Forest Hills Connection || News and Life in Our DC Neighborhood

Covering Forest Hills, Van Ness, North Cleveland Park and Wakefield

  • About Us
    • About Forest Hills Connection
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Donate & Subscribe
  • Classifieds
  • News
    • ANC 3F
    • Business
      • Business in Brief
      • Out to Eat
      • Shop & Eat Local
    • Getting Around
    • Main Street
    • Neighborhood in the News
    • Opinion
    • Parks and Streams
    • Real Estate
    • UDC
  • Style
    • Food
    • History
    • Meet the Neighbors
    • Neighbors Recommend
    • Services
    • Things To Do
  • Home Front
    • High-Rise Life
    • In the Garden
    • In the Kitchen
  • Backyard Nature
    • Local Wildlife
    • Wildlife Photos
  • Kids & Pets
    • At School
    • At Play
    • Kids Write
    • Pets
  • Calendar

Hold the salt, save trees and streams. What to do instead when winter puts your sidewalks on ice

January 30, 2018 by FHC

by Marlene Berlin

As DC heads into what’s typically the region’s snowiest and iciest time of year, home and business owners should consider carefully how they’ll keep our sidewalks free of ice.

The National Academy of Sciences says our rivers and streams are becoming saltier, particularly in the densely populated East and Midwest.

Advertisement

Casey Trees says salt used in deicing can prevent tree roots from taking up needed water. (WAMU has a detailed story on our winter salt addiction and why it’s bad for us.)

And when we say salt – we mean salt. Sodium chloride is commonly used to clear ice from streets and sidewalks. And yes, this is what we use as table salt.

The Colorado State Extension Service has other deicing suggestions:

  • Potassium chloride is relatively safe for plants because of its other common use – as fertilizer. It is more expensive than sodium chloride.
  • Magnesium chloride is the “brine” used to treat our roadways before storms. It’s relatively safe for plants and pets, but also expensive.
  • Calcium magnesium does less damage to plants, pets and cars but is 20 to 30 times as expensive as sodium chloride.

Whatever you get, Casey Trees and the Colorado extension agents advise using deicers sparingly. Also, read labels carefully. Here is a bag that touts its environmental safety, but includes sodium chloride.

Total ice removal isn’t the only way to keep people from slipping and sliding across an icy sidewalk.

Common suggestions are kitty litter, sand and sawdust. I have tried kitty litter, and it becomes slippery when wet. Sand is heavy, and not great on floors.

So I decided to get creative. What’s light, provides traction and is biodegradable? I ordered cocoa shell mulch online. It works quite fine on the icy parts of the sidewalks, and it smells great. You probably could use any kind of mulch, and the dark color aids in melting.

Which alternatives to salt products have you found effective in providing traction on icy sidewalks?

Forest Hills Connection is produced by volunteers, and supported by you. We appreciate your support – financial and otherwise. Here’s how to donate.

Filed Under: Home Front, News, Sustainability

Comments

  1. Ellen says

    February 20, 2018 at 5:42 pm

    Salt on the sidewalks is awful for dogs. It burns their feet and makes it imperative to walk—where? In the street, where there’s more salt? That pretty much means treacherous walking on snowbanks or lawns. So please use pet friendly products and use them sparingly.

About Forest Hills Connection

  • Who we are
  • How to advertise
  • How to donate
  • How to submit a story idea
  • Contact us
Tweets by foresthillsnews

Subscribe to Our Blog

Receive an email alert whenever we publish a new article.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Arrives in your inbox around mid-month.


Newsletter Archive         

Connect With Us!

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on RSS

Local Links

  • Schools, Services and More
  • Restaurants

Latest Comments

  • Pat Kasdan on Murch “Blue and Gold” EXCLUSIVE: Teachers share their embarrassing grade school moments
  • Green Eyeshades on DDOT to present Connecticut Ave. bike lane concepts at June 28 and 29 public meetings
  • Christine on Hearst Pool, DPR’s first outdoor swimming pool in Ward 3, is open
  • Jack Koczela on School updates: Signs of change at Jackson-Reed High include changing the signs
  • Barbara Alk Berman on School updates: Signs of change at Jackson-Reed High include changing the signs

Archives

About Forest Hills Connection | FHC + VNMS | Who We Are | Contributors
Submissions Policy | Contact | Advertise | Donate
© Forest Hills Connection | Site by: VanStudios
 

Loading Comments...