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Home » Household Tips » Cheap & Easy DIY Weed Killer

Cheap & Easy DIY Weed Killer

By Julie

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.

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DIY Weed Killer

Tired of weeds? Try out this cheap & easy DIY weed killer. It's easy to make from stuff you already have at home. Say goodbye to weeds for good with this small batch vinegar weed killer recipe

DIY Weed Killer

I hate trying to kill off weeds. It seems like I am forever out spraying them and the weed killer is expensive too.

So I was thrilled when my new neighbor introduced me to this DIY weed killer. Not only is it very frugal, but it also works great.

It only takes a few minutes to make up up this DIY weed killer with vinegar and dawn, you probably have everything you need at home.

I have a very large garden along the back of my house and weeds were constantly popping up through the mulch. It drove me crazy until I found this amazing DIY weed and grass killer.

After a few weeks of spraying down the weeds, I have them under control. The best part about this DIY week killer is that I am not worried about using this around my dogs. If you have pets this homemade weed killer is perfect!

Note: This also works as a homemade grass killer. So you only want to use it on your lawn if you want to kill off the grass too.

small batch weed killer

Homemade Weed Killer

To make this DIY weed killer you will need a few things.

  • Vinegar
  • Table Salt
  • Dish Soap
  • and a spray bottle

You will need vinegar, table salt, dish soap, and a spray bottle. I make a small batch of homemade weed killer using a small spray bottle. If you have a large number of weeds I would recommend double or tripling the batch and using a garden sprayer.

UPDATE: I switched over to the large garden sprayer and it is amazing for this homemade grass and weed killer! Just make sure you shake well before each use.

DIY Weed Killer

Start by pouring 1/2 teaspoon dish soap into your spray bottle. I use Dawn, but any brand will work. The dish soap will allow the salt and vinegar to cling to the weeds.

DIY Weed Killer

Next, add 2 tablespoons of table salt to the spray bottle. The salt acts as a drying agent in the homemade weed killer. It helps dry out the plant and kill it.

DIY-Weed-Killer.jpg

Finally, add 2 cups of vinegar to the spray bottle. Vinegar is an acid that will kill off the plant.

DIY-Weed-Killer.jpg

Shake the bottle up well until all the salt is dissolved. It's important to make sure the salt does dissolve. If not it may get clogged in your spray bottle.

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Using the DIY Weed Killer

Now you are ready to spray those weeds. I have found this DIY weed killer works best when you use it on a sunny day.

The sun helps really bake in the vinegar and salt to really fry the weeds. Just spray the weed and it will die over the next week. Please keep in mind that this will also kill off any vegetation.

You will want to use caution spraying around plants you want to keep. Also, this will kill your lawn, so make sure you don't spray on your lawn. Unless you want to kill off your grass. It makes a great cheap grass killer.

I love how great this works to kill the weeds and I have even had good luck with it keeping the weeds gone in the cracks of my driveway. This DIY weed killer is perfect for flower beds, gardens, sidewalks, and driveways! It also works great with brick sidewalks where you need to keep the weeds away. What tricks do you have to keep the weeds away?

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DIY Weed Killer

1/2 teaspoon dish soap
2 tablespoons table salt
2 cups vinegar
spray bottle

Start by pouring 1/2 teaspoon dish soap in your spray bottle. I use Dawn, but any brand will work. Next, add 2 tablespoons table salt to the spray bottle.  Finally, add 2 cups of vinegar to the spray bottle. Shake the bottle up well until all the salt is dissolved. Spray on weeds during a sunny day and wait for the weeds to disappear! You can double or triple the recipe if needed.

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Comments

  1. Darla says

    April 29, 2025 at 10:13 am

    Is this safe to use around pets?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      April 29, 2025 at 2:23 pm

      I feel comfortable using it in the mulch beds with my dog.

      Reply
  2. Linda says

    April 25, 2025 at 4:43 pm

    Is this safe to use around birds? Some times their seeds fall around the area I would be spraying and they will forage for them there. If it is, it would sure beat have to pull all those weeds!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      April 29, 2025 at 2:24 pm

      I feel comfortable using it around my dog. I am assuming it would be safe for birds, but I am not sure.

      Reply
  3. Lori says

    March 23, 2025 at 3:04 pm

    Will it kill a plant if spraying weeds close to it? The plant is a spirea. Or any perennial plant for that matter.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      March 25, 2025 at 8:03 am

      If you get any of the spray on the plants it will kill the plant.

      Reply
  4. Tori says

    October 13, 2024 at 12:38 pm

    What’s the your measurements when switching to the bigger sprayer?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 22, 2024 at 9:06 am

      It would depend on the size of your sprayer. I normally just triple the recipe for a larger sprayer.

      Reply
  5. Joanne says

    May 17, 2022 at 1:06 pm

    Tried this method to kill weeds. It worked fast and efficiently. Love that this is a natural way to take care of the weeds. Also Tried your methods for getting rid of ants. Worked great! Thanks for your help with these everyday problems around the house and yard.

    Reply
  6. Bev says

    May 12, 2016 at 2:14 pm

    After using this how long do you have to wait to plant anything ???

    Reply
    • Julie says

      May 13, 2016 at 12:06 pm

      I have planted larger things like bushes within 3 days and haven't had a problem. If you are planting something from seed I would give it longer, maybe 2-4 weeks.

      Reply
  7. Dorothy K~ says

    May 11, 2016 at 4:31 pm

    From Minnesota, CAN't wait to try this AND bring it to my sister in Florida! Thank you.

    Reply
  8. Connie says

    April 27, 2016 at 11:49 am

    Will this work on ground ivy?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      April 28, 2016 at 7:50 am

      I haven't tried it before on ground ivy. If you do try it let me know how it works.

      Reply
  9. Anita says

    April 13, 2016 at 3:56 pm

    I'm mixing this as we speak, I'll get back to you soon with the results

    Reply
    • Julie says

      April 16, 2016 at 8:10 am

      Let me know what you think. I just mixed up and used some yesterday. Spring is here and the weeds are out in full force at my house. 🙂

      Reply
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