Skip to content
  • 800-876-7267
HandiRampHandiRamp
  • Login
  • (0) $0.00
  • Shop
    • Cargo Van Ramps
    • Yard Ramps
    • Sliding Door Threshold Ramps
    • Portable Wheelchair Ramps
    • Threshold Ramps
    • HandiTreads Non-Slip Stair Treads
    • Non-Slip Stair Nosings
    • Commercial and Industrial Products
    • Disability and Accessibility
    • Modular Wheelchair Ramps
  • Wheelchair Ramps
    • Sliding Door Wheelchair Ramp
    • Threshold Ramps
    • Portable Wheelchair Ramps
    • Modular Ramps
    • Aluminum Sectional Ramps
    • Galvanized Steel Ramps
    • Concrete Deck Ramps
    • Custom Ramps
  • Accessibility
    • Wheelchair Van Ramps
      • Horse Mounting Ramp
      • Curb Ramps
    • Handrails
      • Grab Bars
      • Wheelchair & Scooter Lifts
      • Hitch Mounted Carriers
  • Yard Ramps
    • Yard Ramp Rental Locator
    • New Yard Ramps
    • Used Yard Ramps
  • Commercial
    • Ramps
      • Aluminum Walk Ramp
      • Loading Ramps and Systems
      • Portable Delivery Ramps
      • Channel Ramp
      • Fracking Ramps
      • Plant Safety Products
    • Dock Equipment
      • Dock Boards
      • Dock Plates
      • Rail Boards
      • Portable Ramps & Docks
      • Hose, Pipe & Cable Ramps
      • Wheel Risers
    • Vehicle Ramps
      • Cargo Van Ramps
      • Sprinter Van Ramp
      • Pick-Up Truck Ramp
      • Ambulance Ramps Systems
      • Custom Ramps
    • Nonslip Stair Treads
    • HandiTrailers
  • Fall Prevention
    • Non-Slip Stair Treads & Nosings
    • People Treads
    • Puppy Treads
  • Blog
  • | Cart
  • (0) $0.00

Home

Accessibility, Safety

Environmentally Friendly Alternatives to Salting Your Slippery Stairs in the Winter

Posted on February 8, 2013February 12, 2015 by Wanda

When winter arrives, you feel it: a freezing cold, snowy, slushy season. One of the first things many people do is grab that $20 bag of salt at the nearest grocery store.  In any given winter, we go through several bags of the clear pellets in hopes of reducing slips and falls by family members, relatives and friends.  We think nothing of spending $20 once or many times a week on deicers for stairs, walkways and driveways to keep from falling.  Just because we eat salt, does not mean that it is a good thing, in mass quantities, for the environment.

Many times I’m asked the question, “Is salt environmentally friendly?”

The answer is no.  Many salt compounds used for de-icing – vehicles to airplanes – contain large amounts of chemicals that damage plants.  Deicing chemicals build up and prevent nutrients from getting into soil and waterways as they are contaminated by heavy metals.  Excess salt can even give grass the burnt look near the edge of the sidewalk once the snow has melted in summer and spring.

Other kinds of salt include those strewn onto streets by snow removal vehicles.  The salt inside their tanks includes such chemicals like sodium chloride, calcium chloride and potassium chloride. Calcium chloride is notorious for promoting algae in our water ways. It is an undesired side effect, one that most people are unaware of.  These types of salts are also corrosive and are a harmful skin irritant. Furthermore, the colder the temperature is below 32 degrees, the less effective salt is on a roadway.

What do I do instead?  What’s the alternative to salt?

By eliminating salt all together, you will not only help save the environment but save yourself countless money.  The permanent alternative solution to salt is a product patented for slippery conditions cathumb_tread-snow-on-stairslled Handi-Treads®.  These non slip stair treads are specifically designed to be mounted to any wood or concrete surface that requires additional traction to avoid slips and falls.

Salt melts ice but the process is a slow, temporary and costly solution.  Handi-Treads® stair treads provide years of durability and are sold with a lifetime residential warranty, giving you years of avoiding the trip to the store to get the $20 bag of chemical deicers and potentially a trip to the hospital from slipping on ice!

For more information on HandiTreads contact us at Handi-Ramp in the Chicago suburbs at (800) 876-RAMP or (847) 680-7700.

This entry was posted in Accessibility, Safety and tagged alternatives to salt, Chicago, environmentally friendly, non slip stair treads, slippery stairs, snow storm, stair treads.
Wanda

Who to Call for ADA Accessible Ramp in Oregon
Lending a Portable Pet Ramp to Pets in Need

1 thoughts on “Environmentally Friendly Alternatives to Salting Your Slippery Stairs in the Winter”

  1. Benjamin T. says:

    I am an Owner of the Handi-treads stair treads and all i can say is that they are… awesome! No more slips, no more falls and best of all… no more salt! Thanks!

    February 25, 2013 at 9:56 PM
    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Contact Handi-Ramp
800-876-7267
Chat with Us

Ask a Question

HandiRamp
5600 99th Ave, Unit A1
Kenosha, WI 53144
800-876-7267

Monday – Friday
7 AM to 7 PM
Central Time

  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy/Terms of Use
  • Warranty Registration
  • Shipping and Return Policies
  • Sitemap
  • Positions Available
© 2025 HandiRamp - a HandiProducts Inc Company. All rights reserved.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
  • Shop
    • Cargo Van Ramps
    • Yard Ramps
    • Sliding Door Threshold Ramps
    • Portable Wheelchair Ramps
    • Threshold Ramps
    • HandiTreads Non-Slip Stair Treads
    • Non-Slip Stair Nosings
    • Commercial and Industrial Products
    • Disability and Accessibility
    • Modular Wheelchair Ramps
  • Wheelchair Ramps
    • Sliding Door Wheelchair Ramp
    • Threshold Ramps
    • Portable Wheelchair Ramps
    • Modular Ramps
    • Aluminum Sectional Ramps
    • Galvanized Steel Ramps
    • Concrete Deck Ramps
    • Custom Ramps
  • Accessibility
    • Wheelchair Van Ramps
      • Horse Mounting Ramp
      • Curb Ramps
    • Handrails
      • Grab Bars
      • Wheelchair & Scooter Lifts
      • Hitch Mounted Carriers
  • Yard Ramps
    • Yard Ramp Rental Locator
    • New Yard Ramps
    • Used Yard Ramps
  • Commercial
    • Ramps
      • Aluminum Walk Ramp
      • Loading Ramps and Systems
      • Portable Delivery Ramps
      • Channel Ramp
      • Fracking Ramps
      • Plant Safety Products
    • Dock Equipment
      • Dock Boards
      • Dock Plates
      • Rail Boards
      • Portable Ramps & Docks
      • Hose, Pipe & Cable Ramps
      • Wheel Risers
    • Vehicle Ramps
      • Cargo Van Ramps
      • Sprinter Van Ramp
      • Pick-Up Truck Ramp
      • Ambulance Ramps Systems
      • Custom Ramps
    • Nonslip Stair Treads
    • HandiTrailers
  • Fall Prevention
    • Non-Slip Stair Treads & Nosings
    • People Treads
    • Puppy Treads
  • Blog
  • | Cart
  • Login