It’s Salty Out There!
Welcome to winter! Trudging through snowy sidewalks is a challenge, so many thanks to the building managers, caretakers and snow removal vendors who clear our sidewalks quickly. The City of Minneapolis requires sidewalks to be cleared within four daytime hours after it stops snowing.
When sidewalks become icy, they’re downright dangerous, so many caretakers rely on salt to melt the ice away to prevent slips and falls. But using too much salt creates new problems: polluting waterways, corroding concrete and hurting dogs’ paws.
This is too much salt. It can be swept up and re-used.
A Coffee Cup of Salt Goes a Long Way
The City of Minneapolis has a 30-minute online course to learn how to properly use sidewalk salt. In a nutshell, their advice is:
- Remove snow with a shovel or plow; avoid making salt do all the work.
- Apply salt to icy patches, not bare sidewalks.
- A 12-ounce coffee cup of salt is enough to cover 10 sidewalk squares. “More ice does not mean more melting,” according to the online course. A grain of salt every three inches will work.
- Use sand to add traction to slippery spots, especially when it’s too cold for salt to work.
- Sweep us excess salt and sand so you can re-use it.
The City of Minneapolis provides posters with tips for safe salting.
Harm to Dogs
Salt on sidewalks irritates dogs’ paws, causing dryness, cracking and burning.
Not all dogs are willing to wear boots, so North Loop dog owners quickly learn which sidewalks use too much salt. While some salts market themselves as “pet-safe,” any kind of salt is irritating to dogs’ paws to varying degrees. “Rock salt can be irritating on feet, but if it’s rinsed or wiped off it’s generally safe,” said Dr. Michelle Donald of Modern Love Veterinary. If a dog eats snow mixed with salt, “They will likely vomit before the sodium absorbs into their bloodstream.” But if owners are worried about their dogs eating salt and their dog is behaving abnormally, Donald advises people to call her office or the Pet Poison Helpline. Dr. Donald’s office uses a product called Safe Paws on their sidewalk.
By Mary Binkley, NLNA Volunteer