Watch the moment a dad shares his genius hack to clear steps and driveway of ice and snow in seconds
A smart-thinking father has shared a nifty trick for clearing ice and snow from your driveway in just seconds.
With the cold weather drawing in, many of us will be dreading the slip and slide our front gardens and outdoor steps can turn into.
It’s worryingly easy to send yourself flying when you try and leave the house in icy conditions, especially if you don’t have access to a good amount of de-icing salt or sand.
And a simple fall can escalate into a much more serious situation if you tumble down steps.
Luckily, one smart father has shared a top tip for keeping driveways and outdoor steps free of ice and snow this winter.
LADbible have shared the clip on TikTok.
In the video, captioned ‘this guy’s got life sussed out’, the clever man stands at the bottom of a flight of outdoor steps.
The steps are covered in a thick, white blanket of snow.
The man bends down to uncover two edges of a tarpaulin buried beneath the snow.
As he begins to lift the tarpaulin away from the steps, the person filming says: “Let’s see if this works.”
In one quick swoop, he pulls the sheet away and reveals a completely snow and ice-free set of steps.
The tarpaulin had successfully covered the stairs throughout the snowstorm and prevented them from turning into a dangerously slippery hazard.
The proud father jokingly takes a bow as the camera person laughs and says: “That’s awesome.”
The comments were full of praise for the smart trick.
One user wrote: “Work smarter, not harder.”
While others said the hack was ‘amazing’ and ‘smart’.
Not everyone was convinced though, with one person writing: “Until someone forgets there’s a tarp there & wipes out.”
While another person commented on other ways the tarpaulin trick can come in handy: “I do this on my truck, throw a tarp over the windshield. works amazing”
If you’re keen to try the trick yourself, tarpaulin is cheap to come by.
Prices for frost-resistant tarpaulin at B&Q start at just £3.79.
Just be sure not to forget it is there, if it does get covered in snow.
5 ways to keep your house warm in winter
Property expert Joshua Houston shared his tips.
1. Curtains
“Windows are a common place for the outside cold to get into your home, this is because of small gaps that can let in air so always close your curtains as soon as it gets dark,” he said.
This simple method gives you an extra layer of warmth as it can provide a kind of “insulation” between your window and curtain.
2. Rugs
“Your floor is another area of your home where heat can be lost and can make your home feel chilly,” he continued. “You might notice on cold days, that your floor is not nice to walk on due to it freezing your feet.
“Add rugs to areas that don’t already have a carpet, this provides a layer of insulation between your bare floor and the room above.”
3. Check your insulation
Check your pipes, loft space, crawlspaces and underneath floorboards.
“Loose-fill insulation is very good for this, and is a more affordable type of insulation, with a big bag being able to be picked up for around £30,” Joshua explained.
4. Keep your internal doors closed
“Household members often gather in one room in the evening, and this is usually either the kitchen or living room,” Joshua said.
“This means you only have to heat a small area of your home, and closing the doors keeps the heat in and the cold out.”
5. Block drafts
Don’t forget to check cat flaps, chimneys and letterboxes, as they can let in cold air if they aren’t secure.