What do you use to de-ice and/or gain traction on your driveway in the winter?

[~RememberToForget~]

We just moved to a new house and the driveway is quite steep and winding and I know that it will be really icy so I'm trying to figure out now what the best thing to use for it is.I've heard of using rock salt to de-ice and sand for traction as well as this stuff you can get off of Amazon but I can't remember the name of it.

Anyone have any tips?

*Edited to add*

I forgot to mention that parking at the bottom of our driveway isn't an option because our neighbors detatched garage is down there which we would block if we ever parked there, so that's out.Our only other option would be to park down on the street which is quite a walk and also not very safe.

Edited by ~RememberToForget~ - 10/2/11 at 11:38am

[Katrinaquerida]

We use ash from our wood boiler. Seems to work ok, and its better for the environment then salt.

[mkksmom]

What we started doing last winter was when snow was predicted, we'd park at the bottom of the driveway and line the cars up one behind the other, Then we'd just stay on top of shoveling a path around them and the base of the driveway. We wore snow boots and walked on snow and not the ice. We didn't get a ton of snow here, but it did work. That way, we could just ice a small path for the letter carrier to go between the cars when needed.

[Lovesong]

We keep a bag of salt for spots that do become solid ice, but generally try to avoid it because of it being toxic to the environment and especially animals frequently crossing our driveway.

Personally, I rather like gravel. Because once the winter snow melts, it is a lot easier to deal with than sand. "Just" (it is heavy work) to take a broom and a shovel, and shovel as much of it as possible into your gravel container for next year. You will loose some...but not that much. Plus, it gives better traction for walking on than does just sand. Oh, and sand vs. gravel coming indoors...much better with gravel, since most of it scrapes right of with the snow.