Winter has its fans, but even those who enjoy playing in the snow probably dislike the chore of clearing up after a big storm that dumps several inches or even feet of snow and ice.It’s easy to dash to the closest hardware store to grab a bag of salt, but experts say there are a lot of environmental and other factors to consider when tackling all that ice and snow.Here’s what to know.What kinds of salt are out there?AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRock salt, also known as sodium chloride, is the cheapest and most commonly used product. But it’s not great for the environment and it’s not the most effective option out there.”There’s a chart we reference that’s chemical effectiveness at certain temperatures. And really, when you get to about 15 degrees or colder, you can keep applying more and more rock salt and it’s not going to do any more than it already does,” said Martin Tirado, CEO of the Snow and Ice Management Association, a trade group for industry professionals.In those conditions, other products — calcium chloride, magnesium chloride — release heat that helps the salt work better, Tirado said.The different formulations vary in other ways, too, including how quickly they work, their corrosiveness and how they interact with moisture. Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride can cost at least twice as much as rock salt.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut all contain chlorides that can pollute fresh water, damage shrubs, trees and grass and crumble concrete sidewalks, stoops and driveways.Blends and coatings can reduce the corrosive nature and environmental hazards of these salts, experts say.More in LifestyleCalcium manganese acetate is one of the tamest de-icing products out there, developed specifically to replace rock salt and be more environmentally friendly. It is biodegradable, a corrosion inhibitor, and typically used as a liquid. But it is much more expensive and can still create issues with dissolved oxygen on bodies of water.What about …
