A cheap patio cleaning hack has taken the Internet by storm and with a price tag of £4, it's easy to see why.
With another UK heatwave on the horizon, it's likely we'll all be spending a lot more time outside over the next few weeks.
For many folks, that means boatloads of Factor 50 sunscreen, fresh summer recipes, and of course, al-fresco dining. (Check out our line-up of the best BBQs for a small garden or patio if you still haven't gotten yours).
It also means the pressure is on to get your garden in tip-top shape before the summer holidays officially begin. From cutting lawns to manicuring flowerbeds, the warmer months never fail to put our green fingers to the test.
Fans of cleaning guru Mrs. Hinch, a.k.a Sophie Hinchliffe, have now taken to social media to share their top tips for achieving a "spotless" patio - and one of them is surprisingly cheap.
In a Facebook group inspired by the British influencer, a member named Dawn Wilson asked, "What can I use to get my patio to come up cleaner and brighter when power washing?"
It didn't take long for Wilson's question to receive answers, many of which advised using standard washing powder as a cheap yet effective way to glow up one's patio.
"My husband used boxed washing powder, wets it, leaves it overnight, and then power washes it," one person replied. "Ours came up spotless!"
For best results, it's recommended one mixes biological washing powder with warm water in a bucket to create a foamy solution. You can then pour the mixture directly onto the patio slabs, allow it to sink into them, and scrub off the softened dirt using a hard-bristled brush. If you wait about 48 hours after pouring, you can also rinse the debris off by simply power-hosing it down.
Washing powder can also be used to get rid of moss and algae - another unwelcome visitor to our beloved patios.
"I sprinkle Aldi biological washing powder on the patio and driveway, where we get green moss," one person wrote in the same Facebook group. "Washing powder kills the moss, just sprinkle, you don't need to scrub - it looks like snow!"
If you're on the hunt for more summer-friendly household hacks, check out these guides on how to get rid of ants in a nontoxic way, how to clean with vinegar, and how to clean white shoes.
