The winter months have passed, and you are worried about your unused inventory of bulk salt. Don’t be. This article will help you understand various ways to manage your left-over road salt, store it, and use it in the next season.

Use it next winter season

The wonderful thing about road salt as a landscaping supply is that it does not have an expiry date. Salt kept in storage is as effective in melting snow as a fresh batch of mined road salt! So you can use your unconsumed salt during the next winter season.

All you need to ensure is that the salt is stored safely. It is a hygroscopic material that attracts heat and water from the environment, bonds with it, and changes its molecular combination. This leads to the clumping or hardening of the salt.

Nevertheless, if you are facing issues with hardened road salt, you can restore it by using a power drill or hammer. Ensure to wear protective gear over your eyes, ears, and nose while you are breaking the ice. If you have the bulk salt packed in bags, then you can drop the bags on concrete to break the clumps. You could also place the hardened salt into a quick warm water bath to dissolve it, then dry and store it back.

Consider various storage solutions

Effective storage of de-icing products is essential, as it helps you keep your inventory in usable condition for the next season. There are reliable ways in which you can keep road salt safe:

1. It would be best if you stored the unused salt in air-tight containers. Large loads should be covered and on a concrete surface.
2. You have to make sure to keep it away from the reach of animals and children.
3. Make sure to store it in a place that is far away from drains, lakes, ditches, and wells.

The don’ts of left-over road salt

Now that you have understood all the DOs regarding left-over road salt management, here are a few DON’Ts that you ought to be careful about.

Do not handle it with bare hands: Road salt can cause skin irritation, rashes, or burns if handled with bare hands. The side effects may be minimal when it is dry, but wet road salt could cause severe and painful salt burns. Alert emergency services immediately if anyone has had bare physical contact with bulk salt.

Do not dispose of salt down storm drains: Disposing of road salt improperly has grave environmental and health hazards. The salt can mix in the local waterways if washed down storm drains. This could lead to the contamination of the area’s water system. If the road salt reaches groundwater, it can also pollute the drinking water source for humans.

Do not repurpose road salt: Road salt has a single purpose, and that is to melt ice. It is processed with various chemicals meant for snow and ice management only. Repurposing landscaping supplies, like de-icing products, is a big no.

As a landscaping professional managing your resources diligently will help you make profits during the snow season. While planning the few last projects, you will get to know the amount of left-over inventory you will have. So follow these steps to properly store your unused bulk salt, avoid its hardening, and keep it ready for use next winter.