Come winter, you will need to prepare yourself for the tedious task of snow and ice removal. If you act quickly, you can save yourself a lot of time. In addition to swift action, following our carefully curated list to help you remove ice and snow will also prove to be efficient and effective.
Tips to Remove Snow and Ice No. 1: Create a snow removal schedule
Having a schedule can give you a lot of clarity, helping you understand the next move and its timing. A common mistake that all of us make is to wait until it stops snowing completely, which you might be aware of, can turn out to be a bad decision.
To avoid this issue, we will suggest you set a schedule as per which you should lightly shovel every one or two hours. This, of course, depends on how long the snowfall will last.
Tips to Remove Snow and Ice No. 2: Follow a DIY to help melt the ice quickly
The only way that you can be prepared for winters is to expect the unexpected. While this may not necessarily sound helpful at first, hear us out. In the case of ice and snow, you have to take measures to melt the ice quickly.
After you have shoveled the ice underneath, immediately make provisions to create a salt alternative that you can put down on your driveway, the front steps of your home, and the sidewalk. For this, you need 1 teaspoon of dish soap, 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, and half a gallon of water. After combining this mixture, pour it whenever you need it.
Tips to Remove Snow and Ice No. 3: Use cooking spray to lower the difficulty level
Sometimes, shoveling wet, heavy snow can prove to be a difficult task. Consider using a cooking spray that can help prevent any snow from sticking to your shovel while also facilitating easy and quick movement through it.
You can spray some cooking spray on your shovel making sure that the entire tool is completely covered. After you are done, don’t forget to wipe the ice shovel properly to prevent any mess before you keep the tool in your storage room or garage.
Tips to Remove Snow and Ice No. 4: Invest in a snow blower
Households that experience regular snowfall during winters should always invest in snow blowers that can help push through snow and ice. These devices help to dislodge the snow and ice as they are moved and then discharge the same through the chute.
They are also quite versatile as they can be moved along driveways, walkways, porches, stairs, and decks. The entire working of snow blowers is carried out with the help of a power source that drives them.
There are also large machines that employ the use of gas engines or an electric motor. The latter option is mostly restricted to smaller models of the blowers. The other options include selecting from either the cordless design or the electric cord version. No matter the model you choose, snow blowers can definitely make your life easier and convenient.
Tips to Remove Snow and Ice No. 5: Flip your socks wearing regime
If you require more traction while you are removing the snow and ice, it will do you well to wear a second pair of socks but this time, this has to go over your shoes or boots. This will help minimize the slipperiness due to which you won’t fall—much.
Tips to Remove Snow and Ice No. 6: Make the snow and ice removal smart
Since we are already living in a smart world, why not extend this to different facets of our lives including shoveling ice and snow as well?
If you get the technique of removing snow and ice correctly, you will save yourself a lot of time. The best way to clear snow from your driveway, using a snow blower, is to start from the very middle and work through the snow towards a specific edge of the driveway. Afterward, you should make a U-turn and then come back down the other side. Continue this process alternating between the driveway edges. This way, you won’t have to constantly adjust the chute and go over the snow with a second pass.
Tips to Remove Snow and Ice No. 7: Use a wet and dry vacuum for help
You can convert your shop vacuum into a blower which can, in turn, help to blow the snow away. For this purpose, you will have to hook your house up to the exhaust on your vacuum. While you could use your shop vacuum the traditional way too, by using it to suck up the snow and then dumping it to another location, but turning it into a blower is a much faster option.
Tips to Remove Snow and Ice No. 8: Melt the ice away
During winters, our door locks, car windows, walkways, steps, and other items can get iced. The best way to get rid of this ice is by directly pouring lukewarm water over the affected area. You can also employ the use of a squeegee to prevent additional ice from forming by instantly removing any extra runoff.
Keep repeating the process until the ice gets cleared away. Also, you need to make sure that you are using lukewarm water and not hot water as the temperature difference may leave you with warped metal, cracked windows, and even cracked concrete at times.
Tips to Remove Snow and Ice No. 9: Enlist the help of kids
If using the above conventional methods sounds a bit time consuming, you can always hold a snowman-building contest on your property by inviting your loved ones. Not only will this be a lot of fun, but you can also spend time with your friends and family. Before you announce this contest, make sure that you have enough cocoa and cookies to treat others.
