While much of my garden has been suffering in the heat, it doesn’t seem to have had any effect on the weeds, which are growing as much as ever. But the hot weather has meant that I have zero energy for digging weeds out by hand, so I was happy to give the Ryobi Cordless 18V ONE+™ Patio Cleaner at Amazon a go and save myself the effort.

The combination of paving slabs, pointing and brick edging on my patio means that there are plenty of gaps and crevices for weeds to take root in. While I’ve tried plenty of different methods for removing weeds from a patio, it can be back-breaking work stooping down to get at them, not to mention hard on the knees, too.

I was also pleased to discover that the patio cleaner is cordless, meaning it can be used outside without the hassle of having to drag out an extension cable, and with plenty of weed-ridden paths at my allotment (which has no outside power), I plan to put it through its paces there too.

Using the Patio Cleaner

The Patio Cleaner works by using a battery-powered motor that rotates a wire brush head, which whizzes round and dislodges any weeds, moss, grass and debris from the gaps in between paving slabs and along path edges.

Set up was fairly speedy. The Patio Cleaner comes complete with a rechargeable battery and charger – it takes an hour to fully charge and promises to run for up to 32 minutes on a single charge.

Looking similar in shape and size to a strimmer, it has a contoured handle at the top, plus a steadying handle further down that simply needs to be clipped in place.

It also has a telescoping handle which can easily be adjusted in height, should it feel more comfortable longer or shorter. And to operate, there is a safety trigger and button at the top that need to be pressed in unison to start it up.

Weight-wise, it does feel pretty hefty at 2.83 kg in weight, but it is fairly easy to manoeuvre without putting strain on your shoulders or back.

The Patio Cleaner comes complete with a wire brush head, which is recommended for use on patios, driveways and bricked surfaces where you’ll come up against the most common garden weeds. A lighter nylon brush head is also available, which is recommended for softer surfaces like sandstone or marble paving, but does need to be ordered separately and costs £17.99.

Operation of the Patio Cleaner was pretty straightforward. The wire brush head sits on one side of the sweeper, while on the other side, there is a small wheel that helps guide it along the line of your paving or pathway.

All that’s needed is to hold onto the top handle and grab the guiding handle lower down to steer it. Once switched on, the Patio Cleaner easily whizzes along in a line, with the rotating brush head getting into gaps and dislodging weeds and debris as it goes. I found that small weeds came out instantly, but with bigger, more deep-rooted weeds, I needed to run it over them again a couple of times.

For my patio, with regularly spaced paving slabs, tackling the job in sections and working methodically in lines going down and then across the patio worked best for me. Clearing the entire patio was speedy (in under 15 minutes) and required no back-breaking bending or getting down on hands and knees.

The Patio Cleaner does send weeds and debris whizzing out, although there is a plastic shield that guards the brush head and prevents debris from flying upwards – it is also recommended that you wear safety goggles while operating it. Afterwards, you will have to give the patio a thorough sweeping down to clear up, so do have a sturdy brush on hand.

When it comes to corners and tricky angles, it does take a little manoeuvring to make sure that you get into the edges, but that was no problem.

I found the noise levels of the Patio Cleaner to be a lot less noisy than a regular garden strimmer (check out the video below to see and hear it in action), with less vibration than a strimmer, so much easier on the arms.

The verdict? Having previously tested QVC’s electric Weed Sweeper, my only gripe with that design was having to drag a cable around with me. So upgrading to this cordless Patio Cleaner makes cleaning the patio that much easier and means I can also use it in places where a power source isn’t available, such as the front garden or over at my allotment.

And while it is great for clearing weeds from hard surfaces like patios and paths, when it comes to removing weeds from lawns and borders, investing in a manual weeding tool like the Gardena Weed Puller is also worth considering, so you’ll have every type of weed covered.

Shop these Patio Cleaner alternatives

If the Patio Cleaner isn’t quite what you’re looking for, we have a few alternatives you can shop.

Will you be investing in a patio cleaner? Or do you have your own clever ways of dealing with weeds? Let us know.

If there’s one thing that all this hot weather calls for, it’s a delicious tub of homemade ice cream. And no, you don’t need the Ninja Creami (£169.99, Argos) to do this, as Aldi has just dropped a similar alternative for just £69.99.

Over the past few years, the best ice-creams have become the ‘it’ appliance of any kitchen, even overtaking air fryers in terms of viral popularity. But they can be expensive appliances – until now, at least.

Landing in stores on 16 July, the Aldi Premium Ice Cream Maker is dropping as part of the supermarket’s latest Modern Kitchen range. Here’s everything we know about this star buy so far.

Having been writing about Aldi for a few years now, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t waiting for Aldi to drop an ice-cream maker. Yes, there may have been an Aldi ice cream maker to hit the shelves before, but I’ve been on the lookout a slightly fancier gadget.

And my prayers have been answered, as their new premium ice cream maker is a dead ringer for the Ninja Creami.

More than £100 cheaper than the Ninja Creami Deluxe (£249.99, Ninja), the Aldi Premium Ice Cream Maker allows you to create delicious homemade ice cream, sorbet, milkshake and even frozen cocktails. It’s easy to operate with a self-cleaning function, has an adjustable blade and dishwasher-safe accessories, making clean-up an equally easy job.

There’s not much detail on how the machine operates, however it does look as though it will be easy to use via a simple dial, and we predict that, like the Creami, you’ll need to freeze your ice-cream mixture first. With a Ninja Creami, this is around 24 hours, so bear in mind that you might need to account for some freezing time when preparing your frozen treats.

‘Of all of the Ninja Creami rivals that have been released recently, including the cleverly designed NutriBullet Chill and Russell Hobbs’ version, this ice cream maker from Aldi is by far the cheapest,’ says Molly Cleary, Kitchen Appliances Editor at Ideal Home.

‘At £69.99, if it works well, it’s a total bargain. It has the same ‘slot in and mix’ design of the Creami and looks like it’s aiming for similar functionality with the ability to whip up ice cream, milkshakes, sorbets and other sweet treats. After testing the Ninja Creami Deluxe, I can safely say that this type of appliance is one you’ll have a lot of fun with, and though I haven’t got my hands on Aldi’s version yet, I’m sure it’s about to be a hit with those looking to spend a little less!’

Due to the fact that it is under £70, I’m inclined to believe that it won’t be quite as good as the original. However, if you want to try an ice cream maker or have a tighter budget, it’s a good starting point and worth a try.

However, we do think this ice cream maker will sell out like soft serve on a hot day. So, if you can’t track one down, here are a few more affordable options you can shop online.

With 2026 on track for a scorcher of a summer, what better way to cool down than with a delicious, homemade ice cream?