Moss can be a real problem for gardeners, but there’s a simple way to get rid of it without using harsh chemicals – and it involves a bottle of washing up liquidAlex Evans Deputy Audience Editor and Kathryn Riddell Multimedia Journalist
08:12, 30 Sep 2025
Garden rake with moss on grass(Image: SHARED CONTENT UNIT)
A green lawn is undoubtedly among the finest features of any British garden – but when moss takes hold, that dense green turf can be rapidly overtaken and spoiled. While some homeowners don’t object to moss, for others it becomes an ongoing struggle to stop it gradually infiltrating between grass blades and transforming your lawn into a patchy, irregular surface.
However, gardening specialists have revealed a method to eliminate it – simply by using washing up liquid. Many contend that moss actually benefits the environment as it captures carbon dioxide, offers habitat for insects and creates shelter for soil.
Yet simultaneously, there are those who loathe the appearance of the spongy green covering across their lawn and wish to eradicate it. The Royal Horticultural Society emphasises that moss can prove advantageous for your garden; it supports biodiversity and can supply food for insects alongside nesting materials for birds.
However, if you do wish to eliminate it, October presents an ideal time to address it, the RHS states, which can be achieved by scarifying your lawn, reports the Express.
The RHS continues: “Scarify your lawn – ideally in October or early November when the grass is growing strongly, to remove moss. On a small lawn, or if the moss is only in a limited area, this can be done with a spring-tined rake.
“For a larger area, you could hire a mechanical scarifier.”
Along with scarifying, numerous garden centres stock costly sprays, bottles and chemicals that claim to ‘eliminate moss’ or ‘destroy moss quickly’ but the issue with these products – apart from the cost – is that they can harm beneficial creatures in your garden, such as insects, worms and bees, due to their powerful chemical composition. That’s why gardening specialists have developed a far superior method to eliminate moss without harsh chemicals – a standard bottle of Fairy Liquid (other brands are available).
According to JoesLawnCare.co.uk, washing up liquid can be transformed into ‘an awesome moss killer’. It states: “You can eradicate your moss problem with a two-ingredient cocktail of water and dish soap.
“Mixing 60ml of dish soap into 4-and-a-half litres of water and then filling up a hand sprayer is one of the most incredible moss killing recipes you could ever come across. Simply take your mixture outside and spray on any patches of moss you come across, holding your bottle just a couple of inches away as you drench the moss with your epic creation.
“‘How will I know it has worked?’ I hear you ask.
“Well, over the next day or so, you’ll see your moss invasion turn from a lush green colour to an orangey-brown before it totally dries up and succumbs to the surrounding grass. It’s epic.
“Now, ideally, you’ll want to have checked the weather first and time your homemade moss spraying session with a rain-free period of 24 hours or more, otherwise your solution will be washed away and rendered useless. But as long as you do that, there’s no reason this won’t work.
“Then, once your moss has turned that weird orangey-brown colour and died, simply grab your rake and remove it from your lawn.”
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