
Tired of using harsh chemicals to kill weeds in your yard? Learn how to make your own homemade weed killer with natural ingredients.
It’s officially spring and my yard has been taken over by weeds. In the past I’ve always applied a commercial weed killer to make picking weeds easier but I’ve seen far too many commercials claiming that they are toxic so from now on I’m making my own. This was my first time making homemade weed killer and it was super easy. With just a few household items you can make your own and never have to worry about the environmental and health impacts of killing your weeds again.
Does Homemade Weed Killer Work?
I did a bunch of research on DIY weed killer recipes before I mixed up my batch. While there are a number of different recipes out there I chose to go with one that allowed me to use the ingredients that I already had in my house. I’m happy to report that my homemade weed killer did work! That said, it took longer than I was expecting.
*Be careful not to spray your DIY weed killer near any of your plants or anywhere that you may want something to grow at a later date. The salt can destroy the soil so that nothing grows there again. If you want to kill the weeds but want to grow something in that spot later eliminate the salt from the mixture!
Let’s look at some before and after photos! This spot is at the front of my home. The weed killer worked great on the weeds that were close to the ground but wasn’t as effective on the taller weeds. It didn’t seem to have much of an impact on the grass that has crept into my mulched areas.


Here is a view of the walkway up to my front door. I was careful not to spray anywhere near my bushes but as you can see the weed killer did a pretty good job of tackling the weeds that were along the sidewalk.


Here are a few more pictures showing the areas where the homemade weed killer worked well.



How to Make Homemade Weed Killer
Ingredients/Materials
*This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will make a commission if you click-through and make a purchase
Vinegar
Lemon Juice
Salt
Dish Soap

Will Regular White Distilled Vinegar Work?
I read a few article where people recommend using 10-20 percent concentration vinegar. I chose not to use the higher concentration for a few reasons.
- It can actually burn your skin and I’m super clumsy.
- It’s quite a bit more expensive and I didn’t have any on hand.
- It can be harmful to pets and wildlife so I wasn’t willing to take that risk. The day after I sprayed my weeds I was looking out my window to see how they were doing and I saw a squirrel munching on some grass right in an area that I had sprayed.
Directions
You’ll want to get a lawn sprayer with a pump and wand on it. Trust me, it’ll make your life so much easier. I used one like this 2 Gallon Lawn Sprayer. Pour all of the ingredients into the sprayer and then shake it well to mix it up. Be sure that the lid is on tight before you go to town shaking it. The sprayers are great since you can pump it to pressurize the canister and then spray for several minutes before having to pump again.

I applied the homemade weed killer spray on a Tuesday evening. The next day I checked to see how the weeds were doing and they didn’t look phased at all. It wasn’t until at least 48 hours later that I noticed a change and it really took about 72 hours to see a significant difference. The homemade weed and grass killer doesn’t work as fast as the commercial stuff but if you have patience it’s a good alternative and the benefits totally outweigh the hassle of waiting a few extra days. It was a cool overcast day when I applied it. From what I’ve read it works faster and possibly better if you apply it on a hot sunny day. I’ll definitely give that a try next time.
Homemade Weed Killer
Equipment
- Pump Sprayer with Wand
Materials
- 1 Gallon Vinegar
- 1 Cup Lemon Juice
- 1 Cup Salt
- 1 Tbsp Dish Soap
Instructions
- Pour 1 gallon of white vinegar into the sprayer.
- Add 1 cup of lemon juice into the sprayer.
- Add 1 cup of salt into the sprayer.
- Add 1 tbsp of dish soap into the sprayer.
- Close the lid on the sprayer tightly and then shake the sprayer to mix all ingredients together.
- Pump the sprayer per the manufacturers directions and then spray weeds as needed.

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Have you ever tried making your own DIY weed and grass killer? If so, what is your go to natural weed killer recipe?

This is such a good idea! I’m going to have to try this on our weeds. Thank you for sharing pictures showing that it works!
Thanks Michelle. Have a great week.
Great post, very useful. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Anita.
Thanks so much for sharing with us! I’ll be featuring you this week on my blog, Instragam and Facebook!
To Grandma’s house we go link party at https://www.grandmashousediy.com
Thanks Tarahlynn!
Good info, Hannah. I’ve never seen the spray mixture made with lemon juice. I will need to give this one a try.
I’m visiting from Grandma’s House link party.
And I’ve got my own blog post coming out on Friday April 17 on gardening. It’s the first post in a new series called “Friday with Friends” and the first post will be about gardening.
I would love to include this post on making your own organic weed killer by using a picture and linking back to your site for the instructions. If you are comfortable with being included for this then you can email me back at my site.
Thanks
Rachelle Rubio
Rachelle@myhubbardhome.com
https://myhubbardhome.com
Thanks Rachelle. Feel free to link to my post. I’m totally fine with that! I’ll stop by and check out your series.
Thank you so much Hannah. It will be out this Friday, April 17.
Looks like a great alternative to chemicals! Thanks for sharing with us at The Blogger’s Pit Stop!
I look forward to trying this. I’ve become increasingly uncomfortable with the week killer my husband likes to use.
Thanks for stopping by Donna. 🙂
Definitely the vinegar. I’ll try adding salt next time to see if its more effective.
I have never tried this I was wondering if I put it out on the weeds and then it rains does it wash it away?
It’s definitely best to time the application on a dry day as some of it will wash away. On the plus side, your yard will sort of smell like salt and vinegar chips if you like those haha! Just re-apply if it rains shortly after your first application.