A popular gardener on TikTok has shared her most trusted technique for removing pesky weeds from her patio in seconds – and it’s cheap.

The “answer”, according to the expert, is pouring boiling water directly onto the weeds.

Boiling water instantly shocks the plant’s root tissue and helps it to loosen up in seconds, meaning it can then be pulled from the ground with minimal effort.

Simply put on your kettle or bring some water to a boil in a pan, then pour it into the gaps between the paving slabs of your outdoor patio.

Many keen gardeners divulging their weed-killing hacks on Reddit have supported the use of boiling water to remove weeds, hailing the overlooked hack as one of the most effective.

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“Don’t use toxic substances to kill your weeds,” wrote one user on the forum. “Just use boiling water. It works better and instantly kills the weeds.”

The use of hot water is especially helpful when weeds are dispered across a large surface area, according to gardening experts at Iowa State University.

“Boiling water will act as a contact ‘herbicide’, killing only the portion of the plant it comes in contact with,” explains the educational body. “It is most effective on young, newly emerged weeds.”

Even if the plant isn’t pulled out, it will start to wither for one or two days of being submerged, whether it’s on a garden path or driveway.

If the weeds are still too young to pull up from the ground, applying baking soda will kill them at the root and prevent further growth.

Alternatively, filling the gaps in the paving with a sealer will create a physical barrier that weeds will not be able to penetrate, but poor weather risks damaging its appearance.