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One of the most viewed chemistry tips post on Chemistry Cachet is this homemade weed killer. Readers love how effective and easy it is to make. I have also used it to kill bugs! It works amazing to kill ants especially.
Over the last few months, I have modified it up a little to be an amazing and easy homemade ant spray!
The reasons I changed it up is to make it a little better for killing ants on any surface without leaving as much of a residue. Although this homemade weed killer is fantastic for killing bugs outside, it can leave a little salt residue behind in the home.
This version is better for that PLUS you can use it to kill ants around your plants without harming them either since this is more diluted.
FOR WEED KILLER, PLEASE CLICK HERE!
Cheap and Easy Homemade Ant Spray
Ingredients For Easy Homemade Ant Spray:
- 2 cups of vinegar, distilled
- 2 cups of water
- 3 tablespoon blue Dawn dish soap
- 3 tablespoons table salt
- Spray Bottle
Directions:
- Mix ingredients together, add to a spray bottle.
- Shake well before spraying each time.
- I use blue Dawn for all my solutions on Chemistry Cachet because it has worked better for me. You can use any dishwashing liquid you have on hand, but I prefer Dawn 🙂
Side note: I NEVER share anything on Chemistry Cachet unless it is something I use and LOVE. Everything I share here are things my family benefits from, and I want to share on this website so you can benefit from it too.
To Use This DIY Ant Spray:
Saturate the area the ants are crawling. They die in a few seconds. Make sure to spray the entire pathway they have used too.
Allow the ants to die, then wipe the area off with a paper towel! The lingering vinegar and dish soap scent deters them from coming back to this area too. Make sure to wipe surface to prevent any possible residue.
Chemistry Tips on Making This Homemade Non-Toxic Ant Killer
I know readers love understanding the reasons we use certain items in our solutions, so let’s discuss the chemistry behind this ant spray.
Vinegar
Acetic acid, vinegar, is a cheap option for so many homemade solutions. Since this homemade ant spray is derived from this homemade weed killer, I wanted to keep the acidity since it is very effective at killing ants. Acetic acid has a low pH, making it one of the best acids for home use, while still being safe.
In the homemade weed killer, there is not water to dilute the solution. This makes it more potent for killing weeds. This ant spray does have water which dilutes the acidity slightly, but it also allows the salt to dissolve.
Table Salt
Sodium Chloride, table salt, is another favorite addition of mine. Did you see this post on salt? Salt has a interesting chemistry, but it also enhances the effects of acidity. By adding salt, you increase the effectiveness of this solution.
Water
Without water, salt won’t dissolve well. Like I mentioned above, our homemade weed killer doesn’t contain water, so the salt doesn’t dissolved completely. This is perfect for sticking on weeds and killing them. For an ant spray, you don’t necessarily need the salt pieces, just the salt water.
Dishwashing Liquid
I always use blue Dawn for solutions because it has worked better for me over the years (read why here). Any concentrated dish soap should work okay too.
Dishwashing liquid is a great surfactant. It changes the surface tension of water, making the solution stick to the ants more. It essentially suffocates them.
Dish soap can be used to kill ants on it’s own, but it is sticky and messy. It can be hard to clean up the suds with straight soap, so it is better to mix it with these other items to create the perfect combination that is easy to clean up too.
Common FAQs From This Post
After this was published in 2017, we have had many questions about this. We have a list of common questions below for you:
Isn’t this the same as your homemade weed killer?
It is similar, but it has important differences. This is better for indoor use since you won’t have any leftover salt residue like you can get with the weed killer.
You can still use the homemade weed killer for any outside ants if you’d like.
Will this kill all ants?
This has killed all the ants around my house. I have some that occasionally get into kitchen, bathroom, and my the backdoor.
For really large ants, you might need to use more of this. In fact, you can pour this solution onto large ant trails in the home. Spraying is effective for small ants.
For big ant mounds outside, it will kill the ants on the surface, but won’t necessarily kill ones deep into ant bed. You might need multiple treatments.
Will this kill other insects?
Small insects like roaches and spiders it can kill. Anything larger, it might not be potent enough.
Can this be used on all surfaces?
Yes it can, but always wipe up solution once ants are dead. Anything with salt or vinegar needs to be wiped up after use.
Use caution with vinegar on natural stone surfaces like marble or quartz. Read our post on vinegar here to learn more details.
Can this be used on the lawn or in grass?
While this is not as strong as our DIY weed killer, vinegar and salt can be harmful to grass. This spray was specifically made to use hard surfaces like counter tops, floors, concrete or things like that. Many readers do pour this onto ant hills, and it will kill them. But I don’t recommend pouring this on grass or plants.
Where did you get this recipe?
I have recently had some readers asking where I get my recipes. Well, this one I made up from my homemade weed killer. I wanted something better for household use.
These ingredients look similar to ones in other solutions you have?
Yes!! That is the awesome thing about making your own solutions. All you need is a few ingredients to make dozens of recipes, like all those great ones in our book.
The important thing is RATIOS. That is what takes me the longest when working on homemade solutions, making sure to get the ratios correct because that makes all the difference with the chemistry.
What do I do if salt doesn’t dissolve?
You actually DON’T want the salt to dissolve. The salt particles are what helps this solution work to kill ants.
What kind of spray bottle should I use?
This solution works with many types since it isn’t too thick. You can read more about spray bottles in this post.
Since this homemade non-toxic ant killer is safe for treating large areas, you can also pour. I prefer to spray for indoor use.
Hope you enjoy using this!
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Alexis is an investigative chemist sharing her expertise in cleaning, skincare, gardening, and home hacks. She personally tests out products like the best skincare products or home products then shares not only the science behind how it works, but also her personal results. She is the mom of two living in Texas with her husband. Find her on Instagram for fantastic videos, tips, and behind the scenes.
Thanks for sharing! I get ants all the time in my house, so this would be so great!
We use it all the time inside! There have been so many ants from the rain recently!
I love the post! Thanks for sharing:)
irinathayer.com
Thanks so much! Hope you get to enjoy it 🙂
You did it again! Another great, safe, easily sourced solution for common issues! This is safe to use around pet areas after wiping up the solution? I’m fortunate not to have too many ants… Ants are one of God’s creations, and do a great decomposing matter, but NOT IN MY HOUSE!!! Thankfully the ones around here don’t bite or sting. Thanks Alexis!!!
Thanks Laurie! Yes, this is definitely safe for pets. It won’t harm them at all even if they sniff around it. Yes lol I agree!
Is this ant spray safe around pets?
Yes, it’s safe.
I have another question, can I use cleaning vinegar?
All of our solutions used just regular white distilled vinegar. Typically, those will be 3% acidity 🙂 Anything around that will be great to use.
Thank you for the weed killer & ant spray recipes. However, I am having problems with finding spray bottles that do not clog. Amazon used to carry an industrial one but it hasn’t been available for some time. I’ve tried several different spray bottles but they all clog up with the salt.
This solution is great because the water helps the salt dissolve, so it doesn’t have any particles. For the homemade weed killer with the salt, we have a great list of spray bottles we use in this post. Sometimes using a non-traditional bottle is best for those thick solutions. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
A bloody great post
Thanks Jo-Anne!
Thank you will try!!!
Hope you enjoy it!
This is a good one! pinned and shared
Thanks Carol! 🙂
Will the salt in your solution kill or harm vegetation (ie: lawn, grasses, bedded flowers, etc.)?
The salt won’t, but the acetic acid (vinegar) isn’t good for any plants. Don’t use on grass. I use in flower beds, just make sure not to spray flowers. And make sure not to do it in flower beds before it rains in case there is run off. It is great for concrete cracks, patios, rocks, etc
The Romans used it on their enemies’ fields to make them unusable to grow anything for decades…you decide if you want to use it. I’m not for that reason.
Hi Barb! I think you might be referring to our weed killer. This ant spray doesn’t really kill plants…to weak. The weed killer kills small weeds. It is also not strong enough to kill anything large. Just wanted to clarify 🙂
Will this work for fire ants also.
I have used it for fire ants in my house and it worked!
Where do I find the recipe for the weed killer?
It’s linked throughout this post, but you can also click here.
This link is supposed to talk about the chemistry of vinegar and Dawn for this purpose. I don’t see that discussion.
It’s listed under the chemistry section at the bottom of the post.
Can you add a couple of drops of an essential oil so it smells good to me? I also might use that to help ID it even though I would label the spray bottle. I have a home made ant recipe that I used in a preschool but I like yours better.
You can definitely add some oils 🙂
I thought that the smell of the vinegar was to help keep ants away. If you put essential oils in it. won’t that draw the ants to it?
Essential oils like peppermint deter insects, keeping them away
Thank you for the pet-friendly solutions. Do you think this would work on my hybiscus plants white fly infestation? It looks like white spiderwebs all over the lower leaves.
I haven’t encountered that with my hibiscus, so I’m not sure. It’s made mostly for ants, but it’s worth a try. I would test a small area first to make sure it’s okay for hibiscus
I have plenty of ants to get rI’d of. I also have another dreaded insect that I keep doing battle with. Bedbugs. Eek. Will this solution do anything to them maybe along with borax? If not do you know any that will work?
I don’t have any experience with bedbugs, so I’m not sure how it would work. It’s definitely worth trying, but you will need to use more than you would for small ants
Well, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask. Thanks.
Absolutely! Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
We are having fly problems. No doggie dooties in the yard so that’s not a problem. It’s far more humid in SoCal then usual, we believe that’s part of the problem. Any solutions to repel them? There’s an Off product that’s works pretty well but I’m not sure it’s as safe as the product says. Thanks for this site and I’m very happy I’ve found it.
We always have bad flies in Texas during the summer, sometimes all year if it doesn’t get cold. Outside I use fly strips, citronella plants, citronella candles, lemon grass plants, and we use our homemade bug spray. It seems to help keep the away from us while we are outside. Here is the link to bug spray : https://chemistrycachet.com/easy-homemade-bug-spray/
This is the first time I have seen your blog; it is fascinating. I am wondering if this solution will kill fleas. My little dog just got fleas. I really don’t want to use chemicals on her. So thought this solution might be a very good alternative. Do you believe it would work to rid my doggie of fleas? Any info would be appreicated and thanks in advance for your great blog. By the way, I also am subscribing to your blog and look forward to reading them and the wonderful advice you give.
This can kill fleas around the home, but I don’t recommend it to use on the dog. Some dogs have a skin sensitivity to vinegar/salt solutions, so I wouldn’t want to hurt your fur baby. I haven’t had personal experience with fleas, but I have researched that rosemary is a great herbal remedy to use on a dog. You can boil a bunch of rosemary (around 3-4 cups fresh) in a 3-4 cups of water. Boil for 3-4 minutes, then strain out rosemary. After you bath your dog with some flea shampoo, you can spray it on their coats. The chemicals in rosemary will deter the fleas. I haven’t been able to test this on my own yet, but the chemistry is there. And it is safe for your dog too! Lavender and lemon oils are also natural deterrents for fleas. Another solution is to buy a natural, organic treatment from a pet store or online. My local pet store has some pretty neat options for non-chemical based solutions. Those are a little more pricey though. Hope this can help you! Glad you have found our website 🙂
Any ideas about mice repellents? I hate to kill them.
I don’t have much experience with mice, but you can try soaking cotton balls in peppermint oil and leaving around the areas you want to keep them away from. They do not like peppermint oil, so will stay away from it.
I love the information about removing pests using safe ingredients, especially because we have dogs and live in the country, But, I could not find the information about what spray bottle to use!
It is linked under the spray bottle ingredient section 🙂 But here is the link for you:
I have ants in my lawn and I also have 6 chickens who have been tearing up my lawn to get to the ants. I was thinking of trying your solution but is this solution safe for chickens and can I apply it directly to a small ant hill in my lawn without killing all the grass around the hill?
I have sprayed this onto the dirt from the ant mound and it doesn’t harm surrounding grass, but don’t spray directly onto grassy areas. It is safe for chickens and other animals 🙂
Hi does its work to repellant roaches?
you mention 2cup how much cc in one cup?
thanks
Yes it can work on small roaches
Hi Alexis – I’ve been using your homemade weed killer now for the third season and I have to say it works so well. Some weeds are more stubborn than others so I will spray them two or three days in a row. I just found your similar recipe for ants. These ants keep crawling into my dogs food dish. They are the smallest ants I’ve ever seen unless they’re tiny babies. Do you know the type ant this is or are ants just ants? I came to find a solution and I will try it.
I’ve always called those sugars ants, but I’m not sure if that’s the correct name. They are really tiny! This solution kills them pretty good. I’ve had those in my kitchen before.
I’m going to try these recipes on the ants and bugs and the weed killer thank youM
I hope you enjoy them!
Oh my I had ants really bad tiny little minuet ants to the size of sugar ants they invaded the whole house, I used mint extract and distilled water to deter them. I even used carmex which is a campor bee wax base in pin holes they had made up above my backsplash, the distilled water left no mineral seposits behind and the ants hate it.
I sprayed several applications and I have not seen ants now in my home for over a year. I had bull ants those are the huge black ants ryunning along the under edgeof the threshold of my back door and along the edge of the concrete stoop. I sprayer twice along that edge heavily they are no longer running along there! I will do it again when neccessary. Ants hate the mint. When sprayed directly on them after the alcohol content of the extract has vaporized they still die. Mint extract is good one bottle will make a half gallon. It is cheap.
I’d be afraid of using salt and vinegar on the garden earth or lawn area. It can kill good vegetation and have a lasting effect on future vegetation.
Hi Cheri! Mint can be a good option for almost all insects! The salt and vinegar in this solution is very mild, it doesn’t have lasting effects on the ground (not strong enough for that) 🙂
Thank you for this. Is this safe for cats?
Yes it is! 🙂
I just tried this and it works. Ants are dead. Ants were all over my potted plants so I sprayed around and on the pots. Stayed away from the plants. I found several trails and sprayed them. Trusting this will be the answer!!
Will be using your weed killer on our back yard Forrest very soon.
Thanks!
I am happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Is this harmful to pets?
Safe for all pets
We recently have a trail going down our wall. Have never seen anything like it. Would this hurt paint on the wall?
It can leave a little residue on paint, but if you have high gloss or semi gloss paint, it will clean up. The vinegar doesn’t seem to be too strong for the painted surfaces I have used it on, but I would definitely test a small area first
Will the ant spray be harmful to any kind of kitchen or bathroom countertops? Thought I would start with spraying around the bottom of walls first before putting on the kitchen/bathroom counter.
With the vinegar base, you should not use on anything made from natural stone. Other than that, it is okay to use on other surfaces. Just wipe off after use
This is the best and fastest working spray I have found to kill and keep all ants ? OUT of my house; that includes over-the-counter sprays too!! I highly recommend it to anyone who is having any ant problems inside or outside their house. I just sprayed around the outside foundation of my house and BAM no more ants!!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Can you use this on carpet near heaters? You say to wipe, but what about carpets? Please help me. Thank you.
You don’t need to wipe off of carpets. Just allow it to dry, then vacuum any residue 🙂
I just tried your homemade ant spray (the little b******s are in my bathroom). Questions:\
1. How long do you keep it on before wiping the surface with a paper towel?
2. After wiping it with a (presumably) dry paper towel, a light film remains. Should I wipe that down with a damp paper towel or leave it alone?
Thanks so much!
I subscribed to your newsletter.
P.S. Just a random comment: Never use tree tea oil if you have a pet bird. Highly toxic. My parrot agrees!
I always wipe it up with a damp paper towel if the solution is dried already. If solution is still wet, a dry paper towel is good. I leave the solution on just until ants are dead…if you are using it to deter ants, I would leave it on for much longer. I hope this helps!! Let me know if you have other questions
Thanks for the speedy response, Alexis!
Yep, it’s to kill AND deter the ants. I also purchased a small, inexpensive dehumidifier for the bathroom. Apparently, ants like moisture.
I wish my high-school chemistry teacher was as interesting as you are!
THat’s a great idea, Ants are definitely drawn to moisture! Thank you!!
This recipe may have been aroundf for a long time, but I wonder if it will work for FIRE ants as well? Thanks
We have many readers us it for fire ants, but it does require you to pour the solution onto the fire ant bed. It might take several rounds
Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of distilled white vinegar for the ant spray?
You can, but apple cider vinegar is much stickier and darker, so it can leave a residue that is hard to clean up.
The ant spray with vinegar works beautifully. However, I am noticing it is marring my marble countertops even though I wipe them off with a damp cloth. Is there a substitute for vinegar that won’t damage marble?
Never use vinegar on marble or natural stone. Unfortunately, there is not substitute for vinegar in this type of recipe as vinegar is key for this working. You can use peppermint oil, or some other tips in this post. Also, I would definitely check out this great post we did on vinegar.Let me know if you have other questions!