Salt

• Rock salt
  
  Salt alone, whether it's water-softener salt or even table salt, will melt ice and provide needed safety on slippery surfaces.
  
  Sodium chloride like rock salt or halite will work well, but using too much may damage vegetation around the area where it has been put down. Use only as much as you need.
  
  

Fertilizer

• Any commercial fertilizer will do
  
  Any ammonium sulfate formula (or formulas with urea, which are common granular-type fertilizers), also makes a good deicer for walkways and sidewalks. If the raw materials are available, it can be mixed up as a true homemade formula; however, it is much easier to by a premixed bag of fertilizer. This can be sprinkled or poured on and will melt the most stubborn ice patches. When spring comes around, it's even good for vegetation growth in and around the area it has been used in.
  
  

Liquid Salt Brine Solution

• Liquid salt brine is nothing more than salt water, and it can be mixed up with equal parts of any available salt, and hot water. This solution works best when sprayed or poured onto concrete walkways BEFORE snow or ice storms occur. The underlying liquid may get covered with snow, but it will not allow ice to form on the concrete, and will give good and safe footing when you walk over it.
  
  A salt brine solution can also be sprayed on ice-coated windshields to act as a deicer. After it does the job of melting the ice, it can be easily rinsed off with your regular window-washing fluid.