I’ve noted a few times the pride I take in making sure my sidewalk is cleared after a snowstorm. Actually, it only takes an inch or two for me to get my shovel out.
And I clear the WHOLE sidewalk, not just a shovel’s width. Even more important, I work to ensure people don’t slip on our walk. And “people,” increasingly, includes me.
So I put out what I generically call “rock salt.” But, per several different sources, including here, there is a difference between rock salt (sodium chloride) and magnesium chloride ice melt.
Using NaCl, “melting slows in severe cold. It’s also corrosive to metal and harsh on concrete surfaces and vegetation.” MgCl₂ works at lower temperatures than rock salt; it is less corrosive to metal; it’s safer for plants, animals, and nearby vegetation; and, most importantly, its rapid burn rate melts ice quickly and prevents refreezing. It tends to be a bit more expensive.
Our magnesium chloride was in the basement, and some of it clumped up. I suppose I could have used a hammer to break it up. But I had a different strategy.
Brown sugar
From here: “The molasses in brown sugar adds moisture, giving it that soft, sand-like texture and sweet, caramel flavor. When the bag is opened and exposed, the outside air will dry up the moisture, turning the molasses and sugar mixture into a hard brick.” Yup, I’ve experienced that.
“If you have enough time to soften your sugar overnight, put your block of hard brown sugar in an air-tight food container or bag and cover it with a slice of bread.”
So, would a slice of bread break up the clumps of magnesium chloride? YES, and in less than an hour.
I’d call this a “life hack,” but that sounds way too trendy.
The storm
The storm that swept across the country during the last full weekend in January did not spare Albany. We got about a foot and a half of this very dry powder. It was the consistency of flour, so a real pain to shovel.
And since we hadn’t had a good snowstorm in a very long while, much of the shoveling afterwards was… inadequate, especially at the intersections. (Mobil station near me: please shovel paths to the crosswalks in BOTH directions.) When I went out, I had to go mountain goating, using my cane to keep me from falling.