Best Ice Melt

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Best Ice Melt

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How to Choose the Best Ice Melt

How does ice melt work? It lowers the freezing point of ice or snow, causing it to turn into a liquid or slush. If you’re wondering what ice melt is, it’s not just rock salt anymore! There are a lot of options out there that work better. We’ve researched and reviewed some of the best ice melt products to help you be prepared when winter comes! First, take a look at these features to consider when choosing an ice melt product.

Best Ice Melt

Active Ingredient: Different chemicals, like potassium or calcium chloride, have different properties and effects on pets and vegetation.

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Roof Safe: Ice dams can be dangerous, but always check that an ice melt can be used on roofing without damaging it.

How to Choose the Best Ice Melt

Temperature limit: How low can you go? Different chemicals are effective at different temperatures, listed in Fahrenheit.

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Concrete Safe: Some chemicals can “attack” concrete, especially if it’s new or uncured. Not ideal for sidewalks and other areas!

Best Ice Melt

Pet Safe: Ice melt that doesn’t irritate the paws is often called pet-safe but look for non-toxic labels too in case of ingestion.

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Delivery Method: Ice melt products come in pellet or liquid forms. Pellets are easy to apply if you don’t have a liquid sprayer.

Top 10 Products

Now that we’ve broken the ice… let’s find the best option that will help you get through the winter without going crazy! Our top pick and budget pick are calcium chloride pellet products, but there are other options for people looking for liquid ice melt, pet-safe ice melt, and more.

Pellets of Fire Ice Melter

Pellets of Fire Ice Melter
The Pellets of Fire Ice Melter uses a blend of ice melting ingredients to rapidly melt down ice and snow buildup. Calcium chloride is the main ice melter, but sodium chloride and potassium chloride make up about 15% of the pellet composition. Calcium chloride has a very low-temperature limit that makes it a great option in especially cold areas. It also doesn’t damage concrete and roofing materials, so you can safely use it in a variety of ways to help protect your home! You can also get a great value thanks to the heavy-duty 50-pound bucket to help you get through the winter. Although not ideal for use around pets, calcium chloride is one of the fastest options for melting ice and snow and also sticks around longer to help prevent re-freezing. You can use a small amount and still reap the benefits!
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EcoClean Ice Melt

EcoClean Ice Melt
EcoClean Ice Melt features 96% calcium chloride as the main ingredient. It doesn’t affect plants or other vegetation and is safe to use on concrete and roof materials. It melts ice and snow 36 times faster than rock salt! It comes in a resealable bucket to help prevent caking. Use it to prevent or break down ice dams and other areas of ice buildup. It’s not ideal for use around pets since the heat generated from the ice melt reaction can irritate paws, and it’s toxic if ingested. But if you’re looking for an ice melt product that won’t damage your lawn, you’ve found it! It’s fast and works well on driveways, porches, walkways, and more. The impressive low-temperature limit makes it a great choice for areas that get terribly cold during the winter. Just a small amount can work wonders, so the 25-pound bucket should last you a long time!
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SafePaw Ice Melter

SafePaw Ice Melter
If you want to avoid chlorides entirely and use a salt-free ice melt, SafePaw Ice Melter is some of the best ice melt for the sidewalks, porch steps, and other areas your pet will be walking on! It features a combination of urea (carbonyl diamide) and glycol (not to be confused with propylene glycol, or antifreeze). Although potassium chloride ice melt is also a safe alternative for use around vegetation and metal, SafePaw is designed to be used around pets while still working effectively at low temperatures. The glycol mixture helps bring down the temperature limit of this pellet mixture since urea alone is effective to 15 degrees. This blend can be used on concrete, wood, brick, and roofing materials, too! Other traction agents help you and your pets stay upright even before the ice melt starts to take effect. It is also non-toxic, so no worries if your dog wants to try a taste.
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Paw Thaw Ice Melt

Paw Thaw Ice Melt
Pestell’s Paw Thaw pet-friendly ice melter is one of the best ice melt options for pet owners. Besides being safe for use on concrete over a year old and non-damaging to plants, it also won’t irritate your pet’s paws! This formula also features dolomite is added for extra traction and effectiveness. Choose from 25-pound or 50-pound bags to last you through the winter! The only downside is that this product has a higher temperature limit than many other options out there, so it may not work as well if you have tough windchill or temperatures below 0 degrees. It can also be applied to roofing to prevent ice dams and other unwanted issues. It also doesn’t damage footwear, carpets, or flooring, so it’s not the end of the world if you track some into the house! Unless you have brand new concrete, this pet-safe ice melt is a great option for pet owners.
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Snow Joe Ice Melt

Snow Joe Ice Melt
A combination of sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, and calcium magnesium acetate make this eco-friendly ice melt work quickly and effectively! It’s safe for use around pets and plants. CMA is known to be a low-corrosion deicer and a top choice for the best ice melt for concrete. CMA is also one of the few ice melt options safe for new concrete. If you’re looking for a calcium magnesium acetate ice melt blend, this option is a great choice for use around the home. The pellets are also long-lasting, so it helps control the freeze/thaw cycle and prevent buildup throughout the day. It doesn’t track in on footwear when applied in the correct amounts, and an anti-caking agent helps keep the pellets from sticking together between uses. It’s safe for use on wood, concrete, roofing, and more! Choose from 10-pound, 25-pound, and 50-pound options depending on your ice melt needs.
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Dando Powerful Ice Melt

Dando Powerful Ice Melt
Dando Powerful Ice Melt contains calcium chloride pellets with no rock salt added. It works faster than rock salt and can be applied very lightly: just 2-4 ounces per square yard! You can also apply it to your roof safely to prevent buildup or keep the weight of heavy snow off of your roof. It can also be applied shortly before a snowfall to keep walkways and other areas clear. Keep in mind that this is not a pet-safe or “paw-safe” ice melt, so it can irritate the paws of dogs and cats. It works very quickly, up to five times faster than rock salt. It comes in a 25-pound bag that needs to be resealed well after each use to keep the pellets from caking. That’s one small downside of the bag-style packaging. Overall, it’s a great ice melt for using around the house, from the roof to your driveway!
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Snow Joe Professional Strength

Snow Joe Professional Strength
This powerful pellet ice melt is made from 94% pure calcium chloride that lasts up to 24 hours to melt ice and snow and keep it at bay. The resealable 25-pound bucket comes with a scoop to help you measure and dispense the pellets easily. It can be used as a concrete safe ice melt because it “lingers” on the surface it’s applied to. This helps prevent the constant freeze/thaw cycles that can damage concrete over time. You can use a relatively small amount of calcium chloride pellets to dissolve snow and ice, making it economical as well as effective! When used correctly, this ice melt is not harmful to plants. Keep in mind that it is not a good option for use around pets since it can cause irritation to your dog or cat’s paws. Since it works down to -25 degrees, it’s a great choice for areas with strong windchill or painfully cold winters.
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Natural Alternative Ice Melt

Natural Alternative Ice Melt
Using a mix of calcium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and magnesium chloride, the Natural Alternative ice melt is faster and more effective than plain rock salt. The shaker design of the nine-pound jug makes it easy to apply to your walkway, porch, and more. One jug covers up to 2,000 square feet! Besides being effective, it’s also non-corrosive. It’s non-toxic to plants and pets and can be used as ice melt for concrete that has been cured. One pound of Natural Alternative Ice Melt has the same melting power as three pounds of rock salt. Keep snow and ice off of your sidewalks and roofing without worrying about stains or damage to the materials. It can be safely used on asphalt, slate, and tin roofing to take care of ice and snow build-up. You’ll be using less product overall to melt the same amount of snow, and it won’t mess with the soil of your lawn or garden.
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Dando Premium Pet Safe

Dando Premium Ice Melt is made from 100% magnesium chloride and comes in easy-to-apply pellet form. Magnesium chloride is 20 times less corrosive than the rock salt that is more commonly used, so it works well on delicate surfaces like brick and pavers. Free from heavy metals, this natural ice melt is pet-safe and won’t mess up your lawn or leave behind annoying stains and residues. If you’re looking for an ice melt for wood decks, magnesium chloride ice melt is a good choice, although calcium magnesium acetate is even more gentle to surfaces! This ten-pound bag is good for home use, especially for people with pets and gardens. The pellets work quickly on ice and thin layers of hardened snow. Pellets are easy to distribute by hand without a sprayer involved. The dissolved pellets have a much lower environmental impact on the water and soil than calcium and sodium salts.
Dando Premium Ice Melt is made from 100% magnesium chloride and comes in easy-to-apply pellet form. Magnesium chloride is 20 times less corrosive than the rock salt that is more commonly used, so it works well on delicate surfaces like brick and pavers. Free from heavy metals, this natural ice melt is pet-safe and won’t mess up your lawn or leave behind annoying stains and residues. If you’re looking for an ice melt for wood decks, magnesium chloride ice melt is a good choice, although calcium magnesium acetate is even more gentle to surfaces! This ten-pound bag is good for home use, especially for people with pets and gardens. The pellets work quickly on ice and thin layers of hardened snow. Pellets are easy to distribute by hand without a sprayer involved. The dissolved pellets have a much lower environmental impact on the water and soil than calcium and sodium salts.
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FDC Liquid Ice Melter

FDC Liquid Ice Melter is available in one-gallon jugs and five-gallon pails. It can be used as a liquid deicer on its own or mixed with solid deicer products. This non corrosive ice melt can be used on roofs, patios, driveways, walkways, pavers, and more! It’s non-toxic to pets, doesn’t stain or leave a residue, and won’t bother plants, either. Liquid products can be sprayed on a surface to provide an even coating. FDC Liquid Ice Melter can be used on pipes and other hardware to quickly melt down layers of ice or snow. With a 35% concentration level of calcium chloride, this non-toxic snow and ice melter works well for a variety of environmental conditions and situations! For commercial areas, keeping your walkway clear, or keeping ice from building up on your roof and gutters, this ice melt is a great fix!
FDC Liquid Ice Melter is available in one-gallon jugs and five-gallon pails. It can be used as a liquid deicer on its own or mixed with solid deicer products. This non corrosive ice melt can be used on roofs, patios, driveways, walkways, pavers, and more! It’s non-toxic to pets, doesn’t stain or leave a residue, and won’t bother plants, either. Liquid products can be sprayed on a surface to provide an even coating. FDC Liquid Ice Melter can be used on pipes and other hardware to quickly melt down layers of ice or snow. With a 35% concentration level of calcium chloride, this non-toxic snow and ice melter works well for a variety of environmental conditions and situations! For commercial areas, keeping your walkway clear, or keeping ice from building up on your roof and gutters, this ice melt is a great fix!
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About the Author

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Samantha Dewitt

Expert Researcher and Writer

Samantha Dewitt is a lead researcher and writer for GeekWrapped, writing under a pen name. She gets excited about pet, baby, and science products and has over 12 years of experience.

Learn more about Samantha

Article last updated on:

September 30, 2019

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TOP PICK

Pellets of Fire Ice Melter

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