Pesky weeds become a real problem during the summer, but one natural item from the kitchen will make them wilt in a few hours10:24, 30 Jun 2026Updated 10:25, 30 Jun 2026Weeds are a common and annoying occurrence in gardens across the country, and with the recent hot weather, they’re more likely to thrive and spread. Heat helps speed up their lifecycle, allowing them to flower and spread seeds before you even realise it.‌To help combat this issue, gardening expert and TikTok creator Ifzaal, better known as Nature with Ifzaal, recently shared his favourite method for getting rid of weeds - and you won’t need any harsh chemicals. Instead, he prefers a natural alternative found in your kitchen cupboard to do the job.‌In a video from April, Ifzaal said: “Now, as the weather is warming up, you’ll start to notice the weeds popping out through your lawn or through the gaps in your patio slabs. And if you're like me, you probably want to stay away from shop-bought weed killers, which often contain loads of chemicals and aren’t always safe to use around kids or pets.”‌Ifzaal’s cheaper and “safer” alternative method uses white vinegar to get rid of those pesky weeds. Ifzaal wrote in the video’s caption: “Easy way to get rid of the weeds from your garden. You'll notice the effects in just a few hours, and within a few days, the job will be done! Works best and even faster on hot sunny days.“Don't use this on your lawn because it will also damage your grass. This is a great DIY method using something simple that nearly everyone has in their kitchen cupboard.”‌Simply pour the white vinegar into a spray bottle and gently cover the weeds in the liquid. However, if you don’t have a spray bottle, the gardening expert explained that you can pour white vinegar directly onto the weeds from the bottle.He said: “You’ll notice the effects of this working within just a few hours, and within three days, you’ll notice that the weeds look like they’re burnt to a crisp.Content cannot be displayed without consent‌“But there is something to be aware of, and that is not to use this stuff on your lawn, because, alongside destroying the weeds, it will also ruin your lawn. And lastly, to get the best results from using this method, make sure you use it on a really hot, sunny day.”So what makes white vinegar such a good natural weed killer? It contains acetic acid, which acts as a herbicide and, in turn, makes them easy to remove from the ground.Acetic acid helps break down the weed's cell walls, causing it to dry out and eventually die. Vinegar will damage any plant it touches, and it has no residual effect on the soil, so new weeds can still sprout.‌However, it’s important to remember that vinegar-based solutions may not work on all types of weeds. As Better Homes & Gardens previously explained, vinegar solutions work best on smaller weeds.The experts at Gardeners’ World previously explained that vinegar sometimes isn’t enough to get rid of weeds in the long term. Instead, it’s best to mix them with baking soda, salt or lemon juice.It indicated that this type of solution is best for young and annual weeds, and can work effectively on paved areas. Gardeners’ World’s verdict was: “A cheap option, but it doesn't smell pleasant.”Article continues belowGardening Know How explained why salt can be an effective ingredient to use in a homemade weed killer. It explained that salt dehydrates plants and disrupts the internal water balance of plant cells. Salt is best used for small-scale gardening, where it will be easily diluted by rain or watering.Better Homes & Gardens said that a weed-killer solution can build up in the soil and damage it, preventing anything else from growing in that area. So if you are going to use salt, make sure you don’t use it too much in the same area.