(ARA) – Homeowners are accustomed to using salt to clear ice from sidewalks and driveways in the winter. But you might be surprised to learn that there are different types of salt, and that each type has different melting properties.

Rock salt is the old standby. It is the most economical choice and easily melts ice in temperatures down to 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Calcium chloride is another common ice-melting salt. It works well in colder temperatures, but it requires special handling to prevent harm to skin and delicate interior surfaces when it is tracked inside on shoes.

Magnesium chloride may be the best salt to use in very cold temperatures. It is effective in temperatures down to minus 15 degrees, yet it is gentle to skin, vegetation and concrete. It also produces minimal residue, so it is less likely to be tracked indoors, and if it is, it is easily cleaned up with water.

“All ice melters work in basically the same way, by using something known as ‘freezing point depression,’ basically meaning that the point at which water freezes has been lowered,” says Jerry Poe, technical director for North American Salt Company, which markets a number of magnesium chloride products in its line of Safe Step residential ice melters. Poe says magnesium chloride works better in colder temperatures than traditional rock salt, making it the right choice in extreme weather. In fact, many highway departments rely on magnesium chloride to keep roads and highways safe and traffic moving.

Because magnesium chloride is a liquid in its natural form, it dissolves quickly to make a brine. The brine spreads through the melting ice, breaking the ice’s bond with the driveway or sidewalk. It also works for longer periods of time compared to many other ice melters.

Pet owners may find magnesium chloride especially helpful when clearing ice and snow because it doesn’t burn paws that have become cracked in cold temperatures. Magnesium chloride flakes also dissolve so quickly that they don’t solidify, so the ice melter is less likely to clump in fur between your pet’s pads. North American Salt Company offers a pet-friendly magnesium chloride blend ice melter called Safe Step Sure Paws. The Safe Step line also includes additional magnesium chloride blends and a 100 percent magnesium chloride product.