According to Gena Lorainne, a gardening expert at Fantastic Services, boiling water is an “effective” method to banish weeds from hard surfaces.
She said: “This is simply because the hot water can destroy practically every plant, no matter how tough and meaty its leaves are.
“This is why this solution is never used regularly on plants because it would kill them in an instant too.
“Using boiling water to kill weeds is easy, you just need to boil some water and pour it on the patio while aiming for the cracks where the weeds live.”
After a “few minutes” the weeds will have turned yellow and will begin to die, and according to Gena, they will not return for a while.
What’s more, this hack is “free” if you have any leftover water from boiling pasta or from making a cup of tea.
As well as boiling water, white vinegar is a great option because it contains lots of acids which make it perfect for tackling weeds.
However, similar to hot water, it must only be directed onto the weeds because it will cause plants to wither and die.
This is because it will “instantly destroy” them so make sure to only use it on patios or paving weeds, similar to boiling water.
Gena said: “The best possible proportion here is one part vinegar and two parts water. Then just pour it over the cracks, aiming for the middle section of the weeds.
“The vinegar, combined with the sun, will dry them out for an hour or so.”
If the weather is super warm, and if it isn’t, opt for another method or wait until it is sunny.
The gardening expert continued: “Baking soda is a very good cleaner, but it also has the ability to kill every plant which gets near it.
“This makes it the perfect weed killer for paved patios. All you need to do is sprinkle the baking soda on the patio and just sweep it into the cracks.
“The sodium, which is contained in the baking soda, will make the atmosphere a very unpleasant place for all the weeds.”
