(NAPSI)—It’s the heart of winter, which means plenty of snow removal is in your future. Poorly maintained equipment and using the wrong clearing techniques can make shoveling or blowing your driveway and walkways a chore. Follow the tips below to make snow removal as easy as possible.

Start Early and Shovel Often

It’s easier to shovel an inch or two of fresh snow than half a foot of snow that’s densely packed. Shovel first thing in the morning and, if it continues to snow, go out every couple of hours to clear a few inches at various points throughout the day.

Maintain Your Equipment

If you didn’t perform maintenance on your snowblower before the winter season, it’s not too late. On gasoline-powered machines, check the oil level before each use. Inspect and change damaged or worn spark plugs, belts and shave plates. On all snowblowers, be sure to maintain proper tire pressure. After you’ve finished for the day, run the machine for a minute or so to clear out snow.

Shovel the Right Way

Shoveling to remove snow can be hard work, so protect your body and make the job a bit easier by pushing the snow instead of lifting it. To prevent aches and pains, keep your feet hip-width apart, bend your knees, keep your back straight and avoid twisting your torso if you must lift the snow. Finally, spray WD-40 Multi-Use Product on the shovel blade to prevent snow from sticking to it for easier transfer of snow from sidewalks and driveways.

Learn about more uses for WD-40 Multi-Use Product around the home and find it at a store near you at WD40.com.

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