Things you will need
- Household white vinegar
- Bucket
- Table salt
- Long-handled spoon
- Dishwasher soap
- Funnel
- Spray bottle
- Empty container
Vinegar has established itself as a good weed killer. Like most industrial herbicides, it is nonselective, not caring whether or not it kills weeds or your petunias. Not like industrial weed killers, vinegar is eco-friendly and won’t harm people, pets or the atmosphere. However, the real downside in some cases is that vinegar has no enduring action, thus new weeds start growing again. Permanent removal is more often desirable for stubborn weeds in gravel drives, pathways and cracks, and crevices in walkways and sidewalks. Add table salt to vinegar to destroy weeds permanently in these hassle spots. Remember where you are pouring the salt mixture on soil because nothing will regrow in that spot again unless you desalinate that soil, which really is a lot of work.
Follow this method
- Pour one gallon of white vinegar into a bucket. Everyday 5% home white vinegar is ok for this weed killer. You won’t need the higher concentrations like 10% or 20 % which are costlier. It’s going to take 2 or 3 days longer to kill the weeds with the lower concentration, however, they’ll die.
- Add one cup of salt to the vinegar. Stir the liquid with a long spoon till all the salt dissolves.
- Stir in one tablespoon of dishwashing soap and mix everything. Here, the dishwashing soap acts as a surfactant and make the vinegar and salt hold faster to the weeds.
- Use a funnel to pour the weed killer into a bottle.
- On a dry, sunny day, spray the solution over the weeds. Coat all surfaces well with the spray. Any plants watered with this solution will die within 2-3 days. They won’t be back and can never regrow there.
Funnel your leftover weed killer into an empty bottle. Close it tightly, label clearly and store in a cool and dark place for as long as you wish.
Tip
No need to use expensive rock salt. Cheap table salt will do the trick.
Warning
Ensure that you won’t need to grow any vegetation in the places where you will be using that solution as nothing will regrow unless you choose to desalinate the soil.
Vinegar will burn the skin of sensitive people at 10- and 20-percent concentrations. So, make sure to use the 5% concentration which will indeed do the job well.
