All Natural Homemade 3 Ingredient Weed Killer

Today I’m working on attacking the persistent weeds that takeover our patio and pathways. My natural weed killer recipe works so well it puts those commercial weed killers to shame. Would you believe that the main ingredient is regular household vinegar? Continue reading to find out how I make vinegar-based weed killers without using any toxic chemicals and stop those annoying weeds before they grow out of control.

Recently I was in Home Depot looking for an ivy and brush killer. While I was perusing the chemical weed killer section looking for a specific herbicide (for that one stubborn weed we have) a guy decided to share with me the best general weed killer in his opinion. I looked at him and thanked him but explained that’s not what I was looking for, besides I like to avoid harmful chemicals in my yard. But, he continued and insisted on mansplaining to me what I needed to buy.

Finally I turned to the mansplainer and told him I use a DIY weed killer that is all natural and homemade using everyday household items. Bonus: it costs a lot less than his favorite commercial product. His eyes widened and his assertiveness turned to curiosity. He asked me to tell him more about my non-toxic ways. That’s when I shared my weed killer with 3 Simple Ingredients Natural Weed Killer.

A little background before you rush to make the weed killer. We live on a wooded lot with lots and lots of weeds, I’ve tried many methods to control weeds. (I’ve even tried a weed torch method, but it took a lot longer than a weed spray.) Instead, I use a natural 3 ingredient weed killer that works 98% of the time. It works fabulous on almost everything. But, we have a few weeds that require a little extra: English Ivy, Poison Ivy, and Japanese Stiltgrass. (I previously shared the easiest way to kill English ivy here.) Unfortunately, the Stiltgrass and Ivy requires a stronger herbicide (thus the reason I was in Home Depot to begin with.)

3 Ingredient Weed Killer Recipe:

• 1 gallon of household vinegar
• 1 cup of salt (table salt works fine)
• 1 teaspoon of Dawn dish soap (or any dish soap)

Directions to Make Weed Killer:

Mix 1 gallon white vinegar, 1 cup of salt, and 1 teaspoon of dish soap in a garden sprayer (or mix a smaller batch and put it in a spray bottle.) Note: our sprayer holds 2.5 gallons, so I usually mix up a double batch.

Spray over weeds you want to kill. This works best on a sunny day with no threat of rain. Be careful not to spray on any plants or bushes you want to keep. And pay attention to where the spray will run off when it rains. I also don’t use a lot, only enough to saturate the weed.

Within a few hours, you’ll see the weed killer working! It’s seriously that easy and this effective.

Tips to Help Get the Best Results and Kill Weeds Faster and More Effectively:

Over the years I’ve learned how to stop weeds fast and prevent them from growing out of control in my own yard. These are the tips that help us control weeds:

• Lay down ground covers like mulch, pine bark, or pine needles in garden beds
• For better weed control, use a weed barrier under the mulch (we like to use flattened cardboard boxes instead of landscape fabric)
• When using the homemade weed killer recipe, it helps to spray annual weeds while they are small
• Choose a dry sunny day with no rain in the forecast
• Avoid spraying close to nearby plants you want to keep
• Avoid spraying large amounts of the weed killer on a slope where it might run off into a desired plant bed
• Pull taller more-established weeds before they go to seed
• If they have small seed pouches, lay the pulled weeds out in the sun to dry before disposing of them in a natural area
• Alternatively, bag really invasive weeds and dispose of them (this should be a last resort option)

I hope you find this the easiest way to eliminate a wide variety of weeds from your yard.

If you liked this post, you’ll find my Easiest Way to Kill English Ivy super helpful.