Shovel Snow Like a Boss With These 5 Hacks

In Michigan, winter weather can last more than half the year. It can come over night or right in the middle of the day. Snow, sleet, slush, and more can make getting around difficult, if not downright unsafe. One of the staples of clearing snow is by shoveling. It's nobody's favorite task, but there are ways to make snow shoveling more efficient and even a little easier.


In this post, we are going to look at five hacks that will have you shoveling snow like a boss this winter.

Break Out the Cooking Spray
Light, fluffy snow is the easiest snow to shovel... by far. It practically shovels itself. Unfortunately, all the snows can't be light and fluffy. Some are going to be heavy, dense snows that can be a real pain to shovel. That's where this hack is a real gem.

Before you attempt to shovel that wet, heavy snow that cakes up and sticks to your shovel, spray your snow shovel or snow scoop with a thin coating of cooking spray. Just like it keeps muffins from sticking to the muffin tin, it will also keep snow from sticking to your shovel. When you are done, though, you'll want to be sure to wipe it off, because the residue can get messy. 

For bonus points, keep a can in your garage or shed next to your snow shovels and in your trunk with your winter emergency supply kit. You do have a winter emergency supply kit, don't you?

Sock, Shoes, Socks Again
When you are out shoveling, you need traction, Jackson. Sidewalks, walkways, and driveways can all hide ice under fresh snowfall. This can cause traction issues. At best, it makes shoveling a more arduous task. At worst, you wind up in the emergency room with a slip and fall injury.

For added traction put another pair of socks on over your shows when you are shoveling. Sure, it might sound silly. It may even look silly. Shoveling snow, however, is not a beauty contest. Anything that can help you get it done faster and safer deserves consideration. This hack certainly... ahem... foots the bill.

No Salt Added
Salt is traditionally the de-icer of choice in many places. That's because it is usually abundant and, therefore, very cost effective. Salt can, however, really do a number on your sidewalks, walkways, and driveway. Salt can, over time, eat away at hardened concrete. Yes, there are concrete sealers than can help slow this process, but there are also simple DIY alternatives to salt that you can try as a de-icer. Take this one, for instance:

• 1/2 gallon of warm water
• 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol
• 1 teaspoon of dish soap

Mix it all up in a bucket and pour it on your sidewalks, walkways, and driveway. Depending on the space you need to cover, you could 10x the recipe in a 5 gallon bucket and just dip from it as needed.

Keep Up
You know those storms. We seem to get at least two or three of them each winter. It snows... and snows... and snows. These are the storms that drop 8-12 inches of snow at a time. Yet, it takes hours for all of that snow to drop. This is an opportunity for you!

There are two strategies for dealing with this amount of snow. The first is to just hunker down and wait for it to end before going out to shovel. The other, better, option is to keep up with the storm. Depending upon how fast the snow is falling, it is advantageous to go out every hour or two and shovel before too much snow accumulates. This will be much easier on your back and heart than trying to move a whole bunch of snow at once. Additionally, if you add up the total time shoveling between the two methods, you might be surprised to see that in almost every instance, it takes less time total to keep up with the storm rather than waiting it out.

Sans Shovel
This snow shoveling hack actually involves completely ditching the shovel. That's right.

Have you ever seen someone put a sheet of cardboard or tarp over their windshield to prevent snow and ice from sticking to it? Then, they remove the cardboard or tarp and voila! Perfectly clean and clear windshield.

Well, you can actually do this with sidewalks and walkways depending upon the size of the surface you need to cover. Simply put down some tarps, then anchor the perimeter with large stones or bricks. When the storm passes, pull the tarps back and you have a clear walkway with no shoveling!

In Conclusion
You can't always predict the weather, but you can be pretty certain that, in Michigan, we are going to get some pretty extended snow storms every winter. While we can't stop it, having some techniques for safer and more efficient snow removal can help make the best of the situation.

Of course, if you are looking for commercial snow removal services, we'd sure appreciate it if you would give E.P.M. LawnScape and Supply an opportunity. Simply contact us online or call us at (517) 990-0110 today!

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