5 Rock Salt Replacements for Winters in New York

Snow, cold temperatures, and ice: it's December in New York. Businesses and homes across the state will be laying down rock salt to keep things from getting too slippery. What if you don't have any rock salt, though? 

What is Rock Salt, in Case You Didn't Know?

Rock salt (also called road salt) is just halite - the mineral form of sodium chloride - and it’s been a go-to for New Yorkers for keeping our highways, streets, and sidewalks less slippery during bad winter weather. 

According to the EPA, rock salt is inexpensive and effective at melting snow and ice, but the downside of rock salt can be substantial. Even though it’s relatively harmless to us, when rock salt is used in large quantities, it can have corrosive effects that can damage cars, trucks, bridges, and roads over time -  resulting in approximately $5 billion dollars in annual repairs just in the United States alone.

Still, it's a necessary evil, if you will to keep people safe during the cold of winter. However, what if you can't get a hold of any? During several winter storms last season, many stores ran out of rock salt. Also, sometimes we just forget to buy it when all of a sudden we need it. What can you use instead to make the outside of your home less slippery?

5 Rock Salt Replacements for Winters in New York

1. Calcium Chloride

Calcium Chloride is a great alternative to rock salt if you can get your hands on it. It is more effective at melting ice due to it absorbing water so quickly, and it won’t harm your pets, plants, driveway, or sidewalk. That being said, you have to store it with an incredibly tight seal so it doesn’t dry out, and it can leave a residue. 

2. Kitty Litter Or Sand

Your cat’s bathroom or your kid’s summertime sandpit can provide some decent traction to make your driveway and sidewalk less slippery, but it won’t actually melt the ice. Also, you’ll most likely track it inside your house with your shoes, and you’ll need to sweep it up once the weather gets nicer to keep it from making a mess. That being said, it can be an alternative to use in a pinch to make the area around your house safer for your neighbors and family. 

3. Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds can also provide some traction to help you not slip on your concrete surfaces, and their dark color can help attract the sun to melt more ice. However, you’ll need a LOT of coffee grounds to make it effective - which can be expensive and really messy to clean up afterward. It will probably smell great, though!

4. Beet Juice

We’re sure this is the ice-melting method that Dwight Schrute from The Office uses. Beet juice or beet brine can lower the freezing point of water to -20 degrees, helping to keep spots slick-free. It also won't harm any plants or wildlife. It will make a stained red mess, however, and the salt in beet brine can damage cars and roads in large quantities. 

5. Heated Mats

If you’ve only got a small area you need to keep ice-free, now might be the time to invest in a heated mat like this one from Amazon. It plugs into an outdoor outlet, doesn’t make a mess, and can be used on different surfaces like concrete, asphalt, stone, and wood decks.

This winter you'll certainly need rock salt to keep surfaces safe around your home or business. If you’re scrambling to find the things you need to stay safe and combat the ice, hopefully, one of these alternatives can work for you.