Make your own all natural weed killer

(FOX 2) - This week, Jill Washburn, our Jill of All Trades, shows us how to kill weeds in our yards without using commercially-produced products with toxic chemicals. 

This is a great option for people who have pets or young children in their yards, or for people who are environmentally conscious. Jill says that this natural option is easy, effective and costs way less than what you'd find in stores.

The recipe is easy and involves ingredients that you probably already have around the house. You will need a gallon of vinegar, a ½ cup of salt, a little bit of liquid soap, and some water. Initially, Jill mixed the vinegar and the water in a 1:1 mix (equal parts water and vinegar) in a gallon jug.  

For her second batch, Jill went a little stronger with a 2:1 mix (2 parts vinegar to 1 part water). If your weeds are really tough, you might want to go with straight vinegar and no water.

Next, add a ½ cup salt to the jug. (Some people use Epsom salts.) Then, add a squeeze or two of liquid dish soap, or a few pumps of liquid hand soap. The soap is only in the mix because it gets the liquid to stick to the plants better, instead of beading up or running off. Once you have it all combined, shake or stir gently the mix until the salt is dissolved.

Now you're ready to spray your weeds.  

This spray will kill or damage any plants that you get it on, so please use it carefully. This is not something that you'd use for weeds in the lawn, if you care about the lawn. This is better used on patios, driveways, walkways, rock beds, etc.

Jill says it will work best on a dry sunny day, especially a warm one.

Jill cautions that you'll want to keep this mix in a container that is clearly labelled. Depending on how big an area you are treating, you can use a spray bottle, a watering can, or a garden sprayer, to apply it. She recommends dedicating a container to this mix, so that you're not trying to clean out your watering can, for example, to use it for watering your flowers. Too risky, says Jill.  It's just easier to keep it in a dedicated container.  And, Jill stresses, again… make sure it's clearly labeled.

There you go! You can tweak the recipe, as needed, says Jill, but as long as you stay with these simple ingredients, you should have no problems using it around kids and/or pets.

PROJECT RATING:  Super Easy

To watch Jill mix the weed killing solution herself, click on the video player above.