Michigan winters mean ice, snow, and slippery conditions.

Fortunately, your local Godwin store has a variety of ice melt products that can help give you the wintertime traction you need to safely and securely navigate your property.

Not all ice melt solutions work the same way. Understanding your options and the pros and cons of each can help you make the right choice.

Option 1. Sodium Chloride Rock Salt

Rock salt is a natural mineral form of table salt (not that you want to try eating it). It’s the most common deicer used in the US and is also the cheapest. Rock salt works by turning regular ice and snow water into salt water, which has a lower freezing point.

While cheap and effective, salt has drawbacks as it only works at temperatures above 17 degrees Fahrenheit or so. It can also track inside on your shoes and could stain floor mats inside your home or vehicle.

Option 2. Blended Ice Melt

If rock salt isn’t the right option for you, you’ll probably be interested in blended ice melt.

There are a wide variety of brands and options to choose, each with different characteristics. In general, ice melt is safer for pets and vegetation, is less corrosive to concrete or fully concrete-safe, and is only moderately more expensive than rock salt.

The product works by using potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, or calcium chloride (often with some filler sodium chloride or other products to keep costs down) to once again convert the ice into a saltwater solution with a lower freezing point, melting the ice.

Certain ice melt products are formulated for extremely fast melting action, improved safety, and a much wider temperature range than common rock salt, down to -15 degrees Fahrenheit. So even if you use rock salt most of the time, ice melt products can be a great backup option for the next sub-zero polar vortex deep freeze.

There are lots of factors to consider when choosing the right type of ice melt, so don’t worry if you have questions! Our local Godwin team members would be more than happy to help point you in the right direction. Call us today at 616-243-3131 for a free consultation.