We are in the midst of yet another winter, dear denizens of Stouffville. Yet another time of the year where we are cold, where we are haggard, where we are forced to do the chores that are perhaps the most lamented of all seasons. Sure, cutting the grass on a weekly basis can be a pain, but is one wet while they do it? Sure, piling up the leaves can be tedious, but does the air bite at one’s face the whole time? And say what one may want about spring cleanup, but at least one has summer to look forward too – when one is in the midst of winter all one has to look forward too is more winter.
But we shouldn’t dwell on the negatives, dear Stouffville. Dwelling on the negatives is what makes for a very trying winter every year. Instead Stouffville we should try to look at the positives of winter – all the things we can do during this, the coldest of seasons, that we can’t any other time of the year. Winter activities can be a lot of fun, something unique and cool that can only be done during the winter. Stouffville, what about skiing? What about ice fishing? Snowmobiling (should one have the money for such things) is a great way to pass the time during the winter months. Stouffville there are many reasons to not lament winter so much.
Winter also gives us a lot more options when it comes to doing chores, or perhaps even working around the house. When the Stouffville winter comes, we get to use our collective brains to figure out new and exciting ways to combat the cold. One of the biggest issues that happens every year during the winter is figuring out how to remove ice from one’s property.
Ice. Possibly the worst part of winter? Snow has to be the most fun, a case can be made for the general cold, wet and grey of the season, but ice can straight up be deadly. One slip and a person could face some serious injury. Also, we know how slippery the roads of Stouffville can get at times, which could lead to some crashes and of course some very serious injury.
So what can be done about all this ice? How can we in Stouffville prevent such serious injury? Well, most people tend to use salt when it comes to melting ice. Salt is very good at this task and can often melt ice pretty quickly. However, it can also be bad for the environment and also bad for cars. So today, we’re going to talk about some alternatives to salt that can be used to get around that pesky winter ice. And for those out there who don’t want to deal with ice in general, remember there are professionals out there who don’t mind at all.
Why Not Use Salt?
We briefly touched on why one shouldn’t use salt in the removal of ice, but let’s go more into detail. The truth is that while salt may be one of the best materials for melting ice, it can be very bad for the property of the average homeowner, landscaper or gardener. More specifically, it can be very destructive when it comes to asphalt, concrete, grass and especially vegetation. Not only that, but it can be dangerous for pets and children as well. Finally, one’s vehicle can be damaged by salt – which is part of the reason a lot of cities have stopped using salt for snow removal. Another reason is that salt can be very bad for the environment.
All in all, there are plenty of reasons to use alternatives to salt. Luckily, there are also a lot of alternatives to salt!
Sand
This is the most popular alternative to salt and for good reason. While it may not melt ice as quickly as salt, it tends to be a little better for the environment. Also, it creates a lot of traction on one’s property wherever it’s put, which sometimes can even be better than straight up melting the ice (it would mean that things on the property are less wet). The average homeowner, gardener or landscaper tends to use playground, sandbox sand that one can purchase at any hardware store for this kind of thing. For those of us out there who are more environmentally conscious – this is the alternative to choose!
Coffee Grounds
When one wakes up in the morning, most of the people we know love to make coffee. It’s one of the best things in the world, and we have trouble thinking of a person in Stouffville who doesn’t love coffee. But what happens to those coffee grounds once they’re used? Well, we know that the average homeowner, landscaper or gardener just tosses them into the garbage or the compost. Now we have an alternative to that – we can use coffee grounds as a way to get rid of ice, or at least to add some traction to our property!
Here’s a little bit of science for all the homeowners, landscapers and gardeners who graciously read our articles – coffee grounds contain nitrogen, which actually lowers the melting point of ice. Then, the darker color of the coffee grounds absorbs more sunlight, which means the ice will melt faster!
Rubbing Alcohol
Most gardeners, landscapers and homeowners out there have this lying around the house for first aid as well as in some cleaning. However, it can also be used to remove ice from one’s property.
We do know, however, that rubbing alcohol can get pretty expensive. Just taking a bottle and dumping all over a property can mean big bucks! So here is a solution we found on the internet that works for other landscapers, homeowners and gardeners out there:
- One quarter cup of alcohol
- One half gallon of hot water
- Six drops of concentrated dish soap
If one were to combine all three of these and put it on their property, they should have no trouble ridding themselves of the pesky ice that shows up every winter!
And so, this article about some of the alternatives to salt has come to an end. For those who don’t want to do this winter chore – let the professionals take care of it!
