Popular Hacks To Use When You’re Out Of Rock Salt

Hopefully, thanks to Western New York already seeing some snow, we hope you’ve stocked up on plenty of your preferred anti-slipping method, like rock salt. 

Rock salt is popular to use for deicing around these parts, because, according to the EPA, it’s inexpensive and effective at melting stubborn snow and ice. It’s a go-to in the Buffalo area for keeping our highways, streets, and sidewalks less slippery during slippery winter weather. 

However, Rock salt/road salt (which is actually just halite - the mineral form of sodium chloride), can have a huge downside. 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. Oof.

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Even though it might not be the worst thing if your personal supply of rock salt is running low, when it’s time to deice your freezing sidewalks and driveways, it can be a headache if you’re running low (especially if you are debating running to the store to grab more in treacherous weather and freezing temperatures.)

If you’re running low on rock salt in preparation for the winter storm coming our way this week, what can you use instead to make the outside of your home less slippery?

Here are some things that can help out you or your fellow Western New York homeowners in a pinch if you’re running low on rock salt.