Are dandelions and crabgrass invading your beautifully manicured flower bed or vegetable garden? Weeds compete with your grasses, flowers, and fruit and veggie plants for valuable nutrients, water, space, and sunlight. Fight these unsightly intruders without harsh chemicals using this vinegar-based DIY weed killer.

Commercial herbicides target grasses and weeds by killing them with expensive and toxic chemicals. Try this effective and inexpensive homemade option — chances are you already have these few simple ingredients on hand!

DIY Vinegar Weed Spray

Prep time: 3 minutes

What you’ll need:

• Gloves
• 16 oz. glass spray bottle
• 4 Cups distilled white vinegar
• 2 Tsp clove oil
• 1 Tsp cinnamon leaf oil
• 1 Tsp
• 2 Tsp of pure unscented castile soap
• ¼ Cup salt

Directions:
Making sure to have gloves on, mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Shake and spray directly on the weeds you wish to kill. This herbicide is non-selective and could potentially kill other plants, so be sure to keep it away from the ones you want to stay alive! 

Kara Montgomery, neurotoxicology researcher, product development specialist

Kara believes the small choices of what we expose ourselves to on a day-to-day basis have a profound impact on our overall health. As a published neurotoxicology researcher, Kara has studied the link between pesticides and Parkinson’s disease, participating in studies that have garnered around $1 million in NIH funding. With this knowledge, Kara takes a critical eye to the products and habits all of us engage with on a regular basis. She holds a BS in Neuroscience from King University.