IF you want your patio to impress your guests this summer, then you’ve come to the right place.
Patios can quickly become covered in dirt and weeds if not cleaned regularly, but one of the hardest things to get rid of is moss.
The pesky stuff grows deeply on surfaces and thrives on stone, and is a total eyesore when trying to relax outside on a warm summer‘s day.
Moss can anchor itself to tiny crevices and can regrow from a tiny fragment, making it challenging to completely remove no matter how hard you scrub it away.
But fear not, if you’ve tried everything from white vinegar to baking soda, but with no success, luckily for you, a cleaning expert has shared a super simple solution.
And not only is it incredibly effective, but it’s super affordable too.
Paving pro Deborah Eaton, a cleaning and patio expert from Simply Paving, has shared a simple way to get rid of moss and stop it from growing back.
And with Deborah’s trick, you probably already have the answer in your kitchen cupboard already.
Even better, if you don’t, it will cost you just 59p from Savers – yes, you heard that correctly.
When it comes to banishing moss, and for good, Deborah said: “Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need any fancy products to clean a patio without a pressure washer.”
Instead, Deborah swears by washing-up liquid to battle moss.
She continued: “In fact, one of the most effective patio cleaning products is good old-fashioned washing-up liquid mixed with warm tap water.”
Whilst stone is usually the perfect environment for moss to grow, washing-up liquid contains surfactants which can deeply break down the protective layer of moss to make sure it kills every little bit of it completely.
Washing-up liquid dehydrates moss and stops it from being able to retain moisture.
The Sun's Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine, has shared the 10 gardening jobs to take on during the last month of summer - and the all important ones to remember if you're going on holiday.
1. Watering plants on holiday
Think about how you’re going to water your plants if you’re going away. Irrigation systems are stupidly expensive – so ask a friend or neighbour to pop over.
2. Remember your houseplants!
For houseplants use the upside down bottle trick – where you fill a wine bottle and then tip it upside down, spout down, and stick it into the pot – the water should seep out slowly. For smaller plants you can use a thick piece of cord running from a glass of water, into the soil – so it slowly takes it up over time. Be sensible with your watering – vistit www.mains2rains.co.uk for some tips on how to conserve water in August. But use as much grey water – ie washing up water – as you can to save such a valuable resource.
3. Dig for potatoes
Second early potatoes should be ready to dig up.
4. Carry on deadheading
Use either secateurs or just pinch off the blooms with your finger and thumb. With roses, make sure you’re dead heading back to a set of five leaves, giving you the best chance of more blooms.
5. Plant strawberries
You can actually plant strawberries in late august – which will be ready next year. For the ones you already have – if they’ve got runners springing off them – try and pot them up to make more strawberries for free.
6. Prune lavenders
In late August once they’ve finished flowering cut back your lavender – always prune them back to the woody stems – but make sure you can still see some little buds.
7. Collect seeds
A lot of plants will start going to seed now – so it’s the perfect time to walk around collecting them to get free plants for next year – just make sure you label the envelopes.
8. Sow hardy annuals
Towards the end of the month, sow hardy annuals in order for them to flower next year. Try and choose sheltered spots for them.
9. Cut back roses
Prune back rambling roses and make sure they are all tied in. And in late August give your roses their last feed.
10. Keep on top of watering hanging baskets
It’s really important to keep hanging baskets hydrated – they are the first and the worst for drying out.
As a result, moss will not be able to grow in the area for a long time.
Paving pros have warned against using white vinegar to kill moss, as it is acidic and can damage the surface or stone.
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Therefore, using washing-up liquid is not only natural, but a much safer and more environmentally friendly method.
Not only this, but most commercial moss cleaners contain harsh chemicals which can run off into nearby soil or plants and pollute your local environment.
If you fancy using washing-up liquid to banish moss from your patio, all you’ll need to do is get your favourite brand of the stuff (or the cheapest you can find), a bucket and a hard-bristled brush or broom.
You simply need to mix some washing-up liquid with hot water in a bucket, and then splash the cleaning solution over your patio.
Then, use a hard bristled brush or broom to easily brush away the moss, which should easily come away without too much effort and faff.
It is advised to clean your patio on a sunny day so that rain does not wash away the solution, and experts also advised scrubbing the moss diagonally as it will be gentler on the surface.
Once you have cleaned the moss away, simply rinse the patio with a bucket of clean water to get rid of any remaining residue.
After 24 hours, your patio should be dry, clean and moss-free.
