How do I stop ice forming on paths and steps?

Grit before it freezes rather than after, and the common approaches that make things worse.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 20 min
Read: 2 min
Safety: warning

Short answer

Grit before the freeze, not after — salt works by preventing ice forming as much as by melting it. And never use hot water, which refreezes into a smoother and far more dangerous sheet.

Most icy path advice is applied too late. Salt is far more effective spread on a wet surface before a frost than scattered on ice that has already formed, and the timing is the whole difference.

Safety

Do not pour hot water on ice — it refreezes into a smoother, more dangerous surface. Salt damages some paving, concrete under about two years old, and plants, and it is harmful to pets' paws. Clear snow before it compacts; walking on it turns it to ice.

What you'll need

Rock salt or grit
Snow shovel (optional)
Container for storage (optional)

Step by step

Grit before the frost, not after.Spread on a damp surface in the evening when a freeze is forecast. It lowers the freezing point and prevents ice forming, which is much easier than melting it later.
Use the right amount.A modest scattering — roughly a tablespoon per square metre. A thick layer wastes salt, damages surfaces and washes into the soil.
Clear snow before it compacts.Fresh snow shovels easily; snow walked on becomes ice within hours. Early is dramatically easier than late.
Never use hot water.It melts the surface and then refreezes into a smooth sheet, which is considerably more dangerous than what you started with. This is the most common and most counterproductive mistake.
Know where salt damages things.Concrete under about two years old, some natural stone and block paving, metal railings, plants and lawn edges. Use sand or grit alone on those — it gives traction without melting.
Consider pet-safe alternatives.Rock salt irritates paws and is harmful if licked off. Pet-safe de-icers cost more; sand or grit gives traction with no chemical risk.
Deal with the water source.Ice forms where water collects — a dripping gutter, a bad fall on a path, a downpipe discharging across a step. Fixing the drainage prevents recurrence permanently.
Keep a container of grit by the door.The reason people do not grit is that the salt is in the shed. A tub by the door, filled in autumn, is the whole difference.

Tips

Buy rock salt in early autumn. It sells out the moment there is a forecast, and the price rises.
Salt needs traffic or moisture to work into ice. Scattered on dry ice on an unused path it does very little.
Clearing a path is not a legal risk in the way people believe. Doing it sensibly and not creating a worse hazard is what matters.

Questions people ask

When should I grit a path?

Before the freeze, on a damp surface, when a frost is forecast. Salt prevents ice forming far more effectively than it melts ice already formed.

Can I use hot water to melt ice?

No. It refreezes into a smooth sheet that is more dangerous than the original ice. Use grit or salt, or clear it mechanically.