# Beet extract + calcium magnesium acetate for de-icing



## kds (Apr 28, 2017)

I finally emptied out my supply of rock salt, so now I'm looking for a replacement. I want something that's a little more friendly to pets, vegetation, and concrete (in an old bungalow I rented, rock salt aggressively ate away the walkway from the driveway to the front door). I remembered cities using sugar beet juice to brine the roads. I found this, which seems to be the only product with beet extract for consumer use. It's on Amazon with free three-day shipping for Prime subscribers too.

Has anyone used this, or anything like it? Or is there another de-icing agent you would recommend?


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

kds said:


> I finally emptied out my supply of rock salt, so now I'm looking for a replacement. I want something that's a little more friendly to pets, vegetation, and concrete (in an old bungalow I rented, rock salt aggressively ate away the walkway from the driveway to the front door). I remembered cities using sugar beet juice to brine the roads. I found this, which seems to be the only product with beet extract for consumer use. It's on Amazon with free three-day shipping for Prime subscribers too.
> 
> Has anyone used this, or anything like it? Or is there another de-icing agent you would recommend?


I recommend moving to the South and getting a bermuda lawn :lol:

In all seriousness though, I too have seen where cities use the beet juice for deicing and would seem like a great alternative to using salt.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

You could try something that you might have in the garage now. Urea. Ammonium selfate or nitrate should also work, but could cause more problems with the concrete.


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## kds (Apr 28, 2017)

I went ahead and ordered the linked de-icer with beet extract. It should be here by Thursday, so if I get any more snow or ice this season I'll be sure to do a review on it.


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## kds (Apr 28, 2017)

Since everyone is already posting about their lawns waking up for the spring (!) I thought I'd try to wrap this thread up.

I received 25 lbs of the beet extract with calcium magnesium acetate off Amazon. The following week we got about .2" of ice. I unloaded almost the whole bucket on my driveway and sidewalk and it wasn't very effective. Not as effective as straight up rock salt. In the following ice storms with less accumulation the results were also underwhelming. I think it may be a little too late in the season now to give it a more "fair" test with snowfall.

It may be better for the concrete, vegetation, and pets, but I just don't think it's economically feasible to pay $1/lb for such a de-icing agent with mediocre results.


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## j4c11 (Apr 30, 2017)

I ran into the same situation this winter, so I tried potassium chloride. Calcium chloride, sodium chloride ->potassium chloride should work right? Well it worked but not quite as well I think because of the large prill size.


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