16 Quick and Easy Options for Homemade Ice Melters

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DIY Deicer

If you wake up one morning with icy steps, and you think to yourself, “How am I going to get down those without breaking my neck?” You’ll place a half-gallon of water into a spray container. Next, you’ll add a few drops of dish liquid, such as Dawn into the mix. Finish the process with adding a capful or two of rubbing alcohol into the mixture. Stir the mixture up. Then you’ll spray the mixture onto the icy area and watch the ice melt. Hopefully, this will make getting outside on icy days a little easier.

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Lukewarm Water

IIf you take a shower in the mornings, chances are the water is around lukewarm in temperature. If so, then put a bucket in the shower with you. That way you can catch some of the water that would otherwise go down the drain. Then you can take the water outside and throw it on your frozen windshield. This should, hopefully, cause the ice to melt and make your scraping minimal.

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Kool-Aid and Soft Drinks

Now, I’ll tell you upfront, this is one of the deicing methods that should be used with caution. Kool-aid and soft drinks have high sugar content. They have artificial food dyes in them which could cause an issue with the paint on your car. Still, if you were going to use this on a sidewalk, then you could just be sure not to track it in on your shoes and to clean the driveway with soap and water once the freezing temperatures have subsided.

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Sugar Beet Juice

This is another one that works pretty well because of the sugar content. Also, you can use sugar beet juice by itself or also inside a homemade brine. It is all about your preference. However, be advised that sugar beet juice will leave its mark on deiced surfaces. You’ll need to clean your driveway with soap and water once the ice is gone along with the freezing temperatures.

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Vinegar

Vinegar can be used for anything from cleaning your house to DIY beauty products. It came as no surprise that vinegar could also be used to help deice a windshield. It is so easy to do too! All you need to do is put a little water and a little vinegar in a spray bottle. Then you spray your windshield until you see the ice begin to melt. It is super easy and very inexpensive too.

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Pickle Brine

For the folks, lthat think that the enjoyment of the pickle stops after eating it, then you’ll be glad to find a new use for that brine that you pour down the sink. Well, because of the brines salt and vinegar content it works really well as a deicer. It stops the ice from sticking to surfaces, which should make scraping much easier.

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Cheese Brine

Are you a cheesemaker? If so, then don’t toss that cheese brine. Instead, save it as a DIY deicer for your home this winter. Because cheese brine has an amazing freezing point of -210°F, it is a great choice as a deicer.  Just keep in mind, though it may smell really bad, it is also really effective.

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Baking Soda

Baking soda is one of those items that you can use for virtually everything. Though baking soda works well with thin layers of ice in mildly cold temperatures, it doesn’t have a high enough salt content to work on the really thick stuff. So if you are in a pinch when you wake up in an area that doesn’t normally get ice, but you find a small amount on your windshield, then you might want to sprinkle a little baking soda on it to see if it makes the ice melt a little faster.

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Soy Sauce

Soy sauce is another example of a deicer that might work well in an area that doesn’t normally get ice, but when you do, it is thin and the temperature is still mild. Now, if you wake up in these conditions, then you’ll be glad to know that soy sauce can actually help the ice melt from your windshield a little faster because it does have a higher salt content.

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Vodka

If you are in a real pinch and vodka is all you have, then you’ll be glad to know that it will most likely work. Vodka is about 80% alcohol. This means that its freezing level is well below zero. This means it should effectively melt ice.

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Windshield Washer Fluid

If you’ve ever gotten in your car with a small layer of ice, then you probably know that you can spritz some windshield washer fluid onto the windshield, and the ice begins to melt. Well, this is because windshield washer fluid has methanol in it and won’t freeze until it reaches -20°F. However, you will not want to use it in large quantities, especially around flowers, plants, water supplies, etc.

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Fertilizer

If you live in a highly-populated area that has storm drains, then this will not be an ideal option for you. The reason is, though fertilizer is effective in melting ice, you don’t want it to be in an area where it will be washed down a storm drain and impact water supply. However, if you live out in the country where you don’t have to worry about the fertilizer being washed into storm drains anywhere and impacting your water supply, then you might want to try this.

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Warm Object

The idea is you take a dense object that is above freezing temperature to cause the melting process to take place on a frozen surface, like a windshield. However, if you are in a real pinch, then this might be an option for you. So you’ll have to use an item such as a book, a shoe that has been warmed up by your foot, or even your hand to help encourage the ice to melt.

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Cover Your Windshield

If you are a planner and happened to check the forecast the night before and saw that icy weather was headed your way, then yes, covering your windshield is a great idea. If you have a garage or a barn to place your whole car in, then that would be ideal. If not, then you might want to place a car cover, a windshield cover, or a sheet over your windshield to keep it from freezing.

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Rubbing Alcohol

You probably already guessed that rubbing alcohol would work as a deicer since we’ve suggested using items that were high in alcohol prior to this point. Either way, rubbing alcohol is not an expensive item to keep around. Just be sure that it is at least 70% alcohol. The reason being is that it won’t freeze until it reaches -20°F.

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Salt

Anytime a snowstorm is coming, all stores run low on salt. The reason is that you can make a brine or toss it out on your driveways and sidewalks prior to the ice and snow coming. However, be advised that salt needs liquid water to help it to activate. This means, when you put salt down to prevent snow and ice from sticking, you should spritz it a little with the water hose to make sure it activates and does its job.

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