How to Dig Out a Driveway After an Ice Storm

Start at the top of the driveway with a bucket full of ice melt. Use a gloved hand to grab a handful of granules and spread them out a few feet from you. Concentrate on even coverage and avoid tossing big clumps of ice melt.

Walk very carefully across the top of the driveway, spreading calcium chloride ice melt as you go. Move back and forth across the driveway, working your way down to the end where it meets the road. Spread ice melt in front of you and then walk onto it to give your boots more traction as you travel across the ice.

Return to the top of the driveway with the metal shovel, after you've given the ice melt about 15 minutes to work. Push the tip of the shovel down into the ice, where the ice melt has had a chance to work. Pry up pieces of ice, loosening them from the concrete below.

Shovel up all the loose pieces of ice and slush with a snow shovel and toss the pieces aside. Once you've finished a section, alternating between the metal shovel and the snow shovel, move to a new area of the driveway. Work your way down to the end of the driveway. Stand on cleared areas when working on icy patches.

Scatter sand lightly across the newly cleared driveway. This will help prevent the melted ice from refreezing and it will also provide traction for foot and car traffic.