Strong Homemade Weed Killer – 8 DIY Recipes That Really Work

Gardeners hate weeds, and the thought of picking them out one by one can make you think about moving into an apartment , depending on the size of your yard or driveway it can be backbreaking work. Is it really possible to make your own DIY weed killer at home? Don’t you have to purchase a commercial weed killer from a store? Well, you don’t need to buy weed killer since you can make your own from household items and it will work just as well as commercial ones.

Gardeners have been making weed killers from household items for hundreds of years and they work just as well. Homemade weed killers have the added advantage of being able to control precisely what’s in them as you are the one who makes them and you know what’s in them. In this article, we’ve put together 8 easy and effective weed killer recipes that you can try out at home.

1 – White Vinegar Weed Killer

In other words, you can use vinegar as a weed killer, and the main reason is that vinegar contains acetic acid, which is the main ingredient in vinegar. You should use 5% acetic acid white vinegar; even though you can get 10%, 20% and even 30% acetic acid white vinegar, these are a lot more expensive. In order to make this homemade weed killer, what are you going to need? 5% White Vinegar

How to use
Basically, you can just pour vinegar directly onto the weed or you can pour vinegar directly into a spray bottle and spray the weed directly with the vinegar. Some weeds may die off right away, while others may take 14 days before you notice a difference. If you need to reapply this weed killer, you should wait 21 days. Using apple cider vinegar won’t work.

Other Uses
There are a couple of advantages to making a mixture of vinegar and water, which can be used as a general purpose household cleaner, along with being able to get rid of common household ants (Odorous ants). Odorous ants communicate with pheromones, leaving trails of different scents, which you can disrupt with this vinegar mixture to stop them from entering your house.

CAUTION: White vinegar containing 20% and more acetic acid is considered an industrial herbicide and can cause chemical burns and blindness. So make sure you wear protective clothing.

2 – Homemade salt and vinegar weed killer recipe

There is a vinegar weed killer that I use all the time, and it also uses 5% white vinegar in its formulation. In order to make this simple three-ingredient homemade weed killer, you will need the following ingredients:

• 1 L white vinegar
• three large spoons of table salt
• three large tablespoon of dish soap or washing up liquid
• spray bottle

How to use
In a spray bottle, combine the vinegar and salt then shake it vigorously. Once the salt has dissolved add the dish soap and shake the bottle again. For best results, use it on a dry, sunny day before midday before the sun sets. 

Plants and weeds are killed indiscriminately, and your soil may become slightly acidic for a while.

CAUTION: Vinegars that contain 20% or more acetic acid are considered industrial herbicides that can cause chemical burns and even blindness.

 3 – Salt Homemade Weed Killer

Before the 1800’s Spanish and Portuguese convicted traitors would have their lands salted to prevent anything from growing, starving their families. You need two parts salt (table salt – sodium chloride) to one part water to make this salt weed killer recipe and a spray bottle.

How to use
In order for the salt solution to work, just mix the salt and water in a spray bottle, wait until it is well combined, and spray the salt solution on the weeds or area you desire. You can now sit back and watch the weeds die. It is also possible to directly spray salt on the weeds (we do not recommend this). For the record patios and driveways will love this recipe. salt homemade weed killer on driveway

CAUTION: Salt can absorb through the soil easily, preventing future growth in that area, sometimes for quite awhile, so when not using it on patios, drives, or gardens, you need to dilute it with water before using it.

 4 – Baking Soda

This is another recipe that you can use to keep your driveway, patio, or path weed-free and grass-free. For this homemade weed killer, what do you need? Baking Soda

How to use?
You just need to sprinkle baking soda along your path wherever you want those pesky weeds to be eradicated so that they do not return. There is even a possibility of sweeping it into the cracks between paving slabs if you wish. The area is inhospitable to those annoying weeds when it is treated with baking soda.

5 – Borax

There is one difference between this and the previous suggestion, it is the fact that you are using borax. Please be aware that it is now illegal to sell Borax in the United Kingdom and in many European countries.

6 – Boiling Water Natural Weed Killer

There is nothing that this homemade weed killer won’t kill. What you need? It must be boiling water, not hot water. You can use a kettle or pot to do this.

How To Use
This is a simple alternative to using harsh chemicals without sacrificing effectiveness. Fill a kettle or pot with tap water, boil it, then pour it on the unwanted weeds you want to eradicate. 

Small weeds and seedlings benefit more from this method, but it may take several applications to completely eliminate the weed. Moreover, there is no danger to pets when using this weed killer. 

7 – News Paper and Cardboard

Photosynthesis is an integral part of the plant’s life cycle, and if you disrupt it in any way, you will eventually kill the plant. In this case, you will kill the plant by blocking out sunlight. What do you need for this DIY homemade weed killer ?

• Cardboard
• Newspaper

You can use either one or both

How to use?
In order to do this, you will just need to lay down cardboard over the weed, or you will have to lay down four sheets of newspaper over the area that you wish to treat. As this method is similar to mulching, over time the cardboard and newspaper will break down, providing nutrients to the ground in the process. 

After the original layer of cardboard or newspaper breaks down, a new layer must be applied. Newspaper mulch can be used as a homemade weed killer.

Here is a helpful videos showing you how to use newspaper as a homemade weed killer 

8 – Bleach

That’s right, bleach is no longer just used for cleaning things, now it can also be used as an effective weed killer that will stomp on any weeds in your garden or yard and kill them in a matter of days. What do you need for this homemade weed killer?

• Bleach
• Spray Bottle

How to use?
There is nothing more simple than adding bleach to a spray bottle and you’ll be ready to rumble. While bleach is highly effective as a weed killer, it is not a natural product. Bleach will kill anything that it touches and thus you should use caution when using it around ornamental plants. It is included on this list as a DIY homemade weed Killer.

CAUTION: There is a risk of bleach being absorbed into the soil, preventing future growth and sometimes, for quite some time, since it is not a natural product.

Best Time To Use These Weed Killers

Ideally, you should wait for a day when there are no winds and it is a bright, warm day, so that the mixture can be applied effectively. On a sunny day, you should be able to see the effects of the weed killer after a few hours. It is likely that you will notice the leaves of the weeds turning brownish in color. This coloration will continue until the leaves eventually wither away and die.. 

Be Safe
Despite the fact that this is a list of DIY homemade weed killers, we recommend that you wear the appropriate protective equipment while using any of the products above.

Some of the items above can cause the following reactions: 

• Irritate the skin and cause allergic reactions
• Burns or irritations of the eyes
• Your digestive tract may suffer reactions or your lungs may be damaged

What Alternatives Are There?

There are really only two options for you:

• Manually remove the weeds by hand
• Decide to purchase a commercial weed killer from your local store