The secret to a weed-free patio might just be hiding in your kitchen cupboards. With the approaching, many of us are gearing up to give our a makeover, and that includes tackling the pesky weeds that have taken root during the damp winter months.

Weeds can be an eyesore anywhere, but they're especially troublesome when they invade the cracks between patio slabs. Luckily, there's a simple solution for banishing those unwanted plants using a homemade concoction made from three items you're likely to find in your kitchen right now.

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This clever trick was revealed on the Tips page, where a user pleaded for help: "I have numerous weeds coming through my block paving. I'm fed up of weeding them all to be just as bad the next week. Any ideas please?".

Fellow green-fingered enthusiasts were quick to respond with their top tips, with several recommending a blend of white vinegar, washing-up liquid, and salt as the ultimate weed destroyer. One enthusiast claimed: "I use white vinegar, washing-up liquid and salt. It works fab; I swear by it."

Another chimed in with: "Salt, vinegar, water and washing-up liquid mixed and sprayed on the area." A third gave a little more insight on how to prevent pesky weeds from making an unwanted comeback, suggesting: "One of the reasons weeds grow through block paving is because the silicone sand needs replacing. I only use distilled white vinegar, table salt and washing-up liquid mixed water to eradicate these problem weeds naturally.

"But once they are gone, brush in silicone sand right up to the level of the block paving; this stops wind-born weed seeds from entering to soil level through the blocks. You can get silicone sand from a good builders merchant."

Remember when we dished out that top garden advice from an expert who swore by the same homespun concoction for ditching weeds?

Wendy Graham, the brains behind eco blog Moral Fibres, was all about the homemade herbicide, instructing folks to load up a spare spray bottle with a litre of white vinegar, three hefty spoonfuls of salt, plus a trio of teaspoons heaped with washing-up liquid before going to town on those invasive little sproutings.

Scouring the web for budget-friendly options, we clocked table salt on Ocado for only 40p, though you can pop down to or , where it's tagged at 55p and 65p respectively. On the vinegar front, Tesco's got your back – just 35p a pop.

And for suds? Well, Asda’s bargain bubbles come in at 55p, with tallying up at 65p. All in, you could be bagging all the bits for your anti-weed arsenal for the princely sum of £1.30.