8 Homemade Weed Killers That Really Work!

Commercial weed killers can be full of harsh chemicals and pricey!

Pulling weeds by hand and digging up the roots is a very reliable solution, but who has the time?

Within a short while, a few weeds here and there can turn into an abundance of weeds.

A wheelbarrow filled with weeds on a lawn with trees on background

I prefer to look for more natural routes of weed killers and be able to kill weeds easier than pulling one by one.

I have found some wonderful options that I will list below.

8 Effective Homemade Weed Killers 

If you are looking for a more natural, budget-friendly approach you might like to give one of these homemade weed killers below a try.

We especially like the homemade weed killer with vinegar and baking soda options.

1. Vinegar and Salt Mixture 

This is a good one, but you do need the sun to be out for it to work.

Simply combine 3 liters of white distilled vinegar, 1 tablespoon dish soap, and then 1 cup of table salt.

Put in a spray bottle and spray directly on the weeds.

Click here to read about all the ways I use white vinegar in my home.

2. Baking Soda 

Sprinkle baking soda onto weeds to kill them.

It will kill grass and plants around it, so the best way to use this is on cracks in cement where there are no surrounding plants that it might kill as well.

Just sprinkle on a few times over a week and you will begin to see them wilt and die.

3. Boiling Water 

Grab a big ol’ pot and get some water boiling.

Once it is at a full rapid boil, take the water and head outdoors and pour directly on the weeds.

Now, you have to make sure it is on the weeds and not grass or plants or it will kill them as well.

You also have to be careful as you are walking with a pot of scalding hot water.

The boiling water will kill the weeds, but it isn’t the safest option in my eyes.

I have used this method before on our cement where we had cracks to kill the weeds popping through.

4. Clove Oil 

A small bottle with oil beside a spoonful of cloves that can be used as homemade weed killers with grey background

If you are a fan of essential oils, you might have some clove oil on hand.

Clove oil is a great option for a natural weed killer.

Mix 10-15 drops of clove to 3 cups of water in a spray bottle to create the best weed-killer spray for those of us who don’t want too many chemicals in our homes.

Spray the mixture directly on weed seedlings to kill the weeds.

If they are larger weeds, you will have to repeat this process a few times for it to fully kill them.

Seedlings are a lot quicker and one to two times is all it takes.

5. Work Beds and Lay Mulch 

Laying mulch is the best idea for natural weed control.

First, you want to work the ground and remove any large clumps of weeds.

Then when you go to lay the mulch, put wet newspaper all around your plants –  just make sure to leave a little space at the base of each plant.

Then lay fresh mulch on top, and this will help make it to where the weeds can’t grow.

It is more work to do, but if you have fresh beds you are going to be working with or plots it can really help tremendously, and you will have less future maintenance to deal with.

6. Cornmeal 

Did you know that cornmeal is an organic herbicide?

It is great for keeping dandelions, chickweed, and even crabgrass from growing.

You simply scatter it all around the area where you have these weeds, and it will kill them out.

Right before spring arrives head outdoors and sprinkle as a preventative measure so these weeds don’t begin growing in your yard or flower beds.

7. Rubbing Alcohol 

Rubbing alcohol works great as a homemade weed killer.

It can help draw out the moisture in the weeds, therefore killing them.

Just mix 2-3 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol with 1 liter of water.

Shake and spray the mixture onto the weeds.

8. Salt 

You have two options when it comes to salt.

You can either sprinkle salt directly onto the weeds, or you can create a spray.

I recommend the spray as directly sprinkling salt on weeds can kill plants and grass around it.

For the mixture do a 3:1 ratio where water is 3, and salt is the 1. Shake well before each use and spray.

Works best when it is sunny outside.

Like these homemade grass and weed killers? Pin it for later.

Photo of a hand with gloves holding pulled-out weeds with text overlay that read 8 Homemade Weed Killers That Really Work

About Emma

Hey there! I'm Emma. When I'm not wrangling kids I like to walk aimlessly around hardware stores and watch HGTV for hours on end.

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