Worried about the snow this winter? Do you dread the painstaking task of shoveling your driveway? These snow and ice removal hacks can help you conquer the cold with confidence.
Use a Leaf Blower for Light Snow
If the snow is light and freshly fallen, you can blow it away with a leaf blower. You may still need to shovel the compacted snow below, but this will drastically reduce the amount of snow you lift. Some homeowners go as far as blowing the snow off every hour during a snowstorm to minimize their workload. If you don’t have time to do that though, you can at least remove the top layer with a quick sweep.
Speaking of sweeping, you can also use a broom to sweep light snow off your walkways! Just be careful about bringing the broom inside. The snow melting off the bristles could make a mess on the floor.
Wear Socks over Your Boots for Extra Traction
You know to wear socks for warmth, but have you ever thought about using them for traction? Put a pair of long socks over your boots to help you walk on the snow and ice. This doubles as easy cleanup when you come inside. Take off the socks, and the boots should be relatively clean for the next use.
Spray Your Snow Shovel with Cooking Spray
This is a genius hack for speeding up snow shoveling. Spray your snow shove with cooking spray to keep the snow from sticking to it. If you’ve ever had to tap off a heavy snow pile or hoist the shovel to get it loose, you know how labor intensive that can be. This helps the snow glide off so you can move on to the next section.
Use WD-40 to Thaw Your Car or House Door Handles
If your door handles are frozen over, you can spray a little WD-40 on them to thaw them out. This works for car door handles and residential door handles. Another car-related snow removal hack is to put a sandwich bag over your mirrors before it snows. When you start the car in the morning, you can pull that off and have clear mirrors to use!
Make Your Own De-Icer (And Avoid Using Salt)
Most homeowners know to salt their driveways in winter, but this isn’t always a good idea. The salt can wear down concrete, asphalt, bricks, and pavers, which could lead to costly repairs in the future.
Instead of salting your driveway and walkways, try making a simple DIY de-icer. Mix 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, 1 teaspoon of dish soap and 1/2 gallon of water. You can pour this over ice on your driveway or walkways after you shovel to break down the ice below.
Get Hassle-Free Snow and Ice Removal from Berns Landscaping
The National Weather Service recently released the climate predictions for winter 2021. They project above-average temperatures for most of Michigan, coupled with above-average precipitation levels. The precipitation could lead to heavy snowfall throughout the winter months, depending on how high those ‘above-average’ temperatures reach.
Berns Landscaping offers proactive snow and ice removal using high-powered equipment. Our commercial and residential snow removal services ensure that your driveway, parking lot, or anything in between is safe all winter long. Relax, eliminate your stress and let the pros handle your snow plowing.