A common DIY weed killer recipe that many gardeners use is a mixture of white vinegar, salt, and dish soap. It can work on some weeds, but it has important limitations.
Common recipe
- 1 gallon (3.8 L) white vinegar (5% acetic acid)
- 1 cup table salt
- 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap
Mix until the salt dissolves, then spray directly onto the leaves of unwanted weeds on a dry, sunny day.
How it works
- Vinegar damages and dries out exposed plant tissues.
- Salt can dehydrate plants and make it harder for them to recover.
- Dish soap helps the solution stick to the leaves.
Things to know
- It works best on young, small weeds.
- It often does not kill the roots of established perennial weeds, so they may grow back.
- The spray is non-selective—it can damage or kill flowers, vegetables, and grass if it gets on them.
- Salt can build up in the soil, making it difficult for other plants to grow in that area. For this reason, many gardening experts recommend avoiding salt in garden beds.
A better use
If you choose to use a vinegar-based spray, it’s generally safest for weeds growing in cracks in driveways, sidewalks, or gravel paths, where you don’t intend to grow other plants.
For weeds in lawns or vegetable gardens, hand-pulling, mulching, or using a targeted weed-control method is usually more effective and less likely to harm the surrounding soil.
