Weeds are a common occurrence and can make even the neatest of gardens look unkempt. They often grow where you least want them – on lawns, flowerbeds and inside patio cracks.
One place weeds tend to pop up is on gravel driveways and pathways. Weeds can grow in gravel because there are areas of exposed soil where weed seeds can easily germinate.
Luckily, fans of cleaning sensation Mrs Hinch have shared their go-to method for removing weeds from gravel.
It comes after Lynne Thompson posted on the group, ‘Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips’ asking for advice to remove weeds from her gravel driveway.
Lynne asked: “Not a cleaning post. How do I kill weeds on my gravel drive? I’ve used the usual weed killers. Is there anything really strong that I can buy or make? Thanks in advance.”
The post was inundated with more than 60 comments from fellow cleaning and gardening enthusiasts. The most suggested method was to use boiling water from your kettle.
Katherine Stanley replied to the post: “Boiling water from your kettle.”
Jane Marsden said to “pour boiling water over them from the kettle”. She added: “Very effective and no horrible chemicals going into the environment.”
Sarah Molloy wrote: “I use my kettle water. Once it’s boiled, pour on, and then in a day or two, they are dead.”
Boiling water is a natural yet effective way to kill weeds. The hot water kills the weeds by shocking the plant’s cells.
The non-toxic weed killer will disrupt the plant’s functions on contact and can cause the plant’s cell structure to collapse, ultimately killing them.
However, some experts have warned that boiling water is a contact herbicide, which means it only kills the part of the plant it touches.
Robert Silver, gardening expert and CEO of Pro Gardening said boiling water could kill the top, but it can’t get the entire root system of most weeds.
He told Real Homes that weed roots grow deep into the ground and sideways, which is too far for the water to reach.
Other suggestions from Mrs Hinch fans included using washing powder, a weed burner and a solution of salt, vinegar and washing up liquid.
Sue Kennedy said: “Pull them up, use a weed burner or persevere with the weed killer until you’ve dealt with all the seedlings that haven’t sprouted yet first time round. If you pull them, make sure you get all the root out.”
Florence Griffin commented: “Definitely washing powder. Buy the cheapest you can find and spread it along your driveway.”
Caroline Mechan suggested: “Salt, vinegar and some washing up liquid keeps mine away for months.”
