We all battle weeds. They pop up in our mulch beds, driveways, and lawns. Sometimes it feels like we can never get rid of them! You can spray harsh chemicals, but did you know you can use vinegar to kill weeds?

Here’s a simple recipe to make homemade weed killer:

• 1 gallon of distilled vinegar
• 1 cup of salt
• 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap

*Mix all of these ingredients in an all-purpose spray bottle.

Here’s how this recipe for weed killer works:

• The vinegar contains acetic acid, which will draw moisture out of the plants to kill the weed all the way to the root.
• The salt works with the vinegar to completely absorb the moisture from the weed. I call this the double-whammy effect!
• Liquid dish soap acts as a surfactant to make the mixture stick to the weed. Without the soap, the spray could run off the weeds, and your efforts would be wasted.

Here are a few things to watch out for:

• This weed killer recipe is non-selective, which means it will kill or damage any plant it touches. Only use it in areas that do not contain beneficial plants (like driveways, sidewalks, and large open mulch or gravel areas).
• Since this is an all-natural weed killer, it may take a couple applications to fully eradicate the weeds.
• If there is rain in the 24-hour forecast, you should wait to apply this weed killer. Even with the dish soap, this spray will need a full 24 hours to adhere and work its magic.
• This homemade weed killer works best when it is hot and sunny. Plan accordingly!

There you have it. A simple weed killer recipe that is inexpensive and powerful. You can even pick up everything you need at your local hardware store! Vinegar is pretty amazing stuff.  Check out this blog post for more great ways to use vinegar around the house!