Winter is coming, and with it, our best friend (spoiler, not really): ice. It’s everywhere, on your car, your house, the garage door… And no matter how many times you clean it, it always comes back. Many people use salt, sawdust… but nothing really gets rid of it.
Until now, because there’s a new viral trick that promises to get rid of it without using salt or chemicals (=spending zero dollars), and the best part is, you probably already have what you need stored in your shed.
The person behind the discovery is Rob, a YouTube content creator (@robsgaragewoodworkin), who shared a method so simple it’s hard to believe no one thought of it before: using a garden fork (yes, that metal-pronged tool) to break ice in minutes!
From forgotten to viral
In his video, Rob shows how a regular garden fork, the kind used to move leaves, becomes the best weapon against ice.
“The key is that it has strong, wide tines” he explains while working on a frozen driveway. “It penetrates ice better than a shovel or scraper and lets you lift it off in one go”.
First, he breaks the ice layer with the fork, then removes the chunks with a regular shovel, leaving the ground clean with zero corrosive products and spending a total of zero dollars! Plus, by not using salt, you avoid damaging the pavement and prevent rust on your car.
Why salt isn’t always the best idea
Throwing salt on ice is the usual thing, we’ve all done it or seen it countless times, but that just creates salty water (you know what happens to cars near the coast?). It can corrode the bodywork, the undercarriage, and even the brake system because it seeps everywhere and rusts metal fast.
Does it work?
Rob’s video filled up with comments from people who tried the trick.
“My garage floor was covered in compacted ice, and this worked perfectly. Thanks for the tip”
“I went to the hardware store, bought a fork for less than $30, and it broke all the ice effortlessly. Amazing”
“I was having a heck of a time breaking the compacted snow and ice off my driveway and sidewalks. This method worked great. Thanks for the tip!”
“I’m definitely going to buy one of those to keep for next winter we had a lot of ice this past winter”.
Of course, it’s not perfect. Some users warned that if the ice is too thick or the surface too delicate, the tool might not work and could scratch it, but if you’re careful, it’s the most practical and cheapest alternative we’ve seen so far.
Keep your garage ice-free
Prevention is always better than cure, right? So, if you can, sweep or blow away the snow right after it falls, before it compacts and freezes. If you already have a layer of ice, you can use calcium chloride pellets or eco-friendly products that don’t cause damage.
Oh, and very important: no hot water!!! It may seem like a good idea, but when it cools, it creates an even more slippery layer, and if you pour it on your car, you could crack the windows. So, be very careful with those tricks.
Homemade solutions!
Grandma’s remedies are always the best, and this one almost qualifies. It’s an easy way to keep our driveways clear without using harsh chemicals.
And how funny, it turns out the solution was sitting forgotten in the garage all along! Remember, when there’s ice, don’t rush out to buy salt, look for an old garden fork and put it to use!