Easily Remove Snow From Your Driveway With A Simple DIY Solution

Snowfall may catch you off guard when a considerable amount falls overnight, or even when the stores run out of rock salt and snow-melting products. Without a snow blower or being able to use your lawn mower for snow removal, it may take some time to dig through deep drifts, at least enough to back the car out of the driveway. Instead of just toughing it out with a shovel (and the ever-increasing possibility of a sore back), an easy DIY solution helps melt some of that snow quickly so it's easier to scoop out of the way. 

A mixture of hot water, rubbing alcohol, and a liquid dish soap creates a reaction that makes the snow bubble up and liquefy. Since the freezing point of rubbing alcohol is negative 128 degrees Fahrenheit, it prevents the treated snow from immediately refreezing, giving you time to get it out of the way. It's one of those clever hacks that makes snow removal easier than ever, and it only requires ingredients you likely have in your home.

This trick isn't a lazy hack for removing snow from a driveway; it does require some elbow grease and heavy-lifting. Pour about a gallon of hot tap water into a bucket, then add half a cup of rubbing alcohol, and 10 or 12 squirts of dish soap. Stir the mixture gently, then pour a little at a time over any area you wish to treat on your driveway or walkways. Wait a moment for the snow to get a bit bubbly and turn into a slushy liquid; once that happens, it's ready to be scooped or pushed out of the way with a shovel. This mixture also works on areas that are starting to get icy, such as the footprints someone made last night on the sidewalk that have frozen in place. It sure beats chipping away at ice chunks. 

Depending upon the size of the area you're treating, you may want to make a larger amount of the solution. You could mix a larger batch in a 5-gallon bucket, or just bring an extra bucket of hot water outside, just in case. Some say this liquid can be put into a spray bottle and used on car windows, but it's best not to avoid as hot water on cold window glass can cause thermal shock, which leads to cracked or shattered glass. Hot water on near-freezing cold glass is never a good idea. Instead, mix equal parts lukewarm (or even cool) water and rubbing alcohol to spray on windows.