For the most part, people are interested in saving a buck if they can. That’s led a number of people to ask will bleach kill weeds? Most of us have a bottle of bleach kicking around at home, so if we can use that to kill weeds, why wouldn’t we?
The short answer is yes, bleach will absolutely kill weeds. Enough bleach will kill pretty much anything. The problem isn’t whether or not the bleach will kill your weeds – it’s the fact that it can be a danger to you and the health of your garden.
Will Bleach Kill Weeds?
Absolutely. Bleach kills almost everything. It pretty much melts the skin right off of your fingers when you touch it – so why on earth wouldn’t it kill weeds?
The more important issue is its safety factor. While bleach might be a powerful herbicide, that’s definitely not its intended use.
Will Bleach Kill Weeds Safely?
Bleach will certainly kill your weeds, but it won’t do it safely. There are lots of other substances that you can use instead of bleach that you probably have at home. We’ll talk about these below.
Bleach is a very potent, powerful, and dangerous chemical. If you’re spraying it on your lawn weeds, it’s going to seep into your soil. This will affect the surrounding plants. In addition, it makes the affected area unsafe for your family and pets.
If you use bleach consistently as a herbicide over a number of months or years, you could permanently damage your soil quality and the surrounding ecosystem. Use enough bleach, and nothing is going to want to grow! This causes tremendous harm to the environment.
Bleach can also get into the groundwater, which can be dangerous if you’re drinking from a well.
Alternatives to Bleach
There are a few other things that you can use instead of bleach.
Obviously, you can go and buy a pre-made herbicide from a garden shop. But if you’re reading this article, you’re probably looking for a DIY alternative. Here are a couple of popular solutions.
- Vinegar. Vinegar is generally considered to be the most popular and effective natural herbicide. It’s not as powerful as bleach, but it’s certainly less harmful to your garden. The main issue with vinegar is that it may not be strong enough to kill weeds that are fully matured and established.
- Salt. People used to salt the land of criminals or traitors because salt prevents the growth of plants. This means that you can use it to stop the growth of weeds. The main issue with this is that it’ll stop anything from growing where you put it. Salt is great for weeds growing up through concrete or brick walkways.
- Boiling water. Many people find that boiling water is a great way to kill any weeds. All you need to do is pour it straight from your kettle onto the weeds. This is also most effective for weeds growing in driveways or in cement.
While none of these are going to be as downright murderous to the weeds as bleach, they’re much healthier alternatives.
