Go no farther than your cupboard for herbicides that kill perennial weeds and annual weeds such as crab grass (Digitaria spp.) . Common household products could be combined to make short work of pesky weeds, or used alone. They may also be added to water and sprayed on the weeds, and hot water alone sometimes functions.
A Potent Mixture
Combine 4 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, 4 tablespoons of baby shampoo and 4 tbsp of gin at a sealable 1-gallon container. Fill the container with warm water. If you don’t have gin, use 4 tablespoons of table salt instead. Seal the container and shake well. Pour the solution into a spray bottle or hand-pump pressure sprayer. Spray the weeds until they’re covered as well as the liquid begins to drip. The vinegar dissolves the outer leaf layer so that the leaves can’t retain moisture; the gin or salt dries out the plant faster, and the infant shampoo causes the solution to remain on the leaves.
Alcohol and Water
Isopropyl rubbing alcohol mixed with water will kill weeds. Start out with 4 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol each gallon of water. Pour the solution into a spray bottle, and spray the weeds using a thin spray until they’re moist but not dripping. Spray when there is no wind. Don’t enable the spray for on other plants across the weeds — it’ll kill them also. Protect neighboring plants using plastic or cardboard while spraying. If the weeds do not perish every day or two, try 5 or 6 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol each gallon of water.
Vinegar Alone
Straight vinegar will kill annual weeds such as crab grass. It dissolves the leaf layer that holds in moisture, and the weed dies from lack of moisture. It doesn’t work well on perennial weeds, however. There might be damage to the leaves and stems of perennial weeds, but they will simply grow new stems from beneath the soil. Pour any kind of vinegar into a spray bottle and spray the leaves until it begins to drip away.
Hot Water
Boiling water and hot steam kill weeds. According to the University of California, “The result is very similar to that of a nonselective, postemergent herbicide.” It is most effective on broadleaf weeds and young annual and perennial weeds. There are in fact hot steam and water machines used by professionals for this use. The water must be at least 200 degrees Fahrenheit to kill the plants. Pour the hot water over the weed until it is dripping wet. Use oven mitts; wear protective clothing and exercise extreme caution when employing this method.
