Salt Is Ruining Your Concrete—Here’s How to Melt Ice Without It

04.01.2026 03:06

While salt is one of the most effective ways to melt ice, it’s not always a good option for concrete walks and driveways. That’s because rock salt can corrode the surface of concrete, causing it to crack and flake. Rock salt can also irritate pet’s paws and damage grass and other plants. There are other options for melting ice from concrete without salt. Coffee grounds, a rubbing alcohol solution, and even just plain old hot water are all effective salt-free solutions for melting ice from concrete. We talked to Christopher Spinieo, president of Spinieo Inc., a Montgomery, PA-based contracting service that includes snow removal as part of its offerings, for advice on how to remove ice from concrete without salt.

Should You Remove Ice With a Salt-Free Deicer?

There are several reasons why people choose a natural deicer over rock salt:

Concrete: While rock salt is okay for use on asphalt, it will eat away at concrete, eventually causing the top layer to chip and flake or the concrete to crack.
Pets: Spinieo says about 80 percent of his customers choose a natural option because they’re worried about chemical-based deicers harming their pets.
Plants: Excessive use of salt deicers can damage grass and nearby plantings when the ice melts and those chemicals run off. This often results in a several-foot-wide border of dead grass along walkways and driveways. “When that happens the soil is contaminated and the only way to fix it is with amendments or removal,” Spinieo says.

Do Salt-Free Deicers Work?

When using natural deicing options, it’s important to keep your expectations in check. While salt-based and other chemical-based deicers might work down to 20 degrees, don’t expect all-natural solutions to work much below freezing. “Natural methods might go five degrees below freezing but more than that and it just won’t work,” Spinieo says.

How to Remove Ice From Concrete Without Salt

You’ve got options when it comes to deicing your walks and driveways without using salt:

Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA)

CMA is a popular alternative to rock salt as it is safer for pets and plants, though it isn’t as effective in colder temperatures as traditional rock salt. CMA is a common option for customers who are looking for an alternative to salt that’s safer for pets and plants, Spinieo says. Keep in mind that though it doesn’t use salt, CMA is still a chemical-based product, so it’s not as safe for pets and plants as some of the all-natural options on this list.

Potassium Acetate

This liquid deicer is biodegradable, making it safe for use around pets and plants and is capable of working at lower temperatures, which is why it’s often used on airport runways and on bridges. The problem is it’s very expensive with a one gallon container costing around $35.

Coffee Grounds

Rather than compost those used coffee grounds, put them in a container and save them to help make those icy steps safe. “People can put coffee grounds out because they are a dark color and they absorb sunlight, which helps the snow melt,” Spinieo says. The gritty texture of the grounds also helps to add traction.

Some ice melt alternatives work best when put on concrete before winter weather comes.

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Rubbing Alcohol

Spinieo says this home remedy, which involves mixing two parts warm water with two parts rubbing alcohol and a few drops of dish soap, is a great pretreatment for ice. Alcohol has a much lower freezing point than water, allowing the mixture to protect concrete from ice without refreezing. The dish soap helps the solution to spread over concrete and penetrate forming ice. “It’s a good option for preventing freezing,” he says. “Spray this solution ahead of time on the concrete.”

Sugar Beet Juice

Sugar beet juice mixed with brine helps to lower the melting point of ice, making it a very effective deicer, Spinieo says. “This is the most natural of all the solutions,” he says. The red color also makes it easy to see where you have and haven’t treated. Just make sure you leave your shoes outside if you treat your walks with this homemade deicer as beet juice stains.

Baking Soda

Baking soda lowers the freezing point of ice but won’t damage concrete or harm pet’s paws, making it a great alternative to salt. Treating a large driveway with baking soda can get pricey, so Spinieo suggests using it strategically. “We might use baking soda specifically on walkways because we know that’s not going to hurt the dog,” he says.

Fertilizer

Fertilizers that are high in nitrogen are effective ice melters since nitrogen lowers the freezing point of ice, Spiniero says. He recommends urea, which is high in nitrogen, or alfalfa meal fertilizer, which melts ice while nourishing plants and grass. Alfalfa meal has the added benefit of having a grainy texture. “It’s good for adding traction for cars on the driveway,” he says.

Heated Mats

If you can afford them, Spiniero suggests using heated mats to keep your walks from icing over. These mats come in sheets that measure about 20 inches wide and 45 feet long and are powered by electricity. The mats fit over your walkways and heat up to prevent ice from forming on them. They’re not cheap, but if you live in a region that experiences harsh winters, heated mats may be worth the investment.

Hot Water

Hot water can be a very effective way of thawing ice from a set of steps. Use hot water, not boiling water, which can cause concrete to crack due to the temperature contrast. If the temperature is below freezing, you’ll need to brush away any excess water after thawing the ice to prevent the water from refreezing.

Wood Ash

It’s a messy solution, but it can work in a pinch if you have a wood burning fireplace. Wood ash contains potassium, which helps to melt ice, and has a dark color, helping to absorb and transfer heat to ice. To use, apply a thin layer over icy patches. The ash also adds traction to icy surfaces. Just make sure to keep your boots at the door to avoid tracking ash into your house.

Sand

Sand won’t melt ice, but it will add traction that prevents falls, Spinieo says. “When you coat the snow with sand it kind of binds in and gives you traction so you don’t slip,” he says.