Remove patio weeds that are impossible to pull out for good in 3 days with 1 natural item

Having a clean patio means dealing with unwanted visitors: weeds and moss. These pesky invaders find their way into the smallest gaps between pavers or on the surface of patio slabs and even gravelled areas, and love the cool, damp and shaded areas they thrive in. Weed growth on garden patios is caused by two things: light and organic matter. Even the tiniest of gaps between pavers can collect enough soil to support weed growth, especially in shaded, damp areas.

Traditional herbicides may be effective, but come with a host of environmental and health risks. Not to mention, they are also quite expensive. Cleaning and sustainability influencer Nancy Birtwhistle has shared how she uses a combination of boiling water and salt to remove weeds from the patio in her greenhouse.

In an Instagram video, Nancy said, "Don't go out buying Path Clear and spot weedkiller. Those things are so toxic, so bad for the environment and costly.

"We can do it effectively, cheaply and safely. Just boiling water out of the kettle and then just a tiny sprinkle of salt."

After applying the boiling water and salt, Nancy checked back in on the feeds "three to four days later", and the dandelion weeds that were once growing were completely dead. She added, "They'll not be back this season."

Salt breaks down plant cells by pulling out moisture, leading to quick dehydration. This method works well in cracks between block paving, where weeds often settle.

This kitchen staple interferes with water balance in plant tissues and blocks nutrient absorption.

When applied correctly, salt causes complete dieback within three to five days. It looks effective because it visibly clears the weeds from your path.

As Nancy's patio weeds were sheltered in her greenhouse, she did not need to reapply the salt solution. However, for unsheltered patios, the process will need to be repeated to ensure the salt isn't washed away by the rain.

Taking to the comments section, some of her followers tested this solution out for themselves, and some even found it to be successful when just using boiling water. @emma22honey wrote: "This works brilliantly on slate chip paths. I'm sure I saw you recommend it last year, and it saved me so much time, money and using horrid chemicals."

@shereen_410 said: "I watched this reel last year, and omg I'm so grateful I did my drive and patio are looking so clear! The amount of time and money I spent on harmful path and patio weed killers over the years, and I've noticed they don't grow back as fast now. Thank you."

@aligiffj commented: "I tried this just with boiling water on some persistent grass weed that was growing in some shingle (I forgot the salt!), but the boiling water worked just as well."

@junglistine said: "Brilliant! Boiling water is my favourite method, but I did not know that about the salt."