Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:29 pm
Moss in the wild, for example in the forest, is usually beautiful to look at. In your own garden or on paving stones, however, rather less so. We show you which home remedies you can use to easily remove moss.
Moss is found mainly in the forest or other fully shaded locations. In and of itself, moss also has its raison d’être, because moss performs an important task for the natural ecosystem. Firstly, moss acts as a pollutant filter and secondly, moss can store nutrients from the rain and release them to other plants.
Moss is extremely robust and resistant. What is good in nature becomes a nuisance in the garden or around the house. In the lawn, for example, moss can spread to such an extent that the grass has no chance at all and simply stops growing in the mossy areas.
The only thing that can help here is thorough aeration and removal of the moss. The best way to do this is with a scarifier. To find out how to do this and what else you can do for a healthy lawn, read our big lawn guide on the subject of “healthy lawns”.
However, moss not only grows in beds or on lawns, but also between paving stones or on walls. Apart from the fact that the moss does not look nice here, it can also become a source of danger. If the moss is wet due to rain, the surface can become extremely slippery.
In addition, moss can even permanently damage the infested material. Wood in particular can become brittle and unstable due to moss. So moss should definitely be removed from surfaces. The sooner, the better.
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Removing moss from joints
It is rather easy to remove moss from paving stone joints. Here, the moss has usually not yet settled directly on the stone and can be scraped out of the joint. A joint scraper, for example, is suitable for this.
Tip: Pour boiling hot water from the kettle over the moss beforehand. This will also destroy the plant parts of the moss that you may not be able to remove or reach with the joint scraper.
If stone and wooden surfaces are infested with moss, you can try using a high-pressure cleaner.
Keep in mind, however, that you will probably only reach the visible parts of the plant, but not the roots, which are sometimes deeper in the joints or in the material. After cleaning or after you have removed the moss superficially, you should apply a special wood preservative to wood (after it has dried thoroughly) if necessary.
In stone joints between paving stones, you should apply a sealant such as quartz sand.
Removing moss with home remedies
If, on the other hand, you would rather resort to a home remedy instead of drudgery with tools, you should definitely use a restrained dosage and check beforehand whether the remedy of your choice is even permitted.
Some agents, such as vinegar essence, are prohibited when killing weeds. You could damage the soil or even contaminate the groundwater. However, you can definitely use some home remedies to remove moss. These include:
- commercial cola
- Cooking water from pasta, rice or potatoes
- Washing soda
- Baking soda
- Soft soap
remove moss with cola
You can douse moss-covered walls and paving stones with commercial cola from the supermarket. It is important that the cola contains caffeine. In combination with the phosphoric acid contained in cola, it can be an effective remedy against moss.
Tip: On walls, it is recommended to apply the cola with a brush.
Let the cola soak in for a few minutes and then apply it again to the affected area. The heavier the moss infestation, the more often you can or better should repeat this step.
Finally, rinse everything off with clean water. If you now take a brush to hand, the moss should be relatively easy to remove.
By the way: You do not have to fear a discoloration of the wall by the cola in the Regle. The dye contained in the cola is simply not dosed strongly enough for this.
remove moss with pasta, potato or rice water.
All three of the above foods release starch into the water. And this is exactly what you can use against moss. The starch clogs the pores of the moss, so to speak, and it begins to wilt and eventually dies. After that, you just need to pull the root out of the ground.
remove moss with washing soda
To remove moss and other green coverings from walls and co, a mixture of soda and water has also proven to be effective. On wood, you should first test this home remedy on an inconspicuous spot, as it could possibly cause damage or discoloration.
Caution: Soda as well as sodium bicarbonate can permanently damage the pH value of the floor. Both home remedies should only be used very cautiously for weed removal! Sealed surfaces, including paved paths and parking spaces, must not be cleaned with soda or baking soda. Failure to do so may result in a fine.
To use soda ash to remove moss, follow these steps:
- First remove coarser, surface layers of moss with a mechanical tool.
- Mix about one tablespoon of soda with one liter of boiling water. (Depending on how large an area you want to remove moss from, you can, of course, make a larger amount of the mixture.)
- Pour the water-soda mixture onto the mossy area while it is still hot.
- Let everything soak in well, preferably overnight. Afterwards, the moss residues can be removed relatively easily with a broom (a scrubber may be necessary in more stubborn areas. You should use a steel brush only carefully. It could damage the stone or wood).
- Finally, rinse everything again with water (from the garden hose).
- Done.
remove moss with baking soda
In a list of home remedies for cleaning, one thing should actually never be missing: Natron. Of course, soda also helps to remove moss.
Soda and soda are very similar, but they are not the same. Soda has a pH of about 8.5, soda 11.5, which means that you should dose the soda to remove moss, slightly higher. But be careful: soda is a salt and can also cause long-term damage to the soil if the dose is too high. So it’s better not to mix more than 1.5 tablespoons with hot water to use baking soda as a moss remover. Otherwise, the procedure is the same as for soda.
As mentioned above, soda should not be used to clean sealed surfaces. In general, soda is better dosed and used with restraint outdoors.
remove moss with soft soap
Soft soap is known to be very good for the environment. It is biodegradable and does not cause lasting damage to the soil. However, soft soap is very good for removing moss.
First, remove superficial moss and weeds with mechanical tools.
Mix two to three tablespoons of soft soap with lukewarm water. If the infestation is very heavy, you can also concentrate a little higher, but do not use more than five tablespoons to one liter of water.
Now spread the soapy water generously over the surface to be cleaned. If necessary, allow the mixture to soak in for a few minutes.
Vigorously scrub off the moss and green growth with a root brush.
Finally, rinse with clean water.
You can also generally use special cleaners from the specialist trade, but this is often not necessary. Many home remedies work just as well. Save yourself the money.