How to Kill Weeds with Vinegar

Vinegar contains acetic acid, a very effective natural herbicide. Many gardeners prefer vinegar, as this method is less toxic than herbicides. You can use a spray bottle to spray the vinegar directly onto the weeds, making sure to avoid the plants you want to keep. For weeds that are difficult to kill, you can buy a stronger garden vinegar, add a little dishwashing liquid or salt to the vinegar before spraying on the grass.

Table of Contents

Use Vinegar as a Herbicide

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Buy white vinegar. Go to the grocery store and buy a bottle of white vinegar, which normally contains 5% acetic acid. It’s probably best to buy a 4-quart jar of vinegar, unless you only have a handful of weeds to deal with. If you need to get rid of a large number of weeds, you may have to buy more than 4 liters of vinegar, but 4 liters should be enough for a large area. ^{[1] X Research Source}

The acid in vinegar is the herbicide. White vinegar is most commonly recommended and is probably the cheapest, but you can also use apple cider vinegar.

Mix vinegar with 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of dishwashing liquid. A little dishwashing liquid will help the vinegar stick to the grass. You should mix 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of dishwashing liquid for every 4 liters of vinegar. Stir the mixture well in a bowl or bucket.

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Pour the mixture into a garden sprayer. Choose a pump sprayer with a long nozzle and nozzle to make it easier to spray weeds over a large area. Fill the jar with the vinegar and dishwashing liquid mixture, or just pour as much as you need. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Another option is to pour the mixture into a spray bottle. You can buy a spray bottle or use an empty glass cleaner or other mild household cleaner. Be sure to rinse out the spray bottle that previously contained other liquids.
If you only need to kill a few weeds or use on a small area, you can poke 4-5 holes in the lid of the vinegar bottle and use the vinegar bottle to water the grass.
If you’re using a horticultural vinegar that’s 30% acidic, dilute the vinegar with water. If you’re using regular white vinegar, there’s no need to dilute it.

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Choose a sunny day to spray herbicide. The acetic acid in white vinegar dries out the grass, so you should spray the vinegar on a sunny day, when the grass has been exposed to the sun for at least a few hours to increase the drying effect of the vinegar. Spray in the morning so that the weeds can then be exposed to more sun. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

If unfortunately it rains right after spraying vinegar on the grass, you will probably have to spray again.
In this case, sunshine also means high temperatures, preferably above 21 degrees Celsius.

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Spray directly onto the grass. You can use a pump sprayer, spray bottle or perforated vinegar bottle to drench the weeds you want to kill. Spray vinegar on the leaves and around the grass roots.

You don’t need to water so deeply that the vinegar drips, but you do need to spray an even mulch over the grass.
Wait about 24 hours and check again. If you are not satisfied, you can spray again.

Kill stubborn weeds

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Buy 20% horticultural vinegar. Go to a garden or homeware store and ask for a concentrated vinegar product specifically designed for gardening. When using a stronger vinegar, you should take protective measures such as wearing gloves and goggles. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Regular vinegar also kills most weeds, so use regular vinegar first, and only use garden vinegar if regular vinegar doesn’t work.
Be careful not to let the vinegar get on your skin, as high concentrations of acetic acid can burn your skin.

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Add dish soap to the vinegar. Add a little dishwashing liquid to a spray bottle or spray bottle. The appropriate ratio is about 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of dishwashing liquid per liter of vinegar. The dish soap will help the vinegar stick to the weeds and not run off. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Gently stir the soap into the vinegar but do not shake vigorously; otherwise the soap will foam without mixing with the vinegar.
You do not need to measure the dishwashing liquid exactly, just pour an approximate amount of 1 teaspoon per liter of vinegar.

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Add 2 cups (480 ml) of table salt to 4 quarts of vinegar. While it doesn’t work on all weeds, salt can dry the grass faster than vinegar alone. You can add salt to the mixture mixed with dishwashing liquid. Use cheap table salt instead of rock salt, Epsom salt, or sea salt. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Salt often stays in the soil for a long time and can have long-term effects on plants. If you want to kill weeds on the soil you’re planting, it’s probably best to avoid salt.
Salt, on the other hand, is helpful if you’re going to kill weeds on an area you want to prevent plants from growing.
It is very important to clean the sprayer with salt, as salt can clog parts of the sprayer, even corroding it.

Things you need

Undiluted white vinegar
Pump sprayer / spray bottle
Dishwashing liquid (optional)
Table salt (optional)

Steps

Use Vinegar as a Herbicide

Kill stubborn weeds

Things you need

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