Patio expert warns vinegar to banish weeds ‘could be detrimental’ – what to use instead

As the weather warms up and pesky are starting to return, many people will be looking for homemade solutions to get rid of them.

There are many ways to get rid of weeds, including and salt, which are both said to dry out weeds.

hacks promoting this method often go viral, with the hashtag receiving more than 300,000 views.

However, Trevor Knight, award-winning expert landscaper and driveway expert at Marshalls, has warned against this trend.

The expert said: “On the surface, these hacks look great and are a quick fix to get rid of pesky weeds, of that there is no doubt.

“However, using salt and white vinegar normally reserved for your fish and chip supper or a sneaky bag of your favourite crispy snack could be detrimental to the quality of many of the primary materials used to manufacture driveway and patio products.

“When salt or sodium chloride comes in contact with paving products, it can accelerate the breakdown, especially if the product has a porous mix design.

“Salt gets into the cracks, and when it absorbs moisture, the material expands and contracts, leading to cracking and degradation over time.

“We have a lot of rain in the UK, so excessive moisture is inevitable. Not only this, but salt contributes to rapid corrosion if any metal elements are involved in your driveway or if you have metal components such as rebar reinforcing bars below the surface.”

Vinegar is very acidic, and many paving products, especially limescale and sandstone, are susceptible to erosion when exposed to compounds like this.

The acid can actually dissolve the minerals in the stone, weakening its structure and causing it to break down, leading to surface damage over time.

It may even cause some discolouration on some natural stone products and leave marks which can be difficult to remove.

The expert added: “Vinegar could also cause etching on some paving materials, which appears as full spots or large visible stained patches that appear slowly over time.

“Salt and vinegar should only be used if you can carefully direct spray straight at the weeds and avoid the paved areas altogether, but to be honest, there are a lot better and cheaper options available.”

For a natural and safe weed control method, boiling water or manual weeding are the best options long-term.

You could also use preventative methods to make it harder for weeds to take hold and prevent them from returning.

Trevor noted: “Just avoid chemical solutions that could be detrimental to the paving and any sensitive border planting.

“For maximum effect, try to apply any treatments when the weather is dry and warm.”