Winter is one of the seasons that most people look forward to, especially children. Winter is also an indication that Christmas is just around the corner when building a snowman and snowball fights are an additional weekend activity. Families go out to ski and ice skating, stroll in the woods, make a bird feeder, and other fun things. However, as winter comes, snow piles up and starts to block windows, doors, and driveways. Eventually, roads become impassable, and some people are forced to stay at home because the situation can get extreme. In this blog, we will discuss how to get rid of snow quickly.
If nothing is done to remove the snow, it could take until the first week of spring before doors can be opened, lawns to be mowed, streets, and roads can be passable again. It can also cause roofs to collapse and accidents to happen. It is also exhausting to do it on your own, and there are instances where it is not only physically challenging but also impossible with just your bare hands. There will be times that professional help will be needed to get rid of the snow quickly or some lifesaving DIY to help melt the piled-up ice. It will be best to have these ideas handy in case you need them.
There are a lot of do-it-yourself tips and tricks for removing hard-packed snow, but there are always those that make it to the top of the list, and it will be great to know what they are.
Different ways to quickly rid of snow:
• Winter-proofing your car, doors, and driveway –
As the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Winter-proofing your car, doors, windows, and driveways will be a tremendous help when the snow comes. Ensure that your vehicle has snow tires, have it covered, and put salt on your doorstep and driveway to slow down the freezing.
• Washer Fluid –
This works pretty well. Washer fluids comprise a slight amount of methanol that helps melt ice. The downside is that this is a toxic solution and is not recommended to be used around your home.
• Deicer –
Once the temperature drops, it is best to have your deicer in a safe place inside the house. Though this is specifically designed to help remove ice, applying too much can make things harder for you, so make sure to read the instructions and just use an ample amount.
• Salt –
Sodium chloride or rock salt is one of the most sought-after products that help melts ice. It is widely used, but because of the demand for salt as soon as the temperature drops are high, the supply runs out pretty fast. This is commonly used not just for the household but also for roads that were blocked by ice or snow.
• Homemade ice melt solution –
It is not all the time that you will have deicer or salt at hand, and that is why you can do a solution from stuff that is readily available to you. You just need a gallon of warm water, one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid, and a quarter cup of isopropyl alcohol or ethanol-based alcohol. Mix all three ingredients in a bucket and pour it over the ice.
• Vinegar Solution –
There is indeed a long list of things that vinegar takes the spotlight aide from the kitchen. Other than using it to clean grout, rugs, unclog showers, vinegar can also help get that ice melted in no time. Just mix 158 ml or 2/3 cup vinegar and 79 ml or 1/3 cup water. Just pour the mixture on the ice and let its wonders work for you.
After melting the ice using one of the DIYs that were listed, there might still be a thin sheet of ice that needs to be manually removed. If you do not have an ice scraper, you can use the great squeegee sitting in your garage. Also bear in mind that the melted ice is quite slippery, so make it a point to clean it up right after to avoid accidents. It will be best to have your cleaning and drying materials ready once you pour in that ice melting solution or when you use your deicer.
These DIYs, however, will work on your household, driveway, car, or porch. However, a block of thick ice on the road is a different situation that requires a different process. There are times that neighbors can handle it, but there are times when snow is thick enough to cover a car. In these cases, calling a professional for help might be your best move since they have specialized equipment and products to remove ice.
Different ways to remove snow from roads:
• De-icing and Anti-icing –
De-icing is the mechanical way of removing snow on roads using a snowplow or dump truck that spreads sand and salt mixture as it goes. Usually, regular salt or sodium chloride is used because it is comparably cheaper and is available in hefty quantities. The only drawback of this is that if the temperature is too low, even saltwater freezes and saltwater could corrode the vehicles and the steel in roads and bridges. Other types of salt are used as an alternative for table salt or sodium chlorides such as magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, and calcium chloride. Anti-icing is the process of applying solutions that prevent or delays freezing. This is usually sprayed on the road before the snowfall.
• One-stage or two-stage snowblower or Snow Pushers –
Like residents who need to go to their respective workplaces, there are times that they opt to clear the road in front of their home together with the sidewalk so they can go to their work. Some use snow shovels, snow blowers, or snow pushers. These are equipment that can be used for thin layers of snow.
• Winter Service Vehicle –
also known as snow removal vehicle, is typically used by contractors or local government to remove thick layers of ice, hard ice, and everything else that can’t be done by your DIY of household snow blowers. These vehicles are designed specifically to remove snow in roads, airports, bridges, etc. There are also a handful of different equipment under this category and are used depending on the situation.
Removing snow is very difficult, physically challenging, and can potentially endanger your well-being if not done properly. One can almost call it an art, especially since that process requires that you do it in a very careful manner. Removing snow can strain your back and is the reason why people above 55 years of age are not encouraged to do this on their own. If the temperature is too low, it is also ideal to remove snow after 10 AM. Do not hesitate to call for a snow removal service because, at the end of the day, your own and your family’s safety should be the priority.
While there are a lot of contractors around the country who provide snow removal services, it is still advised to go with a contractor that provides the best snow removal in Utah – Affordable Lawn Care and Landscape LLC with 20 years of experience in providing excellent service along Wasatch Front.
