Vinegar is ‘only more effective’ at removing gravel weeds when paired with 2 kitchen items

Weeds can be a real pain to remove, but one expert has shared a cheap and simple hack for killing off the unwanted plants - and all you need are a couple of kitchen items

Weeds poking through patio cracks or gravel can be a real headache due to their tenacious roots.

Dust, dirt, and debris build-up in gravel gaps provides the perfect breeding ground for hardy weeds like grasses and dandelions.

Paul Nicolaides from Buckinghamshire Landscape Gardeners, with over 30 years of gardening joy and two decades in professional landscaping, shares his best weed-busting tips.

The "most effective" method is the old-fashioned way manually yanking out the weeds with a trowel.

But Paul suggests an easier mix involving household staples: white vinegar, salt, and washing-up liquid, reports the Express.

He says: "Although vinegar can kill weeds using the correct application it is only more effective when mixed with salt. Mix your vinegar with a generous amount of salt and washing up liquid."

For gravel areas, rock salt is "very effective" as it dehydrates and eventually kills the weeds.

Make sure to stir the solution until the salt dissolves completely. Pour the DIY weed killer into a spray bottle and spritz away at those pesky weeds.

Rock salt also acts as a gradual weed destroyer, dissolving slowly with rainfall.

An expert has advised that the task is "best done on a warm and dry day" when there's no risk of rain. However, it may take several attempts to fully eradicate the weeds.

For smaller weeds in gravel, Paul recommends using boiling water. He explained: "Pouring boiling water onto weeds is most effective in gravel as it's easier for water to percolate to the roots."

"As gravel is free draining the boiling water can strike to the very core of the weed."

"For small, less established weeds, however, a good dosage of boiling water should be enough to kill."