This Kitchen Staple Can Be Used As A Weed Killer

If you have the yard space, growing a garden can have all sorts of benefits: planting flowers can add beauty and attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies while planting herbs, vegetables, or fruit can save you money and let you enjoy something that you grew yourself. Whether you're just starting your garden or have had one for some time, garden maintenance can get pricey, though luckily, there are lots of everyday kitchen items that can double as garden gear or be repurposed for your garden, like using egg shells and egg cartons as seed starters and to provide nutrients to your soil and plants.

Another kitchen staple that can easily be used as a weed killer is vinegar. That's right, plain old white vinegar that just about everyone has in their kitchen can be used on its own in a spray bottle to kill weeds. To make it even more effective, you can mix the vinegar (around one gallon) with a little bit of dish soap (around one tablespoon).

Vinegar contains acetic acid, which can destroy weeds in two ways: by breaking apart their cell walls and dehydrating them. It works on contact, which is why you want to spray it directly onto the leaves of broadleaf weeds. Be careful not to spray other plants, as contact with the vinegar can kill them off as well, though not the roots, including those of weeds. It's best to spray the vinegar in the morning before it gets too hot, as high heat can cause the vinegar to dissipate before it can do its work. Also avoid days when it's expected to rain, as that could wash away the vinegar.

While household distilled white vinegar should contain enough acid to kill off weeds, some online forums recommend using vinegars with a higher acid percentage, such as agricultural vinegar. Adding the dish soap helps the solution stick to the leaves of weeds. There is also the option of adding a bit of salt (around one cup) to help the dehydration effects of the weed killer, but it can negatively affect the soil by altering its pH. In any case, using a vinegar weed killer lets you avoid using dangerous and harsh commercial weed killers.