The sun is out and the flowers in my garden are finally starting to bloom.
Unfortunately, it also has a lot of weeds that can wreak havoc on flower beds and patios.
Commercial weed killers aren't cheap at nearly £9 a bottle, so I decided to try a suitable alternative to get rid of weeds in my garden DIY, using things I already have in my cupboard – dishwashing detergent and vinegar.
I also wanted to try an unconventional method of removing weeds with boiling water, even though I knew my neighbours might think I was weird if they saw me wandering around my garden with a kettle.
My tests were done on isolated patio weeds, so the results were easy to see.
The results of each DIY method are below, along with before and after photos.
Weed Killer – £8.99
For weed killer I chose a 1.2 litre bottle of Roundup by Robert Dyas for £8.99.
This is deadly to the plants: within 3 days the weeds I treated turned very brown with only a few green twigs remaining.
It's not cheap, but I think it's quite effective.
Rating: 8/10
Boiling water – 1p
The next test involved pouring boiling water from a kettle onto some pesky weeds on our patio.
I was amazed at the results – the healthy green weeds wilted and died within just a few days. This seemed like a huge success.
Of course, I don't know if it really killed the weeds down to the roots, but on the surface it seemed to be just as effective as a herbicide.
The only downside is that keeping the kettle lit is apparently not free.
It will cost 1p each time, but if you're constantly boiling water in the garden this can add up over time.
However, it seems to be quite effective and I would definitely consider using it in sensitive areas of the garden where I don't want to spray chemicals.
Rating: 9/10
Dishwashing detergent – 69p
The dish soap seemed to do a good job of killing the weeds, but it also left a sticky stain on the patio.
I used Aldi's 500ml Magnum dishwashing detergent, which costs 69p.
It's obviously a lot cheaper than herbicides and I'd definitely try it again so I don't have to use the professional stuff.
But be careful of the slippery puddles they leave behind.
Rating: 8/10
Malt vinegar – 35p
To my surprise, this trick didn't work at all – the weeds just seemed to turn a little less green, but they still survived being doused in acid.
Contrary to what I had heard, this turned out to be impossible.
Rating: 1/10
Dishwashing detergent and vinegar – £1.04
One recent post in the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips Facebook group suggested that a mixture of white vinegar and dishwashing detergent works great as a homemade weed killer, with some people also mixing it with salt.
I decided to try a half-and-half mix of the only kind of detergent I had in my cupboard and malt vinegar to see if that would work.
It worked surprisingly well, and when I returned three days later the weeds had turned into a miserable brown mess.
It left a weird residue behind but I was impressed nonetheless.
I don't know if it's better than the dish soap by itself, but either way, I'll keep trying both in the future to save money.
After all, dishwashing detergent costs just 69p and distilled vinegar is 35p at Aldi – a bargain compared to pricey weed killers.
Rating: 8/10
Game Changer
The long-term success of the weed-killing tests remains to be seen, as it is difficult to know whether the roots were completely removed or only superficially.
However, the effectiveness of boiling water is undoubtedly an amazing breakthrough, and I would recommend giving it a try if you hate spraying chemicals in your garden.
I think I'll try to do that more in the future, because even if I can't kill the weeds completely, I might be able to at least reduce the amount of herbicide I use.
I'm also going to try using a DIY solution of dish soap and white vinegar instead of the commercial products.
Expert opinion
Jamie Shipley, horticulture expert and managing director of Hedges Direct, warned: “Boiling water is an effective quick-fix solution but it won't stop weeds growing in the long term.”
“You can also kill weeds by pouring a kettle of boiling water over them,” adds Hannah Rowson, assistant garden centre manager at the J. Parker website.
“But of course, be careful not to get water on your toes. Hot water will shock the plants and they will die within a day or two.”
But while it's much easier to get rid of weeds on your patio using boiling water, she warned that you should be careful when trying this in your garden.
“Boiling water can cause damage to neighboring plants that are in border exhibits,” she explained.
Keep pests away all summer long
Wasps and hornets hate the smell of peppermint oil, so spraying it liberally around your patio or balcony will keep the wasps away.
Moths – White household vinegar, which is acidic, is effective at repelling moths. Soak a paper towel in the vinegar and place it in your closet as a repellent.
Flying Ants – Herbs and spices such as cinnamon, mint, chili pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves and garlic act as repellents.
Mosquitoes – The scents of plants, herbs and essential oils can help repel mosquitoes both indoors and outdoors. Try eucalyptus, lavender and lemongrass.
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