Our Final Verdict
We give Safe Paw Ice Melter a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars.
Effectiveness: 4.9/5
Application: 4.8/5
Safety: 5/5
Value: 4.8/5
Icy sidewalks and excited dogs do not mix. Another thing that typically doesn’t go well together? Pets and ice melt products.
Even products that claim they are safe for pets are really just slightly safer than those super harmful ice melt products. But that is not the case with Safe Paw Ice Melter.
This pet-friendly, environmentally safe ice melt won’t harm your pet, even if they ingest it. Better still, it is safe for plants, waterways, and concrete. Safe Paw has the scientific reports to prove its safety, but the question remains, does it actually work?
I had a chance to put Safe Paw to the test against my north-facing, Colorado driveway. Find out how this safe ice melt performed in my full Safe Paw Ice Melter review, below.
Overview
| Product Type: | Pet-safe ice melt |
| Best Suited For: | Use on sidewalks, driveways, and porches where pets may be present |
| Price Range: | Higher, but good value for offering |
| Contents: | 8lb easy-spread container |
| Ingredients: | Modified Carbonyldiamide Crystal, Special Glycols, Non-ionic Surfactants Accelerants, Proprietary Traction Agents, Special Inhibitors |
| Safety: | Non-toxic, non-irritating, salt-free, non-corrosive, environmentally friendly |
| Use: | Apply before weather or over existing ice |
| Storage: | Unlimited shelf life; Store in a dry place |
| Time to Begin Working: | 10 minutes |
Our Experience
Let me start by saying this pet product review was one of the most eye-opening reviews I have ever done.
I live in Colorado where we experience a lot of snow and freezing temperatures from October through May each year. On top of that, I have a north-facing property, which means my porch, driveway, and the sidewalk in front of our house are prone to lasting ice buildup.
Our neighborhood has a ton of kids and dogs who use our sidewalk to get to the mailboxes, park, and trail system. For them and for my own pets, I always buy pet-safe ice melt. What I didn’t know until I started doing research for this article is that all of the products I’ve used in the past aren’t actually that safe for pets!
Thanks to good marketing and misleading labels, I had no idea the ice melt I was using was actually toxic to pets and bad for the environment.
As soon as I received my Safe Paw, I crossed my fingers that it would work so I would have an effective and ACTUALLY safe product to use.
I first applied it to my porch, which didn’t get shoveled after the snow and had a layer of compact snow and ice on it. It worked very well for the snow, even spreading out and melting areas between the granules. The only issue I noted here was that the round granules tended to roll off the smaller areas of ice, which left these areas unmelted.
I also applied a liberal amount to the iced-up car tracks on my driveway and the sheet of ice that forms nightly across the sidewalk from the snow melting on my side yard. Safe Paw made quick work in both areas. But what was most impressive was how it prevented ice from reforming across my sidewalk despite the meltoff still occurring.
In this area, the running water pushed the remaining granules to the side. Yet still no ice formed in that area overnight. Even though much of the product was dissolved, it still kept the melt-off from freezing despite overnight lows in the teens.
This effect continued for about three days before I had to reapply granules to the area. For me, keeping this ice sheet from forming and posing a risk to dog walkers in my neighborhood is worth keeping this product on hand.
Of course, the fact that it is 100% safe for pets, plants, waterways, and wildlife is another major plus for me.
My dogs had no reactions or side effects from walking through the product. And I felt good using it liberally knowing that it wouldn’t negatively affect the creek just down the hill from my house. This waterway is home to frogs, crayfish, and other small animals, and I would like to keep it that way.
I also appreciated the easy-apply lid on the 8lb container. My only gripe is that the granules tend to get stuck in the grooves on the lid, making it hard to close. You really have to shake them off when you’re done to prevent this.
Overall, I was very pleased with this product and will keep buying it and only it in the future. I implore any homeowner with pets or who cares about the environment to not fall for the false advertising of other products and instead play it safe by only using Safe Paw.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Actually safe for pets
- Won’t poison if ingested
- Safe for plants and the environment
- Salt-free, chemical-free
- Keeps working for 72 hours
- Use before or after a storm
- Easy to apply
Cons
- Granules roll off rounded ice
Key Features
Ingredients that are actually safe
Did you know that most ice melt products marketed as “pet safe” aren’t that safe? Many of these products contain magnesium chloride, which is harmful to animals that lick or ingest it and can even cause burns on the skin.
Take one look at the back label of almost all “pet safe” ice melts and you’ll find warnings about ingestion, eye irritation, and skin contact.
Safe Paw, on the other hand, contains no magnesium chloride or other harmful ingredients. It won’t poison your pet if they lick their paws after walking through it. In fact, it won’t even poison them if they ingest the product directly.
The unique ingredients in this ice melter are non-toxic. This “safety” doesn’t just apply to pets, either. It is also harmless when used around plants, waterways, children, and sensitive building materials.
Easy to Apply
Safe Paw is easy to apply with multiple options for use.
It can be applied to ice-prone areas before snow begins to prevent ice build-up. Alternatively, it can be spread over ice and snow to get rid of it. This unique product begins to dissolve and melt away ice in just 10 minutes.
And because Safe Paw is more concentrated than most ice-melting products, you can use less of it. Compared to salt-based ice melt, you’ll need only about half as much Safe Paw to tackle the same area.
The 8lb container of Safe Paw comes with an easy-application lid to make the job of spreading this product as simple as can be. The slots in the top control the flow of granules while the specially designed flip lid helps spread them over a wider area.
Effective and Long-lasting
Safe Paw utilizes a unique dual-action approach to melt ice quickly and continuously.
It starts with the liquid coating on the granules. These ingredients instantly get to work breaking the surface tension to start melting the ice the second they come into contact with it.
From there, the crystal core penetrates and destabilizes the ice for continuous melting action even as the granules break down.
Each granular also contains traction agents to help make ice less slippery while it melts. Other ingredients in this product help absorb heat to further hasten the melting process.
One of my favorite features of this product, beyond its safety, is how long it lasts. The ingredients will continue to work for up to 72 hours. I’ve found this is true even when you can no longer see the granules.
This feature makes it perfect for areas where melt-off tends to refreeze overnight.
About Safe Paw
Safe Paw is owned by Gaia Enterprises Inc., a decades-old company dedicated to replacing popular harmful products with alternatives that are safer for people, pets, and the planet.
| Manufacturing: | Made in the USA |
| Marketed Uses: | Pet-safe ice melt, child-safe ice melt, roof and concrete ice melt |
| Purchase Options: | Products are available through Amazon and many local retailers |
| Product Options: | 8lb container, 22lb box, or 35lb bucket |
Is Safe Paw a Good Value?
The first thing you’ll notice if you search for pet-safe ice melt products is that Safe Paw is more expensive than most. However, when you look closer, you’ll discover Safe Paw is the only option that is actually safe to ingest, harmless to plants, and harmless to the environment. For these reasons, I believe it is a much more valuable purchase despite the higher price tag.
How We Tested
I tested Safe Paw’s Ice Melter (in the 8lb container) with the help of my dogs, my north-facing property, and a cold Colorado winter.
I used the product daily following a large storm that left about six inches of snow. I tested it on my porch which was not shoveled, on my driveway which had ice buildup from tire tracks, and on my sidewalk which suffers freezing meltoff every night.
I noted how long it took the granules to penetrate the ice, how long it took the ice to melt after application, and how long it was effective at keeping ice from reforming.
I did not test the safety associated with ingesting the product (or submit my dogs to ingesting it). However, I did pay close attention to how the product affected them after they walked on it. And I spent ample time reading the data and safety sheets associated with the product and its ingredients.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is it safe for my dog to eat snow treated with Safe Paw?
While you should keep your dog from ingesting anything that is not intended to be eaten, Safe Paw’s ingredients are non-toxic and should not cause issues if they are accidentally swallowed.
Does Safe Paw stain carpets or flooring?
No. Safe Paw does not have bleaching effects like salt-based ice melters and is water soluble, making it easy to clean should it get tracked inside.
Will the teal coloring stain my sidewalk or my pet’s fur?
The color of Safe Paw makes it easy to track which areas have been treated without the risk of staining concrete or other surfaces. The color exists naturally in the ingredients. No dyes are added and there is no risk of it staining pet fur.
Is this product safe for all surfaces?
Safe Paw is not corrosive and contains no chemical ingredients. It is safe for use on brick, wood, asphalt, cured concrete (over a year old), and most other surfaces.
Conclusion
Safe Paw is not only one of the few ACTUALLY safe ice melt products on the market, but it is also highly effective for melting ice and keeping it from reforming.
I highly recommend this product for pet owners, parents, and all citizens of Earth who have to deal with icy sidewalks and driveways. This unique product contains only chemical-free, salt-free, non-toxic, and non-corrosive ingredients, making it a better choice for pets, concrete, and the environment.
