Okay, so the other day, I saw this question online: “Can you use cat litter for ice melt?” And I thought, “Hmm, that’s interesting.” I mean, I have a cat, and I have ice problems in the winter, so why not give it a try, right?
So, first, I grabbed a bag of clumping clay cat litter from my storage. I figured the clumping kind might work better, you know, for traction and stuff. Then, I waited for a good icy day. We had a bit of freezing rain, and my front steps were like a skating rink.
I carefully went outside, trying not to slip and fall on my butt. I sprinkled a decent amount of the cat litter on the steps. I made sure to spread it evenly, like I was seasoning a giant, icy steak or something.
My Experiment Steps
- Step 1: Gathered supplies – one bag of clumping cat litter.
- Step 2: Waited for icy conditions.
- Step 3: Carefully applied the cat litter to the icy steps.
Honestly, it did help with the traction. My shoes gripped the litter better than the bare ice. But, it didn’t really melt the ice much. It just sat there, like little clay pebbles on top of the ice.
The Results
- Traction: Pretty good. I didn’t slip as much.
- Melting: Not so much. The ice stayed pretty solid.
After a few hours, I checked again. The ice was still there, and the cat litter was starting to get wet and clumpy, like it does in the litter box. Not exactly the pretty winter wonderland look I was going for.
In the end, I swept up most of the litter and used some actual ice melt stuff I found in the garage. I guess cat litter is better than nothing for traction, but it’s definitely not a replacement for real ice melt. It’s more of a “break glass in case of emergency” kind of solution, if the emergency is slipping on your butt.
So, there you have it. My little experiment with cat litter and ice. It was kind of a mess, but hey, at least I tried, right? And my cat seemed pretty indifferent about the whole thing, which is typical. She just wanted more treats.
