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Can You Use Baking Soda to Get Rid of Moss? (Explained)

Baking soda has many useful properties. It is an effective and cheap way of removing moss and other things.

It acts as a natural disinfectant and has nontoxic properties that will not harm garden plants or the soil. Baking soda can aid in removing moss from trees, yards as well as harder surfaces.

Using baking soda to get rid of moss:

Baking soda is one of the easiest and most effective methods for destroying moss from lawns, trees, and also hard surfaces like the roof, tarmac, etc. As this method is all-natural, it won’t affect the environment. It works well with smaller patches of moss and crabgrass.

Baking soda can easily and quickly remove moss from grass, lawns, flowerbeds, and even harder surfaces like concrete roofs, tarmac, sidewalks, or pavers. The result can be seen in just two or three days.

But baking soda is not the permanent solution to removing moss therefore the treatment should be repeated frequently for the moss to wither away naturally. If there is still remaining residue, scrubbing it off the moss can be gotten rid of easily.

On concrete roofs:

Baking soda is one of the fastest, most effective, and cheapest treatments to apply to moss. Baking soda can be applied to roofs when rain is minimal as a treatment.

After applying the treatment, wait for a few weeks to wait for the moss to wither away. The outcome can be seen in two-three days.

Treatments that have d-limonene in them also known as citrus oil are very effective at eliminating current moss.

However, there will always be some flakes of the moss left as the moss withers away but using a wire or nylon brush to scrub off the residue can help to get rid of the remaining flakes.

On tarmac or asphalt:

There are a lot of ways in which baking soda can be used, the one that is the most successful, effective, and simplest is to distribute the baking soda over the damp area where the moss growth is visible or over the areas where the driveway is green.

As baking soda has the power to soak all of the humidity and eliminate any moss that may be existing on asphalt or tarmac.

On pavers or sidewalks:

Baking soda is organic and acts as a disinfectant for pavers or sidewalks. Baking soda removes surface buildup easily as it is easy to scrub it off. Sprinkling baking soda and water on pavers can help to remove it.

Dirt, crud can grease can easily come off with the help of baking soda just by scrubbing. Baking soda can aid in removing oil from pavers or sidewalks. Older and darker stains would need more baking soda.

In grass:

Since baking soda is natural, it will not damage the environment, nor it will damage the soil or garden plants. Before mixing baking soda and water to eliminate the moss, it is mandatory to use gloves.

The perfect time to apply this treatment is in the afternoon when the moss is dry for the moss to wither off.

In flowerbeds and lawn:

Baking soda is one of the most effective and fastest ways to get rid of moss on flowerbeds and lawns. By mixing baking soda and water, make a solution out of it and put it into a spray bottle.

On a warm and dry day apply the solution to the moss on the flowerbed or lawn and wait for the moss to dry and wither away. The process must be repeated frequently for the moss to completely wither away.

What does baking soda do to moss?

Baking soda is an effective way of removing moss quickly as it eliminates the moss growth by raising the pH level which makes it an unsuitable environment for the growth of moss.

The ideal environment for moss growth is a pH level between 5 and 6 which is deemed as acidic, making it the most suitable and perfect environment for moss growth.

By adding baking soda directly to the moss instead of mixing it with the soil, the moss can be eliminated from yards, lawns, trees, or on harder surfaces like decks, roofs, and patios. Baking soda does not irritate the soil at all and is safe to use and apply as a treatment.

Baking soda is also very cheap and is very simple to apply but the treatment has to be repeated several times to get rid of moss completely.

How much and how long should you leave baking soda on moss?

Determining the right amount of baking soda is crucial for removing moss. The use of baking soda is not a permanent solution to get rid of moss. At first, begin by adding two or three tablespoons of baking soda with one quart which is 950ml of water.

For darker and older stains, the quantity of the baking soda must be increased along with the amount of water to be used. Cover the moss with the baking soda treatment and then wait for a few days.

The outcome can be seen in just two or three days but for deeper and older stains it could take a longer time to get rid of the moss. The moss will wither away naturally, and then the remaining residue can be cleaned off with a nylon brush or a wire just by scrubbing.

How to use baking soda for moss?

To remove moss with baking soda, you need to follow the proper tips. Let’s get to know them for your better achievement of the wok.

To remove moss from roofs:

Baking soda is a common household product and is one of the cheapest options for removing moss. As baking soda acts as an abrasive, it can easily help in removing any existence of moss.

At first, begin by taking three tablespoons of baking soda and add it to 1l of water, after the mixture has been dissolved thoroughly put it into a sprayer and apply it to the moss on the roof.

After the treatment has been applied to the moss directly, it will take a few days for the treatment to dry and wither away. The roof should be cleaned after the moss dries off.

To eradicate moss from pavers or sidewalks:

To remove moss from pavers or sidewalks, cover the moss thoroughly by sprinkling baking soda over the damp area of moss on the pavers or sidewalks and then allow the solution to sit on the moss for about approximately 24 to 48 hours.

After the moss has completely dried off, clean off the remaining moss residue by simply sweeping or scraping the surface. Lastly rinse the paver or sidewalk by using a pressure washer, or garden hose or simply rinsing it off with just a bucket of water.

To eliminate moss from tarmac or asphalt:

During the colder months of the year tarmac or asphalt contains spaces that often trap water and become wet, particularly in areas that do not have enough sunlight or are shaded by trees. These conditions provide the ideal environment for the moss to grow and affect other areas as well.

Therefore, to remove the moss sprinkle the baking soda over the affected area of the moss or in the places where it appears to be green.

The moss will soon wither away from the tarmac or asphalt since the baking soda will soak up the moisture from the moss and get rid of it.

Eliminating moss from grass:

For smaller areas of mosses, make the solution by starting off with three tablespoons of baking soda with one quart of water.

For larger patches of mosses, the amount of baking soda may need to be increased to eight tablespoons of baking soda with one quart of water. Sprinkle baking soda on the infected area to increase efficiency.

As this is a temporary solution, this process should be repeated often with a more lethal combination to completely scrape the decomposing moss and discard it most effectively.

Eradicating moss from flowerbeds and lawn:

Moss is not harmful to the flowerbed and lawns, but the presence of moss imposes a sign that there could be a problem with soil erosion or distribution.

Therefore, to get rid of the moss naturally, mix three tablespoons of baking soda with one quart of water.

After spraying the treatment on the damp moss, wait for the treatment to dry off and wither away. Lastly, scrape off the remaining moss residue. This process may need to be repeated as this is not a permanent solution to getting rid of moss.

Final thoughts

Baking soda has a lot of beneficial properties and offers the fastest and cheapest way to remove moss. Although baking soda does not remove moss permanently, it is still very effective at removing moss from grass, lawns, flowerbeds, and other harder surfaces like concrete roofs, asphalt, and pavers.