Everyone loves life hacks. Especially when it comes with things that are a hassle for us and snow removal is just one of those things. This list is comprised of 10 surprising tricks we can use as snow removal tips, and make your day easier. While some are only temporary, they are a great way to reduce the dangers of ice and snow, as well as the pain in the butt that the cold snow can bring.
#1 – Using Everyday Salt
Even regular table salt can work wonders when you need to treat a small area. Of course it does better in larger quantities when you’re needing to remove a large amount of snow, but on places like your porch, or where you will have more packed down snow, table salts can help melt and loosen up the snow making it easier to remove, or melt it altogether
#2 – Using Rubbing Alcohol
Spraying rubbing alcohol on things such as windows, windshields (or pouring it on) can help when it comes to removing snow amounts. If it’s on a vehicle or anywhere where it can catch fire, you want to use extreme caution.
#3 – Other Forms of Alcohol
Got booze in your house? Using clear forms of alcohol can fix this very quickly the same way, and it has less of a chance of being flammable. Don’t use colored or dark alcohols (such as whiskey), as these often contain sugars and can make a huge mess.
#4 – Not Too Hot!
Using lukewarm water (not too hot or too cold, or it will just re-freeze, you can get rid of your snow problems.
#5 – Canvas or Plastic Covers
If you have any leftover sheets of plastic from covering your windows, or painting a room? These can come in really handy, and can be a lot cheaper than buying an expensive car cover or tarp.
#6 – Don’t Have a Snow Blower?
If you have a leaf blower, you can still get rid of snow. Of course, it won’t do as much good as a snow blower, and will take a lot longer if you have a lot to remove, but nevertheless, it helps!
#7 – Suck it Up!
For small to medium size areas, try a wet and dry shop vac. These can usually be purchased really cheap, and are made to handle moisture, so they can help get rid of the snow!
#8 – Granules
Kitty litter and bird seed are common ways to help get your vehicles out of the way, or give you added traction when it comes to getting more traction on ice and packed snow. Plus, with bird seed, the birds love it and will clean it up over time, and it’s less messy than cat litter.
#9 – Specialized Electronics
They make special mats for removing snow. They’re rubber mats with coils (similar to the way a rear defrost works on a car). If you want to spend your money on it, these mats are worth your while!
#10 – Bath Salts (Epsom Salts… Not the Drug)
If you have any Epsom salt in your house, try using that before resorting to buying large quantities of ice melt to get rid of snow. It may save you some money! Sprinkle 1c over a large area of your porch and see what happens.
Of course, if you have insanely large amounts of snow, you may just need to invest in a snow blower shovel, or even hire a service like http://frontierlawns.com but don’t fear. If you don’t want to do the work, there are usually plenty of people in your neighborhood who would happily remove your snow for just a few bucks. Don’t let them overcharge you, but don’t underpay them either for their time (for a kid, $5 or $10 bucks is worth gold to them).
I am glad to learn some of these tips. I knew some, but not all of them. And with this crazy weather and so much snow I ran out of hailite, I am ordering a snow blower!
I am SO glad I live in the South and we only have to deal with an occasional snow flurry. I moved here because I hate being cold. I will never again live where I have to deal with snow every winter.
Oh, boy, I am so over Winter, lol. I loved snow as a kid, but not so much these days. These are good tips.