Anti-icers, or preventive winter road treatments, are liquid forms of salt compounds used to prevent the formation or development of bonded snow and ice for easy removal, and are used at the onset of a winter weather storm.They work by lowering the freezing point of water.e-icers, or reactive winter road treatments, are liquid forms of salt compounds used to break the bond of already existing snow and ice. They dissolve downward and penetrate until they reach the pavement.