Salt does a lot of jobs, and the right one depends on the job. This guide covers every kind of salt we sell, from ice melt and rock salt to water softener, pool, livestock and deer minerals, so you can buy the right product the first time.
Start Here: The Short Answer
Find your need in the left column, then shop the product or collection next to it. Every product ships from our warehouse in Williamstown, NJ, and everyone pays the same price.
| Need | What to buy | Where to shop |
|---|---|---|
| Melt ice on a budget in milder cold | Rock salt, such as EveryMan's Rock Salt, 50 lb | Rock salt |
| Melt ice in deep cold | Calcium chloride, such as Power Ice Melt 96 Pellets | Calcium chloride |
| Balance price and performance | Magnesium chloride or a blend, such as Dead Sea Magnesium Chloride Pellets | Blended ice melt |
| Treat walks used by pets | CMA or pet-friendlier melt, such as White Polar Bear CMA Pail | Pet-friendlier ice melt |
| Pre-treat before a storm | Liquid ice melt, such as Liquid Ice Melt Deicer | Liquid ice melt |
| Grip on new concrete or deep cold | Glacier Grip Traction Grit | Ice melt |
| Stock a lot, route or facility | Pallets by LTL freight | Bulk and pallet orders |
| Refill a water softener | Solar crystals or pellets, such as All Natural Solar Salt | Water softener salt |
| Open or top off a salt water pool | Sunkissed Pool Salt, 40 lb | Pool and spa salt |
| Refill a dishwasher, can pickles or brine bait | Dishwasher, canning or bait salt | Specialty salt |
| Supply salt to cattle, horses or goats | Cargill Plain White Salt Block, 50 lb | Livestock salt |
| Minerals for deer (where legal) | Deer Cane Granular Mineral | Deer and wildlife salt |
Ice Melt by Temperature and Surface
Start with the coldest temperature you expect, then think about the surface. Rock salt (sodium chloride) works best down to roughly 15°F and slows in deeper cold. Magnesium chloride keeps working colder, and calcium chloride releases heat as it dissolves, so it works in much colder weather. Each product lists its own rating, so check the product page and the label before you buy.
Surface matters too. Near pavers, plantings and pets, choose a gentler product and use it sparingly. Never use any ice melt on concrete less than one year old. For deep cold, look at Color-Coated Ice Melt Pail, rated to -25°F, or MeltMaxx Calcium Chloride and Rock Salt Blend, rated to -15°F. For ice dams, RoofMelt Roof Ice Melt Tablets are made for roofs and gutters. See every option in ice melt.
Rock Salt
Rock salt, also called halite, is the budget workhorse for driveways, sidewalks and parking areas in milder cold. It covers a lot of ground for the price, which is why it is a favorite for large areas. It can harm new concrete and nearby plants, so use it thinly and sweep up leftovers.
Pick EveryMan's Rock Salt, 50 lb Bag for large areas, Peach Country Old Salt Halite (labeled to about 5°F), or Halite Crystals Ice Melt Pail for steps and walks. Shop the full rock salt collection. De-icing rock salt is not food grade, so it never goes in an ice cream maker.
Calcium Chloride
Calcium chloride is the choice for the coldest days. It releases heat as it dissolves, so it starts working fast and keeps going when rock salt slows down. It comes as pellets or flakes, in resealable pails for homes and bags for bigger jobs.
Power Ice Melt 96 Calcium Chloride Pellets is rated to -25°F. Peladow Calcium Chloride Pellets come in bags for commercial use, and Calcium Chloride Ice Melt Pellets Pail is a resealable option for homes. Browse the calcium chloride ice melt collection.
Magnesium Chloride and Blends
Magnesium chloride sits between rock salt and calcium chloride. It works colder than rock salt and is gentler on surfaces. Blends mix two or more chemistries, such as calcium chloride with rock salt, to balance price and performance.
Try Magnesium Chloride Flakes Ice Melt Pail or Dead Sea Magnesium Chloride Pellets, both rated to -15°F. For a treated salt, see GTS Green Treated Salt with Magnesium Chloride. Shop magnesium chloride ice melt and blended ice melt.
Pet-Friendlier and Concrete-Friendlier Ice Melt
If dogs walk your paths, choose a pet-friendlier melt. These products are gentler on paws than rock salt when used as directed, but no ice melt is completely risk free. Wipe paws after walks and keep pets from eating it. For concrete, remember the one-year rule: never use any ice melt on concrete less than one year old.
Good picks include White Polar Bear CMA Pail, rated to -20°F, Paw Protector Pet-Friendly Ice Melt, 20 lb, rated to -22°F, and Blue Emperor Pet-Friendly Ice Melt, 50 lb, rated to -15°F. See the pet-friendlier ice melt collection.
Liquid and Pre-Treat
Liquid ice melt goes down before the storm. Sprayed on dry pavement, it helps keep snow and ice from bonding, which makes shoveling and plowing easier. It can also be used on existing ice. Follow the label for rates and timing.
Shop Liquid Ice Melt Deicer and Anti-Icer, Peach Country Liquid Shield, 1 Gallon (a pet-friendlier liquid) and Bare Ground Liquid Ice Melt in the liquid ice melt collection.
Traction
Traction grit does not melt anything. It gives feet and tires grip on ice, which makes it useful on new concrete where ice melt is off limits, on steep driveways and in cold snaps. Sweep it up in spring so it is not tracked indoors.
Glacier Grip Stone Dust Ice Traction Grit pairs well with any product in the ice melt collection.
Bulk and Pallet
Contractors, property managers, towns and facility teams can order by the pallet. Pallets ship by LTL freight from Williamstown, NJ. The per-bag price is the same as buying one bag, and we quote only the freight. The carrier schedules an appointment, delivery is curbside, and a lift-gate is available for an extra fee.
Popular pallet products include Sugar Mag Pet-Friendly Ice Melt, 50 lb and Peach Country Old Salt Halite, 50 lb. Browse bulk and pallet products and commercial and contractor ice melt, then request a quote on the bulk and pallet orders page.
Water Softener Salt
Water softener salt comes as solar salt crystals, pellets, rust remover formulas for iron-heavy water and potassium chloride. Check your softener manual for the salt type it recommends, and do not mix types in the brine tank. Check the tank about once a month and keep it about half full.
Shop All Natural Solar Salt in 8, 40 and 50 lb bags, Solar Salt Pellets, 40 lb, Peach Country Softener Salt with Rust Remover and Nature's Own Potassium Cubes, 40 lb. See all water softener salt.
Pool and Spa Salt
A salt water pool is still a chlorine pool: a salt chlorine generator converts dissolved salt into chlorine. Test the water before adding salt and follow your system manufacturer's target level. Most pools take 40 lb bags. Spas hold far less water, so spa salt comes in smaller bags for measured refills.
Shop Sunkissed Pool Salt, 40 lb, CrystalPure Pool Salt, 8 lb for top-offs, Home and Country USA Hot Tub and Spa Salt and Dive Rite In Hot Tub and Spa Salt. Browse pool and spa salt.
Dishwasher Salt
Some dishwashers have a built-in water softener with a salt compartment, usually under the lower rack. Dishwasher salt keeps that softener working so hard water does not leave spots and film. Check your manual to see whether your machine uses it, and never use table salt or ice melt in its place.
Home and Country USA Dishwasher Salt comes in 4, 10 and 20 lb sizes. Find it in specialty salt.
Bait Salt
Salting bait draws out moisture so it firms up and stays on the hook. A plain, coarse salt does the job. Home and Country USA Brine and Bait Rock Salt comes in 4, 5, 10 and 15 lb sizes for salting and brining bait.
Canning, Pickling and Ice Cream Salt
Table salt often contains iodine or anti-caking agents that can cloud brine, so canning and pickling salt is sold for clear brines, pickles and ferments. Follow a tested recipe for the amount. Choose Mrs. Wages Canning and Pickling Salt or Morton Canning and Pickling Salt, 4 lb.
Old-fashioned ice cream makers use coarse salt on ice to chill the canister. Use Nostalgia Ice Cream Rock Salt or Morton Ice Cream and Cooling Rock Salt, never de-icing rock salt.
Epsom Salt
Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate. We carry a garden product and a soaking product, and each should be used as its label directs. Pennington Epsom Salt Plant Nutrient comes in a 7 lb bag for the garden, and Swan Epsom Salt comes in a 4 lb size. Both are in specialty salt.
Livestock Salt
Cattle, horses, goats and other livestock need access to salt, offered as blocks, loose salt or trace mineral salt. Always provide fresh water wherever you put out salt or minerals. Read each label for the species it is made for, because some mineral mixes, such as those with added copper, are not for sheep.
Shop Cargill Plain White Salt Block, 50 lb, Cargill Trace Mineral Salt, Anise, 50 lb, American Stockman Salt Block, 50 lb and Salt Spools for Small Animals in livestock and mineral salt.
Deer Minerals and Licks
Deer minerals and salt licks come as blocks, granular mixes and liquids. Before you put anything out, check your state regulations. Rules on baiting, minerals and salt licks vary by state and can change.
Where they are allowed, shop Deer Cane Granular Deer Mineral, Buck Lickers Flavored Mineral Block, Evolved Habitats Deer Mineral Liquid and the Himalayan Salt Lick with Rope in deer and wildlife salt.
Quick Answers
What is the difference between ice melt and rock salt?
Rock salt is one type of ice melt: sodium chloride, sold as halite. It is the lowest-cost option and works best down to roughly 15°F. Other ice melts use calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, CMA or blends to work in colder weather or treat surfaces more gently.
Can I use ice melt on new concrete?
No. Any deicer can damage concrete less than one year old. Shovel early and use a non-melting traction grit on new concrete instead.
Is pet-friendly ice melt completely safe for dogs?
No ice melt is completely risk free. Pet-friendlier products are gentler on paws than rock salt when used as directed, but still wipe paws after walks and keep pets from eating it.
Can I use de-icing rock salt in my ice cream maker or pool?
No. Use salt sold for the job: ice cream rock salt for ice cream makers and pool salt for salt water pools. Keep de-icing salt for driveways and walkways.
How often should I add water softener salt?
Check the brine tank about once a month and keep it about half full. Stick with the salt type your softener manual recommends and do not mix types.
Do contractors get a lower price on pallets?
No. Ice Melt Direct charges one price for everyone. A pallet costs the same per bag as a single bag, and only the LTL freight is quoted.
Still Not Sure Which Salt You Need?
Tell us about your property, your pool, your softener or your herd through our contact page, and we will point you to the right product. You can also browse the FAQ, look up a safety data sheet or read more tips on the Ice Melt Direct blog.
