Icy stairs are a major problem in the winter for many and although rock salt will generally do the the trick, it has a tendency to ruin concrete and get tracked through the house, creating a mess. Here’s a simple solution to prevent icy stairs . . .
You’ll Need:
An Empty Gallon Jug
2 Tsp Dawn Dish Detergent (other brands are NOT recommended)
2 Tbs (1 ounce) Rubbing Alcohol
Measure the rubbing alcohol and dawn dish detergent into the empty jug then fill it halfway with warm water. Cap it and shake gently to completely mix the ingredients. Shake gently just prior to using.
To prevent icy stairs, pour the mixture over the front step as soon as the temperatures begin to drop. The soap will not freeze thereby keeping the step ice free.
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© Can Stock Photo Inc. / Friedamischke
another good tip. you can also use isotropic alcohol with a teaspoon of shampoo in a gallon container. add water to top.
you can clean anything with this. it is great for counter tops, windows and most anything else.
uaed this on my porch this weekend in texas. works great******:beaverhug:
can i use this on wood decks & stairs? thanks for the tip!:ice:
good idea, my steps were slick for a week until the ice melted. i will use this next time they forecast freezing rain here in northern ok.
got snow and sleet coming in two days. i am gonna be ready this time.
we will see how it goes…. it’s 6* here with a -20 wind chill and I just put it on my steps… if it’s going to freeze and not work it should do it in about a minute…..
Western NY state
did it work? was curious about when it gets so cold the salt won’t work. where grew up we had to use sand on all the roads instead.
it didn’t work for me. as soon as it touched the cold cement it turned into ice.
also i didn’t measure just guessed. so that could be the problem.
i always use calcium chloride or magnesium chloride, both melt at much colder temps than salt(up to -25*f). Salt is not effective at temps under 19*f.
I just used this concoction though I didn’t use rubbing alcohol, I used a high proof drinking alcohol (ran out of rubbing alcohol) and a cheap store brand dish soap, it is 22*f out and it’s been a 1/2 an hr and isn’t icing up. So it seems to hold up to the hype :celebrate1:
this sounds great, but i have to ask…is this ecologically green? what happens when the alcohol and dish soap run off into the grass when everything melts? will it harm the grass, flowers, etc?
It should be.
Dawn is used to help clean up oil spills. And the tiny amount of alcohol wouldn’t be enough to affect anything.
Your grass may not be able to stand up straight. and it may start hiccuping tiny bubbles.
Alcohol will desolve and the dish soap wont hurt the yard, no different than washing your dog in the yard during summer months 🙂
going to give this a try…..thanks!
i live with my wheelchair bound sister and her handicap ramp is wood. would this work on that as well as regular cement steps?
Anyone use it on wood yet?
I’ll try almost anything – the evestroph keeps dripping over my steps and they ice up overnight! Landlord won’t fix the problem and I’m tired of buying salt.
Omg yes! I understand that completely.
I have the same problem, and indont want to use salt especially so much because of my pup and het paws! We have the concrete stairs and one step is turning green in a large spot because of the rain leaking there. Argh
Salt certainly not good for pets paws!
Would this work on a wooden ramp or is this just for cement?
I’m trying this on my steps tonight, supposed to be black ice in the morning. Hope it works!
Won’t the soap make it slippery?