The £2.49 buy that’ll kill weeds in your gravel path or driveway and banish them for good
IF your patio or driveway is full of unsightly weeds, fear not, we’ve got just what you need.
And don’t worry, you won’t need to go out and splash the cash on pricey cleaning products – as thanks to this trick, you can use a common item that you already have in your cupboard.
And if you’ve run out of the cheap buy, you can nab it for as little as £2.49 – yes, you heard that correctly.
Weeds have the annoying ability to thrive in areas of the garden with moisture and little sunlight.
But if you want a weed-free garden this summer, then you’ll be thrilled to know that your washing powder will do just the trick – yes, you heard that correctly.
After seeing recommendations of the use of white vinegar and salt for gravel weeds, a woman named Suzie Briggs took to social media for advice.
Posting on the Gardening Hints and Tips Facebook page, the gardening enthusiast said: “I’ve seen lots of posts lately about the use of white vinegar and salt for weed killing.
“I have a gravel covered drive and can’t seem to keep the weeds in check, even using the recommended weed killer for paths. Would they work on the drive or is there something better?
“There are no other plants in the vicinity and it’s not like I would be planting anything on the drive in future.”
But whilst many group members agreed that these two kitten staples “work well”, they instead recommended a “better” household product – washing powder.
One user advised: “I used to use salt on my alleyway and it works, but washing powder was better for me.”
A second wrote: “I had success with some cheap soap powder and boiling water.”
Whilst another commented: “Laundry powders are amazing on gravel weeds. You can see the results almost instantly.”
As reported by The Express, Tom Clifford, a gardening expert from Gardenstone, agreed with this method.
More weed hacks
MORE cheap hacks to banish weeds from your garden for good.
BRUSH OFF: Gardening fans have raved about the Rolson Weed Brush, which you can buy from B&M.
One social media user commented: “This is my new friend. £4 from B&M”, whilst a second agreed: “I used one of these too and it’s brilliant. It removes the whole weed too.”
BAKE IT: Gardening enthusiasts have also praised baking soda for tackling weeds.
One man explained: ”What will then happen is the plants will absorb it, as they get damp when it starts to rain because they’re thirsty – because it’s been sunny. That’s nature’s way of killing it.”
WASH THIS: According to Sam Marlow, a gardening expert, washing powder is an affordable way to say goodbye to weeds.
He advised: “If you’re on a budget, there’s a cheap way to keep weeds at bay. If you want to remove persistent unwanted plants from paths or patios, try using washing powder. It’s a super easy way to banish weeds once and for all.”
He recommended: “Strong chemical weed killers, although effective, can often be harmful to your patio surface, especially if it’s made from delicate stone.
“Washing powder offers a gentler option that shouldn’t harm your patio surface but will effectively kill weeds.
“In addition, washing powder is a regular household object, making it much more accessible and affordable than chemical weed killers.”
Washing powder contains boron, which is toxic to plants.
As a result, when the cleaning product makes contact with weeds, they will wither and die.
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To use washing powder to kill weeds, you must simply sprinkle the powder onto the gravel or patio gaps, and then pour boiling water over it.
Once the leaves have turned brown and the weeds begin to wilt, you can sweep them away easily.
If you’ve run out of washing powder, or want something cheap to use on your patio, you can nab the stuff for as little as £2.49 from Home Bargains.
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