Winter Maintenance To prevent salt damage to turf around driveways and sidewalks, avoid plowing or shoveling salt-laden snow onto the grass. Apply only enough salt to do the job after you remove the snow. Calcium chloride based de-icing salts don't cause as much damage as sodium chloride. Now is also a good time to do preventative maintenance to your tools and equipment. Check spark plugs, change oil, sharpen blades, etc.