What sugar does to ice is the sugar lowers the freezing point of the water in the ice, which means the sugar makes the ice melt faster.
The sugar makes the ice melt faster because the sugar molecules interfere with the formation of ice crystals, which requires a colder temperature to freeze.
Although sugar can melt ice, it's not as effective as salt is and is more prone in leaving a sticky residue behind.
Epsom salt will melt ice although Epsom salt melts the ice more slowly than traditional table salt does.
Epsom salt is a safer and more gentle alternative for de-icing, especially in areas where the salt may run off into plants.
Epsom salt contains magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, which means that each crystal is bonded with 7 molecules.
To melt ice, the water molecules have to connect with the water molecules in the ice.
The Epsom salt molecules connect with the water molecules in the ice more slowly but it does melt ice.
Epsom salt is safer around plants than table salt is, which makes Epsom salt a better option for melting ice and de-icing areas where run off around plants is of concern.
You can also increase the melting power of Epsom salt by combing equal parts of Epsom salt with an equal amount of sugar which makes it faster at melting ice.
You can also use sugar beet juice, vinegar and rubbing alcohol for melting ice as well.
The best type of salt to melt ice is calcium chloride which is a type of salt that is more effective at melting of ice than rock salt and can also work at lower temperatures.
Calcium chloride also has a lower environmental impact than rock salt.
Magnesium chloride is a type of salt that is similar to calcium chloride but is less corrosive to metal and concrete.
While Epsom salt is a safer alternative than other salts, the Epsom salt can also damage concrete over time.