IF you are planning to spend your summer in the garden, you’ve probably been getting it ready over the last few weeks.
While some gardening chores take forever, one woman has found an easy way to get her patio sparkling with a single product.
Like many of us, Anouk had been desperate to get rid of the algae and dirt that had built up on her paving stones.
In fact, she was so determined to get them clean for the summer that she turned to TikTok for help.
She didn’t have to wait long either, as she was inundated with suggestions which included bleach, Patio Magic and even a jet washer.
However, the cleaning influencer eventually decided to test out a cheap buy that had appeared again and again in the comments.
“Best one I’ve found so far is the mould spray from Astonish,” a follower suggested on one of Anouk’s previous videos.
“Just wet the patio, spray, scrub a little if you like. Leave for 10 mins and wash away,” they said, with the influencer doing this method in a now viral video.
After spraying a generous amount of Astonish Mould and Mildew Blaster across her patio, the content creator then took a hard brush and scrub the garden slabs.
Determined to get every nook and cranny, she firmly pressed and worked the cleaning spray into the paving stones.
Once this was done, she left the product to soak in for ten minutes before rinsing it off.
Showing the before and after, her TikTok followers couldn’t believe the difference the spray had made – which easily lifted months’ worth of dirt.
“Thank you everyone for sharing all these amazing ideas!” she wrote in the caption, adding: “I’ll keep trying as many as I can!”
If you are tempted to try this hack for yourself, you’ll be pleased to known that you can find Astonish in most discount stores.
This includes Poundland, which currently has the apple scented spray for just £1.50 right now.
Speaking about the gardening hack, Olivia Young, a Product Development Scientist at Astonish, said that the product could even be used to prevent build up.
She told Fabulous: “If you use it regularly, it will help to prevent the return of mould.
You should make sure you clean your patio frequently during summer to keep it well maintained and to prevent mould and mildew building up.”
In fact, she revealed that you can use it on inflatables and other items in your garden.
“The spray can also be used to treat other areas of your outdoor space this summer including paddling pools,” she continued, adding: “Its fresh apple scent is ideal for summer, helping your outside space smell and look amazing!”
With the bank holiday less than a week away, now is the time to get your garden gleaming and ready for summer.
The Sun's Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine, has shared the tasks you need to crack on with in May.
GARDEN growth can go from nought to ninety in May, depending on the weather. The last UK frosts are generally seen at the beginning of the month, so all of a sudden there’s so much more to do and grow.
Plant out dahlia tubers
It’s a joy to finally plant out your dahlia tubers. Remember how big they can get – and space accordingly – anything up to half a metre apart.
It’s a good idea to put your support stakes in now instead of trying to work around them.
And make sure you include lots of well rotted manure or decent compost to feed it and then mulch to keep it moist and suppress weeds. They generally start blooming in July.
Final feed to Spring flowers
You can give a cheeky feed to all your remaining tulips and daffodils.
Although the majority of bulbs aren’t guaranteed to come back year after year any more, as long as you’ve left them to die back naturally there’s a good chance they’ll have stored enough energy to come back again. Tomato feed is fine.
Tie up climbers
Your clematis, honeysuckle and rambling roses should be well on their way by now – try to use plastic free string to tie them back into their support, or tuck them round each other to make sure they don’t sprout off in crazy directions.
Feed the lawn
It’s not too late to give your lawn a good feed.
Whether you use granular or liquid, it can give it a good boost to see it through the harsher summer months.
While mowing, don’t go too low with your cut length yet and never take more than a third off the grass height.
Get creative
It’s also time to get creative with hanging baskets and pots.
Trailing pelargoniums, which a lot of people call geraniums, and Begonias are a good, low cost way of getting lovely returning blooms throughout the summer in your baskets.
And pots can be planted with spring bulbs.
Don’t forget the greenhouse!
Give your greenhouse a good tidy and clean the glass inside and out.
The improved light will help plants grow quicker inside and tidying is good for the soul.
You can just use a household white wine vinegar and water solution – or even neat if you’re feeling spendy – which gives a really good shine.
