Brits battling weeds on their garden patio and paving stones have been told of a way to kill them in two days using a 35p household essential.
Stubborn weeds can be a real headache for gardeners, and having dug them out they quickly grow back – especially in spring time. There are many chemicals marketed to kill weeds but there is a much cheaper way to do it, say experts.
White vinegar is a great way to kill weeds due to its acidic content and it will not hit you in the pocket as it can be bought in supermarkets for as little as 35p. Taking to the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips Facebook page, Alison Riddell also suggested using salt and washing up liquid, writing: “I’ve tried and tested this method. Use a gallon of white vinegar, one cup of salt and two tablespoons of washing-up liquid.
“Mix it together and put on the weeds with a watering can. Within two days the weeds will die and after a week sweep them up. I have tried this and it works so well. It’s not harmful to pets because no chemicals, I have a cat. Nothing will clear weeds as new seeds are blown into cracks with wind but just repeat above. It’s the best natural weed killer I’ve tried.”
Gena Lorraine, gardening expert from Fantastic Services, said white vinegar’s acetic acid content makes it a great weed killer but it should just be used on paving and patios as it will also get rid of plants and grass. Gena added: “It’s perfect to keep your driveway or patio clean from weeds because we usually don’t grow any useful plants there. To treat the patio weeds with vinegar, you must dilute it with water.
“The best possible proportion here is one part vinegar and two parts water. The best possible proportion here is one part vinegar and two parts water. Then just pour it over the cracks, aiming for the middle sections of the weeds.” The vinegar, combined with the sun, will dry the weeds out in just an hour.
Other people suggested using boiling water which is a great cheap way to instantly kill garden weeds, especially those which grow on driveways. Experts at The Plastic Centre, also advised using a combination of vinegar, salt and washing up liquid. They stated: “This DIY weed killer, which costs under 80p per litre to make, requires only a few household items, distilled vinegar, cooking salt and washing up liquid.”
For a small batch, simply mix 500ml of vinegar with 30ml of cooking salt and a tablespoon of washing up liquid. Pour the vinegar into the pressurised sprayer first, followed by the cooking salt and dishwashing liquid, reports The Express. Then, you should give the mixture a good shake before using it. All the items can be purchased cheaply, with Tesco vinegar coming in at just 35p, Ocado table salt costing 40p, and Asda washing up liquid costing 55p.