Every now and then, something comes across your desk that can only be described as a pure and true life hack. And this life hack is so brilliant that I am actually shocked that I've never seen it before!

Videos on social media are going viral showing how to prevent a snowy, icy front stoop this winter using one simple item that you already own: a towel. Viewers are absolutely loving this trick, so you shouldn't be surprised if you spot a few neighbors trying it out this winter. Read on for the details.

How a Towel Can Keep Your Front Porch Ice-Free on Snowy Days

Rather than have to salt and shovel an icy porch after a heavy snowfall, why not just prevent the ice from ever forming?

Here's how to do it: Before snow begins to fall, grab a few old towels. Lay them out on your stoop, porch, steps, pathway or anywhere you want to keep ice-free. Then when it snows, the snow will land on the towels, rather than on the concrete.

When it's done snowing (or when you need to walk over the toweled area) just peel off the towels. They will come off pretty rigid, but underneath them, the concrete will ice-free and safe to walk across.

See how it looks in the below video:

After peeling the towels off, you can then lean or drape them on an outdoor railing, in your garage or even in the bathtub for the snow to melt. Then, throw the towels in the wash and save them for next time it snows.

For Larger Outdoor Areas, Try the Same Hack With a Tarp

If you want to keep a larger outdoor staircase, pathway or driveway ice-free, you can follow the same method but with a plastic or cloth tarp instead of a towel. After peeling the tarp off, just shake the snow off onto the lawn and then hang the tarp somewhere inside to dry so you can use it again next time.

Watch someone try it this way below:

People Love This Hack for Preventing Snow and Ice

In the comment section of both of the above videos, people applauded the creators for coming up with these ideas.

"It works. Did it yesterday on my car. Fabulous," someone commented on the video of the towel hack.

"Me sitting in California with the sun shining, FASCINATED," someone else added.

"That's a smart man," someone commented on the video of the plastic tarp hack. "Snow days fear this father," someone else joked.