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Photo: my boots, covered in salt, after walking outside for 20 minutes in the winter
When snow, sleet, or freezing rain are in the forecast in Canada, city workers, business owners, and ordinary people scramble to spread salt on their roads, sidewalks, driveways, walkways, and steps. The salt is used to prevent slippery ice from forming and to provide traction so that tires and shoes don’t slip and slide on the ice and snow. The salt actually reduces the freezing point of water, making it harder for ice to form.
However, there are some downsides of using salt in this way. One problem will quickly become apparent if your shoes or boots are black - salt will accumulate on them and turn them white (see the picture of my boots above)! Basically, everything that comes in contact with the salty slush (partially melted snow or ice) needs to be washed, especially shoes, boots, and even your pants (if they touch the ground or you get splashed by a passing car).
Road salt can also cause rust on cars and can irritate the feet of pets that walk on it (which is one reason why some people have little winter boots for their dogs). There is an even bigger problem, though, which is the fact that such large quantities of salt also contaminate the ground. So, sometimes sand is used instead of salt, but it is not as effective.
If you’re staying in Canada (or a US state where snow is common) during the winter, you may wish to:
- Buy white boots (if you don’t want to see the salt) or be prepared to wash your boots after coming home
- Wash your car regularly, apply a coating beforehand, and avoid huge puddles
- Buy some boots for your dogs or at least clean their feet after walking outside (to remove any chunks of salt)
- Spread a little salt evenly on your walkway or driveway (don’t just dump a huge bucket of it everywhere!) or avoid using salt altogether (sand is another option)
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