8 Rubbing Alcohol Uses for Plants

Sherin Woods is a California-based DIY enthusiast and garden design aficionado. With a background in Environmental Science, she combines creativity and sustainability in all her projects. A Pinterest favorite, Sherin is committed to eco-friendly solutions and has contributed to various home and garden publications. Her areas of expertise include DIY project planning, sustainable garden design, and content creation.
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Check out some fantastic Rubbing Alcohol Uses for Plants that can help you deter many problems in the garden in an easy and quick way!

Rubbing Alcohol is a common household chemical with many benefits in general household affairs and gardening, cleaning, and even personal care. Let’s have a look at some of the best Rubbing Alcohol Uses for Plants!

Have a look at some awesome wood ash uses in the garden here


Rubbing Alcohol Uses for Plants

It is essential to remember that any concentration level over 70 percent is not safe and may cause burns and damage to the plants. Always use a small amount on a single leaf and observe it for 1-2 days. If it causes any burns, then avoid using it on the entire plant. 

1. Eliminate Weed

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Rubbing alcohol works the best in creating trouble for the weeds in the garden as it draws moisture away from their foliage. With some time, the vegetation dries out, the weeds become weaker, and gradually get killed.

Mix two tablespoons of rubbing alcohol in a quart of clean water and drench weeds with this solution.

2. An Effective Pesticide

Rubbing alcohol is best known for its efficiency in killing spider mites, aphids, and whiteflies. Make a spray solution of 1:8 ratio of rubbing alcohol and water. First, run a patch test on a small leaf. Once it passes the test, you can spray the plant, leave it on for 15-20 minutes, and rinse with water. If necessary, repeat after a week.

Note: If the pest infection is minimal, opt to spot the pests instead of spraying the entire plant.

3. Get Rid of Slugs and Snails

Mixing either rubbing alcohol or ethanol with water in a 1:8 ratio and spraying the mixture over slugs and snails will kill them. Just make sure that you are not letting it get on the leaves.

4. Disinfect Garden Tools

Use rubbing alcohol to disinfect garden tools. All you have to do is wipe, and there is no need to soak or even rinse it off!

5. Clean Houseplants

Houseplants can often have dust sitting on their leaves and need some cleaning to ensure that the plant can breathe well and look beautiful. Dilute the rubbing alcohol in the ratio of 1:12 with water. Do a small patch test first and then use a cotton ball soaked in the mix to wipe the dust off the leaves to make them shine.

6. Insect Repellant

To repel stubborn flies and other insects, spray some rubbing alcohol mist. Mix one tablespoon of liquid dishwashing detergent, and one cup of rubbing alcohol in a gallon of water and spray the solution on the infected area.

7. Get Rid of Spider Mites

Rubbing Alcohol Uses for Plants 3
shutterstock/Catherine311

Soak a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol solution in the ratio of 1:8 and wipe the spider mites-infested houseplants. Let the solution sit on the plant for about 15-20 minutes, and then rinse thoroughly with water. Remember to do a small patch test on leaves. 

Check out our article on how to get rid of spider mites here

8. Get Rid of Mealybugs

Get rid of pesky little mealybugs by soaking a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and water in the ratio of 1:8 and apply it directly to the pests. You can also dab the cottony egg masses to eliminate them completely.

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