This 3-Ingredient Homemade Weed Killer Uses Vinegar to Safely Remove Unwanted Plants (2024)

Every gardener knows that weeds are par for the course when it comes to caring for your yard. Luckily, there are plenty of solutions to help you manage them. While many over-the-counter options involve strong chemicals, you can make an organic option with an ingredient that is likely sitting in your pantry: vinegar. Household vinegar contains acetic acid, which can effectively get rid of weeds. Ahead, we explain how to make a vinegar weed killer—mixing in dish soap and salt—and how the solution works.

How a Vinegar Weed Killer Works

Vinegar's acetic acid acts as a contact herbicide. "The acid within vinegar breaks down cell walls and removes moisture from weeds, causing them to die off," says Rebecca Sears, chief gardening guru at Seeds of Change. "Vinegars that you keep in your kitchen, such as white vinegar, contain a level of acidity that can help remove weeds."

When to Use a Vinegar Weed Killer

Apply vinegar weed killer when the weeds are actively growing and not stressed by drought. Typically, the best time of day to apply vinegar weed killer is in the early morning or late afternoon when temperatures are moderate, as extreme heat can cause the solution to evaporate too quickly. "Vinegar-based weed killers should be applied on a day when there's no rain forecasted for at least 24 hours," says Craig Elworthy, founder ofLawnbright. "This allows the vinegar solution to effectively penetrate the weeds without being washed away,"

How to Make a Vinegar Weed Killer

While vinegar is the main ingredient in this DIY weed killer, adding a few drops of dish soap helps the vinegar stick to the weeds and penetrate their waxy surfaces more effectively, says Elworthy.

Materials Needed

• 1 gallon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of dish soap
• 1 cup salt (optional)

Steps

1. Fill a container with 1 gallon of white vinegar.
2. Add one tablespoon of dish soap to the vinegar.
3. Optional: Pour in 1 cup of salt.
4. Mix the solution thoroughly until ingredients are well combined.
5. Pour your desired amount into a garden sprayer.
   

Adding Salt

Adding salt to a vinegar weed killer is optional, but it can give the solution an extra boost. "Salt can act as a desiccant and help dehydrate and kill the weeds," says Elworthy. "Be careful with salt, though, as it will alter the pH and also harm the surrounding soil if used in excess."

How to Use a Vinegar Weed Killer

When using vinegar on garden weeds, be sure to wear gloves to protect your skin from any potential irritation. "I'd recommend wearing long pants and sleeves as well, and of course keep the mixture away from the eyes and face," says Sears.

Once you're properly protected, spray the weed killer onto broadleaf weeds, specifically targeting the leaf tissue. "Allow the vinegar weed killer to sit on the weeds for several hours or overnight," says Elworthy. "You should notice a big difference by the next day."

Limitations of Vinegar Weed Killer

Vinegar weed killer is an effective, organic way to target weeds, but there are some limitations to this treatment. "Vinegar typically acts as a contact herbicide, meaning it only affects the parts of the plant it directly contacts," says Elworthy. This means, that it will kill the weeds in your garden, but it may also kill other desirable plants by accident.

Another limitation of vinegar weed killer is that it doesn't usually have residual action in the soil, so it may not prevent weed regrowth from seeds or roots left in the soil. "For this reason, it's not effective on weeds with deep root systems like dandelions, as the herbicide does not get drawn down into the taproot," says Elworthy. Finally, a vinegar weed killer can drastically alter the pH of your soil and impact good microbes, so it's important to use it sparingly.

Long-Term Weed Management

Due to its limitations, vinegar weed killer shouldn't be your final solution for weed management. "The best kind of weed control is multifaceted," says Eva Reutinger, a horticultural consultant. "You never want to stick to one method; a combination of manually pulling, applying organic herbicides, and thoughtfully choosing plantings will be best." Planting ground covers, adding mulch, and keeping plants healthy are all effective and natural ways to prevent weeds.