’s not necessarily the best prevention method. What’s worse is the ice melt product you’re using may be severely damaging to the concrete, brick, and more. Not all ice melt is created equally, in fact, there are quite a few that shouldn’t be used at all by the longer effects it can have on the environment. With how many inconsistencies there are with ice melt, we wanted this blog to highlight the six tips on how to safely use ice melt for the upcoming winter and in the future, while also protecting your indoor and outdoor areas.
● Don’t wait to apply: The best time to apply ice melt is before the storm hits. When the snow starts falling the ice melt can help keep snow/ice build-up to a minimum from the start. To maximize its efforts, apply the ice melt during the storm and after it, but that first round will make all the difference. Even if a snowstorm sneaks up on you, get the ice melt out as soon as you see flakes falling.
● Use the right ice melt: It’s very tempting to run out to your local grocery store and grab a few bags of the least expensive ice melt you can, especially if you don’t know the repercussions these ice melts can have on the environment. Believe it or not, you’ll be paying more for the less expensive ice melt overall because you’ll have to use a lot more of it. In addition to that, the low-cost option can be extremely damaging to surfaces like concrete or pavers. In the spring you may notice chips or brittle areas from that less expensive ice melt.
● 3 Mat System: For your business, the three mat system can really reduce how much ice melt gets tracked inside. This system can also be utilized at home on a smaller scale.
○ Mat 1 is an outdoor scraper mat. It’s just outside the door where it will grab the majority of the ice melt, dirt, and moisture from being tracked in.
○ Mat 2 is a wiper/scraper mat. It’s just inside the door to grab what the first mat missed.
○ Mat 3 is an additional wiper mat. It typically goes beyond the second mat as the last spot to grab moisture and dirt.
● Clean & vacuum regularly: Ice melt inevitably gets tracked inside no matter. To prevent damage to floors, mats or rugs, make sure you vacuum and clean the floors regularly to keep everything protected. This is extremely important for businesses with a lot of foot traffic.
