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With warmer weather on the way, many families will be eagerly anticipating spending time outdoors in their gardens. However, one sight that will dampen spirits is weeds pushing through the patio.

Fortunately, these unwanted plants can be kept under control using a straightforward household ingredient costing as little as 30p. According to Andy McLaughlin of RF Paving, salt can be used to help "dry out" the weeds, which eventually kills them. He does, however, caution that applying too much salt can cause damage to paving stones or other paving materials if used too frequently. He advises that the best method of applying salt to your patio is to create a solution.

Andy recommends mixing it into a diluted spray using a cup of salt to three parts water. He says this will help safeguard both your paving stones and soil.

Speaking to Martha Stewart, he said: "The frequent use of salt, especially on natural stone, can weaken the structural integrity of the paving, as well as cause discoloration and even erosion.", reports the Liverpool Echo.

It will be welcome news for gardeners, with a 1.5kg bag of cooking salt available for just £1.90 at Tesco. This means that the average 250g cup of salt will cost roughly 30p per spray.

According to Gardeners' World magazine, salt solutions are a "cheap and easy" way to banish weeds from your garden. It does, however, warn that salt can alter the pH of your soil, something to bear in mind before using it.

It reports: "Salt (sodium chloride) can be very harmful to plants if applied in high enough doses, as it dehydrates them. Salt is not good for the garden, however, as it will also kill other plants and will ultimately affect the pH of the soil.

"For this reason, use on paving and paths only and make sure that the solution does not leach into nearby soil. To work as a weedkiller, the salt must be dissolved in water. You can increase the strength of the solution if you need to."

Gardeners' World advises that anyone preparing a salt solution to use as a weedkiller should steer clear of rock, sea or epsom salts, recommending ordinary household table salt for tackling weeds instead.

Fellow gardening authority Ryan Walts suggests that another readily available household alternative for a weedkiller is baking soda. He noted that it can be utilised to eliminate small weeds growing between paving stones and in any cracks or crevices.

He added: "Baking soda works to kill plants due to the salt content in the baking soda. The salt dries out the plant, making it difficult for that plant to uptake moisture, resulting in death."

He recommends applying the baking soda directly onto the weeds or by combining it into a solution to spray on weeds. The optimum time to do this is during dry weather conditions and with "minimal wind," Ryan explained.