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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

    Inside: 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!

    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?

    If you like using natural products check out these ways to get rid of ants naturally. They really work!

    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. Stephanie @ this abundant life says

      May 29, 2015 at 10:09 am

      This is a great weed solution! We have little weeds that grow up between the pavers on our back patio and I hate to spray a chemical out there with my littles always running around barefoot. I am going to give this a try! Thanks so much for the tip!

      • Julie says

        May 29, 2015 at 10:10 am

        Your Welcome!

    2. Sarah says

      May 30, 2015 at 11:45 am

      This sounds like a great solution for me. I always worry about putting chemicals into our earth... Thanks for the idea! found you at Link Party Palooza.

      • Julie says

        June 01, 2015 at 2:22 pm

        Your welcome. Thanks for stopping by.

    3. Lisa @ Fun Money Mom says

      May 31, 2015 at 2:18 am

      I read this post just at the right time because I have weeds right now that I'm trying to kill. I love how easy this is! Thanks so much for linking up with #ShareTheWealthSunday!

      xoxo
      Lisa

    4. Heather says

      May 31, 2015 at 2:56 am

      Definitely going to try this! It sounds perfect for the weeds that spring up in the cracks in my driveway!

    5. Casserole Gals says

      June 01, 2015 at 9:34 am

      I have made this and it works great!

      • Julie says

        June 01, 2015 at 2:22 pm

        Glad you like it! I have really been happy with it.

    6. Sherry Hayes says

      June 01, 2015 at 4:28 pm

      Marvelous idea--I think I'll go right now and make up some (found through the Mom2Mom linkup).

    7. Gwen says

      June 02, 2015 at 5:08 pm

      This has come just at the right time for me, as we have a huge number of weeds coming up on our path at the moment! Thank you for sharing your recipe 🙂

      • Julie says

        June 03, 2015 at 8:16 am

        Your welcome!

    8. Emily says

      June 03, 2015 at 8:14 am

      Thanks for mentioning that it would kill off all vegetation! We had heard vinegar was a possible weed killer and almost sprayed it on our lawn...whoops

      • Julie says

        June 03, 2015 at 8:18 am

        Vinegar on the lawn isn't good, unless you are wanting to kill off the lawn. When I was younger, I thought I was helping my dad out by spraying roundup on the lawn. He wasn't very happy. 🙂

    9. Laura Sue Shaw says

      June 03, 2015 at 1:21 pm

      Thanks for sharing! I really need to make this.. it seems that weeds have been overtaking our yard this spring!

    10. Joann Woolley says

      June 04, 2015 at 1:42 am

      Pinning for when I get my garden going! I want to remain organic in our garden so I may have to switch out the dawn dishsoap for something greener.

    11. Erin @ the-organized-life says

      June 04, 2015 at 9:34 am

      Thanks for sharing... always looking for DIY ways of doing things... seems a lot cheaper and safer.

    12. Karissa says

      June 23, 2015 at 5:10 pm

      Thank you for sharing, what a great solution to expensive week killers. I will be making some of this. Visiting your blog from A Bowl Full of Lemons

    13. Geoff says

      September 24, 2015 at 6:32 pm

      Will this work around other plants as long as you don't spray them? Or does it go to the roots?

      • Julie says

        September 26, 2015 at 8:05 pm

        As long as you don't spray the other plants you should be good.

    14. Jody Waddell says

      April 02, 2016 at 9:06 pm

      Once you spray, can you plant again in that area later? Or does it contaminate the soil for a while?

      • Julie says

        April 06, 2016 at 1:54 pm

        It shouldn't contaminate the soil for very long. I have planted azalea's after 3 days of when I sprayed. Seeds like grass seed may need to wait longer (maybe 2-4 weeks) ?

    15. Meg says

      April 06, 2016 at 12:56 pm

      What kind of sprayer do you use? I tried your recipe in an industrial plastic spray bottle & after 50 or so sprays, the trigger wouldn't work anymore. I thought that might be a problem with the salt. Any suggestions?

      • Julie says

        April 06, 2016 at 1:50 pm

        I have used it in both a spray bottle or a lawn and garden sprayer. I haven't had a problem in either of them. As long as you make sure the salt is dissolved it shouldn't cause any problems. Maybe try the trigger with just plain water and see if you are still having problems?

    16. 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

      • 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. 🙂

    17. Connie says

      April 27, 2016 at 11:49 am

      Will this work on ground ivy?

      • 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.

    18. 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.

    19. Bev says

      May 12, 2016 at 2:14 pm

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

      • 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.

    20. 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.

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