Cleaning Up After Deicing
Winter brings with it the need to add deicing formulas to walkways, airplane wings, outdoor equipment, and more in many areas of the country. But solving the ice problem leaves another problem -- deicing residue. This can damage landscaping and clog up machinery if not handled properly. If you have to have areas of your facility or vehicles deiced next winter, here's what you can do to minimize the effect of the residue.
Tackling Residue on Walkways
Deicing residue on walkways can pit certain materials, and if it's tracked into a facility on people's shoes, it can stain carpeting and flooring. After the deicing material has been applied, and the ice has melted, try to wash the walkways wherever you see residue. Use warm water, of course, and dry the surfaces quickly with paper towels or rags so that no water is left to form more ice. You may want to add a light layer of sand on walkways to ensure people have traction as they walk. Sand can be annoying if it's tracked inside, so have large floor mats by each door for people to wipe their feet on.
Saving Landscaping
There are two things you have to do to save landscaping during and after deicing. One is to sweep away as much snow as possible before applyibng the deicer; this will reduce the amount of runoff that can head toward nearby plants. The other is in spring after the threat of ice is gone: saturate the soil near the affected walkways with water so that the proportion of deicing material to water is a lot more balanced, and plant roots will have to deal with fewer high concentrations of salts, which form the bulk of deicing agents.
Re-treating Equipment for Corrosion
If any deicing material has to be sprayed on machinery, inspect the machinery after the ice is gone and clean out residue carefully. If you think any anti-corrosion coatings were affected by either the salts or the materials you used to scrub away the residue, re-treat the machinery completely. Sometimes removing deicing residue requires scrubbing with a brush, which can scratch coatings and leave microscopic openings that allow corrosion to take hold. Re-treating eliminates the possibility of a corrosion problem forming.
Deicing is a necessary procedure when you're dealing with freezing temperatures. Knowing how to clean up after it is essential for continued protection of your property. For more tips, talk to professionals like GMCO Corporation.