Use Baking Soda to Get Rid of Moss Growing on the Sidewalk and Driveway

Not everyone likes the rustic look of moss growing on a driveway, sidewalk, or patio. But beyond the looks, it’s a security risk. When moss coats materials such as concrete, brick, wood, and pavers, it can make these high-traffic surfaces extremely slippery, increasing the risk of falls.

While there are many methods for killing moss, baking soda stands out for being cheap, effective, easy to apply, and most of all, less harmful to wildlife as well as nearby plants, flowers, and trees. Here’s how to get rid of moss in your driveway and sidewalk with baking soda.

How to remove moss with baking soda

The first step is to hose down the mossy areas, which takes time to thoroughly soak any cracks in the pavement or gaps between the bricks. Then let it soak for two or three hours. This will help the baking soda stick to the moss and get into cracks and crevices.

Then apply baking soda in one of three forms:

Powder

Sprinkle baking soda directly on the moss. Let it stand for a few days. When the moss turns brown , scrape it off and pull it out of the cracks, then sweep away any debris. You can also give it a final hose rinse if you like.

Insert

It’s the same process as above, except instead of a powder, you mix some baking soda with a little water to make a paste, and then spread the paste over the moss. The powder method is much faster and easier to apply to large areas of moss, while the paste method is ideal if you’re targeting moss growing in pavement cracks or between bricks.

Spray

Pour ½ pound (about 1 cup) of baking soda into a garden sprayer, then 1 gallon of water, then shake until the mixture is combined. Or, if you only need a small batch, mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 cup of water in a spray bottle and shake.

Then spray the places covered with moss . After a few weeks, check the areas where you sprayed the solution. If the moss is still there, mist the areas again and then check back in a few weeks. Keep repeating the process until the moss is dead, which can take two to three months .