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Dandelions: you either love them, or you hate them. If you fall firmly into the "hate" camp and don't want any of these little yellow pests popping up in your lawn, then your first thought may be to spray them with a chemical weed killer. However, this is not always the best choice for your health or for the environment, and you can usually get rid of dandelions without these spays. Here are a few solutions to try.

Boiling Water

This option works well for dandelions that are growing between sidewalk cracks. It will kill dandelions growing in your lawn, too, but since it's hard to control precisely where the boiling water goes, you'll probably kill some of the grass around the dandelions, too. Just bring a big pot of water to a boil, and pour it over the dandelion, making sure it comes into contact with all of the leaves and flowers. The foliage will die leaving the plant without a way to make food, so the entire plant will then die off.

Vinegar

Vinegar is a good choice if your dandelions are located right in the middle of the lawn and you don't want to kill grass around them. But the way you apply it is a little intricate. Cut the foliage off the dandelion so there's just a hint of stem left above the ground. Then, use a dropper to apply full-strength white vinegar to the open part of the stem. The vinegar will work its way down into the dandelion's roots, acidifying their internal tissues and killing off the dandelion.

Digging Them Out

Physically removing dandelions is a good choice if you only have a few to remove, but you have to go about it in the right way. Just plucking the dandelion from the ground is not usually effective, since if any of the roots remain, the plant can grow back. Instead of plucking, use a trowel to dig a cylinder of earth out around the dandelion. Lift the entire cylinder out, and then shake the extra dirt off the roots and use it to fill the hole back in. Pack the soil in, and spread some grass seed on top to fill in the patch.

Dandelions can replicate quickly, so keep up with using these methods on a regular basis to keep your yard free from yellow flowers. Contact a lawn care company in your area if you need help keeping your yard weed-free. For more information, contact a company that specializes in lawn weed control.