WASHINGTON — While Monday’s warming temperatures provided a break in the stretch of freezing weather, it’s been such an icy winter perhaps it’s no surprise that hardware stores have had a run on the popular, environmentally friendly ice melting product “Ice Melt.”
While shoppers are coming up empty at some locations, hardware store managers promise that a fresh supply is on the way.
“We ran out yesterday afternoon,” says Jeff Smith, co-owner of Twins Ace Hardware in Fairfax.
Some of the chain hardware stores, including Home Depot stores in Gaithersburg and Germantown, were also without the popular product.
Confronting ice-encrusted driveways and walkways, customers turned to other products that might help.
“We really sold anything, any kind of product that would melt ice, from water-softener salt to dehumidifying salt to rock salt to pickling salt,” Smith says.
Because Ice Melt is effective, doesn’t harm lawns and doesn’t track grime into the house, hardware store managers say it’s extremely popular in icy weather.
“It’s probably been 30 percent to 40 percent of our business recently,” says Bill Hart, manager of Strosnider’s Hardware in Bethesda.
Some stores, including Zimmerman’s Hardware in Burtonsville, report that their supply is limited to 50-pound bags. Consumers tend to prefer the product in easier to handle 10- and 20-pound bags.
Strosnider’s briefly ran out of Ice Melt but got a few bags in with more on the way.
“We have just gotten in touch with our source and we will have 300 bags delivered to us,” says Hart.
Unlike last winter, when suppliers were unable to keep up with demand of Ice Melt, apparently there is enough in the pipeline.
“I hate to be out of anything, especially something everyone’s in need of, we are expecting an order,” Smith says.
Both Strosniders, Twins and Zimmerman’s expect to be sufficiently restocked by Tuesday.
Winter is not over and there could be more freezing weather in the weeks ahead and shoppers may continue snapping up Ice Melt, but as surely as the sun rises, spring follows winter.
“We’re getting a spring order in next week…grass seed, fertilizer…things like that,” Smith says.
