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7 Weird Tricks for Dealing with Ice and Snow

7 WEIRD TRICKS FOR DEALING WITH ICE AND SNOW
 February 6, 2019 |  Home Maintenance |  Winter, home exterior, landscaping

You don’t necessarily need a traditional shovel and salt to deal with snow and ice. Instead, these unconventional tricks might just do in a pinch. Keep in mind that none are meant to be a long-term solution—they’re just designed to get you out of a jam when you need to be out of the house and on the road quick.

Melt ice with warm water.
To clear away ice fast from sidewalks, windshields, porch steps, locks and more, good old-fashioned lukewarm water should do the trick. Just be sure that you’re not cutting corners by filling your bucket with hot water. Water that’s too hot can crack glass and even concrete over time. It can also damage locks and warp metal. If you use warm water on your car’s windows, it’s a good idea to grab a squeegee and take care of the run off as soon as you can so it doesn’t refreeze.

Use clear alcohol.
If you have a spare bottle of vodka or rum left over from New Year’s, it’ll definitely come in handy when the weather gets tough. Put a little clear alcohol in a spray bottle and use it to quickly melt ice on your car’s windshield—just don’t stash that spray bottle in the car afterward.

Try rubbing alcohol.
Your secret weapon may have been hiding in your first aid kit all along. Similar to clear alcohol, you can fill a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol to quickly melt ice on your car windows.

Grab your shop-vac.
Are you getting the most from your shop-vac? If you haven’t used it for a little light snow removal, we’re guessing not! Your wet/dry vac can suck up snow and dump it elsewhere, or it can be put in exhaust mode to blow the snow off your walkways.

Borrow some (clean) kitty litter.
Kitty litter isn’t just for our feline friends. Keeping a container in the trunk of your car can ensure you don’t get stuck if a snowstorm happens to strike when you’re out and about. Scattering kitty litter around your tires can help create just enough traction to get you out of a tough spot.

Dig your leaf blower back out.
Your leaf blower can pull double duty as a snow blower! As long as the snow isn’t too heavy, you can easily use your leaf blower to clear walkways. In the meantime, it might be best to invest in a snow blower if your area is subject to a lot of wet, heavy snow.

Cover it with a tarp.
Any sort of plastic or canvas tarp can double as a car cover—if you can catch your vehicle before the snow starts falling fast, that is. A covering can also be used to protect steps, porches and walkways so you can sleep in instead of waking up early to shovel and lay salt.

Call National Property Inspections today and receive a full report on the condition of your home.
To receive a full report on your home’s condition, call National Property Inspections today. Our inspectors are trained to assess your home’s major components and systems, including the roof, plumbing, electric and foundation, to help you invest with success.