How to use a snow shovel
Updated: 21.10.2026
Overnight snow on the path to the gate is still loose if you move it before anyone walks it flat. How to use a snow shovel on that path is a sequence: clear early, push the snow aside, salt what you have cleared with your own salt, and stop if your chest hurts. Which aluminium blade and shaft to buy is a different question, answered in our [aluminium snow shovel comparison](/hub/garden-tools/aluminium-snow-shovel). This page does not rank products. The Products Compared editorial team wrote it on 19 October 2026 from public UK sources, not from a lab test. A purchase via that comparison can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Overnight snow on the path to the gate is still loose if you move it before anyone walks it flat.
Overnight snow on the path to the gate is still loose if you move it before anyone walks it flat. How to use a snow shovel on that path is a sequence: clear early, push the snow aside, salt what you have cleared with your own salt, and stop if your chest hurts. Which aluminium blade and shaft to buy is a different question, answered in our aluminium snow shovel comparison. This page does not rank products. The Products Compared editorial team wrote it on 19 October 2026 from public UK sources, not from a lab test. A purchase via that comparison can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Stated length | Blade | Folds or slides | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  WORKPRO WORKPRO aluminium snow shovel | 65.5–120 cm | Aluminium alloy | Retractable, table says no | 8.3 | about £24.64 | View offer |
| Alternative |  UMUACCAN UMUACCAN emergency snow shovel | 80 cm and 108 cm | n/a | Four sections | 7.2 | about £25.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  ztarraum ztarraum portable aluminium snow shovel | 31.5 x 10.5 in short size | Aluminium | Detachable shafts | 6.9 | about £14.19 | View offer |
On this page
You can clear the path
You may clear snow from the pavement outside your home. GOV.UK says a careful job is unlikely to leave you liable. The Highways Act 1980, section 41(1A), is a duty on the highway authority, not on every householder, and no health and safety rule bans clearing snow at home. Start while the snow is fresh. Clear a strip down the middle first, then move the snow to the sides, which is the order the Met Office describes. Keep the pile off drains and off the road. On steps, take the snow off each tread, because a thin skim left in place freezes into a slip. Do not soak that path afterwards, or the clear turns to black ice by evening.
No water, then salt or grit
Do not pour water on snow or ice, including hot water on a step. GOV.UK rules water out, and Shropshire Council says the same for hot water, because the melt runs and then refreezes as a sheet the shovel will not grip. Ash or sand gives grip if you have no salt. Use salt you bought. The Met Office suggests table salt or dishwasher salt at about a tablespoon per square metre of cleared path. That is a household measure, not a chemical specification. Keep salt off plants. GOV.UK says not to take salt from roadside bins. Unless your own council names a bin for the pavement, leave the roadside salt for the gritter crews.
Push, then lift only a small scoop
Push while the snow is loose. An aluminium blade cuts denser snow more readily than a light plastic one, though the edge can scratch stone, paint, or gravel if you use it as a pick. Width and gravel belong on our driveway shovel guide. A shaft long enough to stand fairly upright is in the buying guide. Keep each load small, and bend at the hips. If you must lift, put one hand nearer the blade, turn your feet towards the pile, and walk the snow to the side. Do not twist, and do not throw a full scoop over your shoulder. The Health and Safety Executive gives employers the same no-twist rule, written for work, and the habit still saves a householder’s back. Listings for a short push are on our best aluminium snow shovel page, and none of them is a reason to continue through pain.
When to stop
Cold air adds strain before the snow feels heavy. The NHS lists cold and exercise among angina triggers. Chest pain while you are shovelling is a reason to stop. Stop as well for unusual breathlessness or dizziness. If that pain, breathlessness, or dizziness does not settle in the way you have already been told for a condition you know you have, call 999. Do not take a painkiller on the strength of this page. A public road, a long or steep commercial area, and snow on a roof need the highway authority or someone equipped for that work. Do not take the shovel onto a roof.
Common questions
When should I start shovelling snow?
Start while the snow is still fresh and you can move about safely. GOV.UK and the Met Office both say to clear early, before footsteps pack the fall into a heavier layer. A path cleared before work is lighter than the same path at lunchtime. If snow is still falling, clear a usable strip and expect a second pass.
Can I pour hot water on a snowy step?
No. Do not use hot or cold water to melt snow on a step or a path. Shropshire Council warns against hot water, and GOV.UK rules water out of the snow code, because the melt refreezes as ice. Clear the step with the shovel, then add a little of your own salt, ash, or sand if the tread is still slippery.
How much salt should I use, and whose salt?
After you have cleared the snow, the Met Office suggests about a tablespoon of table salt or dishwasher salt per square metre. Shropshire Council suggests about a teaspoon per square metre on ice patches. Use salt you bought. GOV.UK says not to take it from roadside bins. Shropshire treats highway grit on private property as theft, while York has allowed grit bins on paths, so follow your own council only if it names a bin.
Can I be sued if I clear the pavement?
GOV.UK says you are unlikely to be held liable if you have cleared carefully. That is not a guarantee, and it is not a reason to leave a ridge or a wet glaze you have created. Clear early, do not use water, and keep the walking line even. The Highways Act 1980 duty sits with the highway authority, not with every resident.
What if I get chest pain while shovelling?
Stop straight away. The NHS says cold and effort can trigger angina, and West Midlands Ambulance Service notes the extra strain of cold weather. Stop as well if you become unusually breathless or dizzy. Call 999 if it does not settle in the way you have already been told for a condition you know about. Do not finish the path first, and do not take a painkiller on the strength of this page.
Does clearing snow in Northern Ireland differ?
The method is the same. nidirect tells people to clear ice and snow from footways, and the Department for Infrastructure does not normally salt those footways. Start early, avoid water, use your own salt, ash, or sand, and push rather than twist. Leave roadside salt unless your council says a named bin is for the path.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026.
- GOV.UK — Clear snow from a road, path or cycleway (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- GOV.UK — Snow-clearing health and safety myth shattered (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- nidirect — Clearing ice and snow from footways (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Local Government Association — Your winter weather questions answered (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- HSE — Good handling technique (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- NHS — Angina (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Lawsons — Bulldog aluminium-handle snow shovel BULSNOW8 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Spaldings — Aluminium snow shovel (retrieved 19.10.2026)