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The best homemade weed killer: no poison (dries everything in 2 hours)

If you want a homemade, no-synthetic-herbicide weed killer, vinegar can burn weeds quickly—but the claim that it will “dry everything in 2 hours” is too strong. Household vinegar is usually only 5% acetic acid and mainly works on young annual weeds; established perennial weeds can regrow from their roots. Ask Extension+1

Simple option

  • White vinegar (5%) — use undiluted.

  • Add a small amount of dish detergent as a wetting agent.

  • Spray the weed foliage thoroughly on a warm, dry, sunny day.

  • Keep it completely off plants you want to keep—it is non-selective. UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

I would skip the salt if you want to preserve the soil. Salt can accumulate and damage desirable plants and soil conditions. Ask Extension+1

For very rapid visible burn, stronger horticultural vinegar exists, but concentrations around 15–20% are caustic and can cause serious skin/eye injuries, so it’s not equivalent to kitchen vinegar and should only be used according to its product label. Ask Extension+1

If you tell me whether the weeds are in a lawn, garden bed, driveway/pavers, or bare ground, I can give you the safest homemade method for that specific area.

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