Road Rock Salt WHITE

Description

Rock Salt is the name generally given to Red Salt. Rock salt is mined from huge ancient seams of rock salt that were formed from old ancient sea beds that have since dried up and become locked into rocks underground. The reason why rock salt is red or brown in colour is because when it is mined small deposits of other minerals are also collected from the rocks underground. These minerals don’t affect the effectiveness of the salt. Red rock salt is generally cheaper than white salt in the UK, possibly because it is mostly sourced from the UK.

White Salt is made from evaporated sea water, and as such is often referred to as Solar Marine Salt. White salt is generated in hot countries where salt pans or salt beds are flooded and left in the heat of the sun. When the water evaporates a salty deposit is left behind and over time these deposits become big enough to collect. The salt is then deported from countries such as Spain, Italy and Egypt to the UK.

So what deicing salt should you use? White salt is often preferred over red salt due to the fact that it is a ‘cleaner’ product. It does not leave a red/brown residue behind once dissolved that rock salt can.  For this reason, white salt is the preferred option in high footfall areas and where people will be entering buildings (hospitals, schools, shop fronts, etc). We recommend using white salt with small hand held or push spreaders as it tends to be more free-flowing and won’t get stuck in the machine. 

Many people choose rock salt for covering large areas (like roads) as it tends to be a little bit cheaper and therefore more economical in the long term. As mentioned earlier, both red and white salt are effective de-icers so whether you choose to buy white salt or red salt you are taking positive steps to keep your area gritted and safe during winter months.