What are some tips when using Bleach as a weed killer?

It takes full strength bleach to kill the weeds, and it's only recommended to pour it in areas where nothing else is growing (such as around concrete) since it will kill everything. For spraying an acre of yard, you are better off with Roundup since it's concentrated. A quart of concentrated roundup should be able to do at least a quarter acre. I suspect you'd have to use 20-30 gallons of bleach to kill the same area.

Cheaper and more organic is just to burn the weeds with a propane burner. Or, you can fry 'em by putting black visqueen over the areas, and letting the sun bake things to a crisp. You can keep down the costs by doing small sections at a time, and moving the visqueen every 10 days.

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RE:

What are some tips when using Bleach as a weed killer?

I have about an acre of landscaped property around my home. I'm in Buckeye, Arizona.

I would like to use Bleach to kill the existing weeds and prevent new weeds from germinating in other parts of the yard. I will be using a large spraying canister to apply the Bleach.

My question is how...

Will Bleach Kill Weeds

Hi Tom,

I actually used bleach in ALL dilutions, 40 yrs ago, to try to get rid of wild bamboo. I repeatedly cut and mowed the bamboo which grew and multiplied along a small section of the rear fence line in my backyard. (I hated that bamboo so much that I was ready to set my yard on fire)! THE BLEACH FAILED! Now I DO spend the the extra money AND found it is cost effective, time productive and stress reductive.

Thanks for your advise in the past.

P.S. I'm expecting to move within the Phoenix area within the next year. I've been searching homes for approx. 1 year now, with demographics, etc. (Cash purchase of approx $85-90,000), $200,000+ balance (high-yield) + social security). I've been especially attracted to 3-bd, short sales. I recognize the risks, but I've owned 2 houses b4, know how to history search the homes and neighbors/neighborhoods and would also have an inspector. I was ready to move until the high rain. Now I'm waiting to see the mold results in the area. I'd REALLY like to know YOUR input.

I checked previous answers and here's mine:

The bleach is still considered a pesticide by the state IF YOU USE IT AS A PESTICIDE regardless if it's a laundry product or whatever. So consider local regulations there.

The ortho concentrates may be more/gallon BUT remember they should be DILUTED to proper application strength before using. So a gallon of concentrate should make several gallons of solution for the price. I have used bleach mixed w/salt from time to time but I don't dilute it or broadcast all over the place either.

In my experience sometimes the bleach just burns the tops off of the weeds and they come back. Bleach w/salt (1 cup/gal bleach and dissolved) works better on gravel drives, sidewalks etc... but will kill anything else you put it on, too. So be careful, regardless, ok?

There is a new ortho product that is an effective weed killer that also contains a preemergent herbicide to stop new WEED SEEDS from sprouting for up to one year. I have used it and obtained good results. So it would be good on drives, patios, walks, etc... too but will also kill anything else you put it on.

Finally, in my 30+ experience there is no magic bullet for the weeds. They will always be with us no matter what you use on them. Nature hates an empty spot and something will always come back there. Large perfect expanses like golf courses are veritable toxic dumps of pesticides/herbicides/fungicides, fertilizers etc and that is the price you too will have to pay if you are satisfied that is what you have to have, get it?

I don't live there but I love the desert and understand that it is a fragile ecosystem. So please consider carefully what you have proposed to do there. Thanks.

I think everyone agrees that bleach is a bad idea. It would temporarily kill all living matter in the lot, weed seeds and roots have a tendency to outlive lots of weed-killers. Sprayed at ground level, it would kill the growing parts above ground leaving the roots intact to grow a new generation of weeds. If you have grass planted, I would consider making the grass thicker in order to crowd out the weeds; this will work if you are determined to get rid of weeds the economical way, while making your lawn thicker. First, you need to improve the soil by adding compost directly over the grass. Next, you need to sow more grass seed, thickly. You can cover the whole mess with straw or peat moss. The old grass will grow through the compost and peat, and blend with the newly planted grass; thick grass won't give the weeds a chance to sprout and in the end you wont have to plow up an acre of dead grass and weeds to plant more grass.

I would suggest you don't use bleach. Not only will it kill the weeds, it will kill everything else too. And will not allow anything to grow back for a long time. ITS BLEACH! There is probably something the EPA would have to say about that too.

Um yeah, I agree with above. How about you not use bleach as you are destroying the ecosystem? Vinegar is a better choice as it's a natural weed killer and better for the environment.