If, like me, you have a paved area in your front or back garden, you'll know that weeds don't take long to start peering through the gaps. Rather than continue to pick them out by hand, I thought I'd test the Newman and Cole long-handle weed brush from Amazon. It worked a treat, and it's available on Amazon for just £11.99.
Of course, there are lots of tried and tested weed hacks if you're wondering how to stop weeds growing in block paving, but sometimes a simple sweep gets the job done quickly where lots of weeds have already established themselves, or if you're trying to keep on top of stragglers.
The long-handled Newman and Cole weed brush is comfortable to use and quickly removes weeds between paving blocks.
First impressions
What caught my eye initially was the length of the handle attached to the brush – I'm 5 ft 9, and the handle is 120cm long, so I didn't have to bend my back as much as I do with other products. There's even a handy loop on the end of the handle for hanging the brush in the shed!
Besides the long handle, the brush has two main features: bristles on the underside, and a metal scraper on the opposite side which can be used by turning the brush upside down.
The wire brush is made up of three rows of triangle-shaped brass bristles. Some reviews on Amazon complain about the brush wearing down over time, but I haven't used the brush long enough to fully test its longevity. For £11.99, I'll take a bit of wear and tear for a great gardening deal.
What I have read, however, is that you shouldn't go too hard with this brush. The most negative reviews talk about the metal bristles falling out, and though I haven't experienced this myself, I'll keep an eye out for this mishap.
The angle of the bristles allows you to get into corners that you wouldn't quite reach with a normal weeding brush.
I've tried wire bristle brushes before and they've been a little trickier to get into awkward paving nooks and crannies, so I definitely felt the benefits of using an angled weed brush.
Using the brush
Using the brush was simple, and the weeds were easily dislodged from the gaps in the driveway with a couple of sweeps. The angled wire bristles managed to brush away even the more established weeds.
Clumps of moss were especially easy to dislodge, and it turned out to be quite a satisfying job.
Using the scraper
This was a noisier job (think metal on concrete), but it was an effective one nonetheless. There was a lot of moss growing between the gaps in my driveway paving blocks, and the pointed metal scraper managed to remove most sections in single sweeps. It lined up perfectly between the gaps. I brushed any remaining debris out with the bristle side of the brush.
The metal scraper wasn't as good at pulling out deeper-rooted weeds, but for a quick job, it covered most ground.
Some reviewers on Amazon didn't feel the metal scraper was necessary, but it can easily be removed with a screwdriver.
So, there's a reason the Newman and Cole weed brush is a best seller on Amazon – it's comfortable and makes quick work of patio weeds. For £11.99, it's a bargain, and I'll be looking out for any Amazon Prime Day reductions in case my friends are interested.
