8 Brilliant Hacks To Help Tackle Mossy Driveway Pavers

Despite your best efforts, you may still find pesky moss growing between your driveway and sidewalk pavers. While some homeowners like the look of moss, others are determined to get rid of it and may not know where to start. You can try removing moss by hand, but this approach isn't always effective, especially when it comes to preventing regrowth. Instead, you can use a variety of common household products to help kill the moss. Many of these essential household items you probably already have lying around: bleach, baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water.

Depending on how thick the moss is around your pavers, you may need to try several methods before you find one that works. For most of these tricks, you need to allow the product to sit for a few days before trying to remove the moss, which you can do with a hose, brush, shovel, or garden fork. To help prevent the moss from growing back in your yard, you can apply a moss killer, increase sunlight exposure, adjust soil pH, or aerate it to improve drainage. 

Vinegar can help with so many tasks around the house, from pouring it down the drain for a clean kitchen sink that smells good to cleaning burnt pots and pans. This household staple can even rid your driveway and sidewalk pavers of pesky moss. Pour the vinegar into a spray bottle and apply the liquid to the mossy areas. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes and repeat the process daily for up to a week. After that, the moss should be easy to remove with a garden hose or brush. 

As you might expect, the versatile essential baking soda can also help to get rid of the moss surrounding your pavers. Baking soda can help kill moss thanks to its alkaline pH. Moss prefers acidic conditions and struggles to survive in alkaline environments. Baking soda also helps to dehydrate the moss, removing its necessary moisture. To apply, simply sprinkle the baking soda onto the mossy area and let it sit for a few days, or until the moss has turned brown. Then you should be able to easily scrape and sweep it out. 

If you have a bottle of hydrogen peroxide lying around your home, you may want to bring it out to fight the moss in your yard. Dilute hydrogen peroxide with water in a 50/50 ratio using a spray bottle. You can spray this solution onto the moss in between your pavers, and allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes before attempting to scrape it off. Use a stiff brush to remove the moss, then rinse the area thoroughly. 

Bleach is another common household cleaner that can remove moss from pavers. Using an empty bucket, mix one cup of bleach with one gallon of water. (You can also add a cup of dish soap or detergent.) Next, you can either pour the mixture onto the moss or spray it from a bottle. Let it sit for a minimum of five minutes, and rinse the area with a hose. Bleach may also help slow moss regrowth. As usual, when handling bleach, make sure to protect yourself and your skin by using gloves or goggles. 

If you want a quick fix for your mossy pavers, a pressure washer can handle the job. Use a pressure washer rated between 1,500 and 3,000 PSI. If your pavers are concrete or asphalt, you may need to opt for the higher end of that range. It's also recommended to use a turbo nozzle attachment. First, prep the pavers with a water and cleaner solution, letting it sit for about 10 minutes. Next, turn the pressure washer on high and spray problem areas to remove the moss. For any tough or stubborn spots, use a scrub brush by hand. 

If you don't have a pressure washer, boiling water can offer a simpler moss-removal alternative. You'll likely need a scrub brush as well. Once you've boiled the water, pour it onto the affected areas and allow it to sit for a few minutes before scrubbing away with the brush to remove the stubborn plant. If the moss is still attached, you can repeat the pouring process until it's removed completely. Then, use a broom to sweep away the excess moss from the area. 

Even without specialized tools, dish soap offers a simple way to tackle moss. Mix about ¼ of a cup of dish soap with one gallon of water and pour into a hand sprayer or spray bottle. Apply this to your mossy pavers and allow it to sit until the moss has dried up and died. As with most of these moss-removing tricks, make sure it's not raining outside so your solution won't wash away. Once the moss has died, you can remove it with a rake or scrub brush. 

Another natural ingredient that will take care of moss is salt. Salt kills moss by drawing out moisture and causing dehydration. You can either sprinkle it directly onto the area or create a solution by mixing salt with water and applying it to the moss with a spray bottle. For the latter, use a 20/80 ratio of salt to water. Be sure to use caution when adding salt to your garden, as it could accidentally damage the surrounding plants and soil.