SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)– During the winter months, you want to make sure you have the proper ice melt for your sidewalks and driveways.

You may want stock up on supplies to make sure you can clear snow and ice from you sidewalks and driveways properly.

And there are many types of product to fit your needs.

This time of year, it’s not uncommon to find a patch of ice.

And whether you have pets or plants, or are just looking to keep your concrete sidewalk in good shape, picking the right ice melt is a key factor.

“There are differences between pet safe and theres organic kinds that are better for your plants in the spring that have less run off, that cause less damage. There are kinds that are friendly for new concrete as well, so it just kind of depends on what the customer has going on in their yard and lifestyle,” said Nicole Tennant-Hoffelt, store manager Nybergs Ace Hardware.

You will also want to make sure you are applying it properly.

“We carry a couple different spreaders here in store, we’ve got walk behind and then just kind of handheld, depending on your scenario. If you’re on a quarter lot you may want to look at more of a walk behind able to do it kind of all in one go and they’re not needing to constantly be re-filling it. If you’re in more of a smaller area, single stall garage, just a little bit of a sidewalk to cover, you may want to go with more of a hand spreader,” said Zach Halvorsen, assistant store manager Nybergs Ace Hardware.

You want to make sure you have enough ice melt for when the weather hits.

“This is South Dakota, so it’s definitely going to differ from person to person and yard to yard but I would go with the bigger bag at this part of the season. We just had like two snows so far really so we know there’s more to come, there’s more ice storms there’s more snow coming, get the bigger bag, you’re going to use it up by the end of the season,” said Tennant-Hoffelt.

When you apply the ice melt, you will want to make sure its in a nice even layer, rather than all in one spot, to prevent concrete damage.