The Strange But Effective Dish Soap Lawn Hack You Don't Want To Skip Out On

Dish soap is one of those household items that can be incredibly useful in your garden, like its effective usage to get rid of ant hills in your yard. However, another way that dish soap is said to help with your lawn care is by killing moss. So, to find out more about how effective this trick is, we spoke to Ryan Walts, the Training Manager and Business Coach over at The Lawn Squad. According to Walts, dish soap can be quite an effective way to kill moss. "Dish soap can affect the cells within the moss by breaking down the waxy coating that helps to protect the plant's cells. Without this protective coating, the cells of the plant begin to lose moisture rapidly. Eventually, the moss begins to dry out and slowly die away."

However, despite the fact that dish soap can successfully kill moss, Walts also explained that this hack may not be a long term solution, "Dish soap can be used as a temporary control [or] suppression method for localized areas of moss in a lawn if conditions are right, the soap is mixed appropriately with water, and if the mixture is applied correctly. Dish soap is also a relatively low-cost option when compared to traditional products that can control moss; however, it is not necessarily seen as a long term solution to a moss problem." Luckily, if you need a quick solution to your moss problem, then dish soap can definitely help.

In order to be able to effectively coat your problematic moss in dish soap, it is best to mix it with water to make distribution easier. "To help control moss using dish soap, you will want to mix roughly two fluid ounces of liquid dish soap in one gallon of water," recommends Walts. He adds, "Always be sure to shake or stir the mixture thoroughly before application to ensure the soap is evenly mixed in your spray container. Once mixed, you will want to apply this mixture with a small spray bottle or pump sprayer to achieve adequate coverage of the moss." 

Coating the moss evenly in the mixture is something that Walts highlighted as being particularly important, stating, "This method of control is only effective on the parts of the plant that are contacted by the soapy mixture." He went on, explaining, "Areas that are not sprayed or do not have proper coverage will continue to survive, as the soap acts as more of a 'contact' rather than a 'systemic' method of control." 

You need to make sure the weather will cooperate before applying. "Always apply during warm, dry weather conditions where rain chances are low," advises Walts. "This helps to allow the soap to work on the moss surface without being washed off."

Just like many other homemade solutions to yard problems, like Martha Stewart's DIY weed killer (which may struggle to get rid of a weed's roots), this method is not without its hiccups. Specifically, Walts warns, "Make sure you are not mixing too much soap into the spray mixture." He notes, "Soap works by breaking down the waxy protective coating on plant cells. This may be beneficial in getting rid of the moss but too much soap can also be detrimental to surrounding grass plants or ornamentals by causing unintended stress or injury." Walts also emphasizes, "Along the same lines, you will want to try to apply this mixture to the moss only to avoid overspray on other plants/grasses, if possible, to avoid unnecessary stress to these desirable plants."

This solution can be useful but is not recommended for recurring moss problems. Maintaining proper lawn care practices is a great way to control the moss in your yard. As Walts explains, "Repeated or severe moss issues would be best addressed by correcting the conditions leading to moss development." To find out more about how to best care for your lawn, check out The Lawn Squad.