weed infestation

I moved into my house during the winter. My lawn has been severly neglected and is infested with lots of weeds. Primarly dandelions. I got my soil tested at my extension office like you suggested and it said my PH is 7.O. What can I do to get rid of all these weeds without hurting my pocket??

-Michigan

Eat the dandelions!  That's what I do.  Unless you or the previous owner have been dumping poisons onto the lawn, it'd probably be the best thing you could do for both your wallet and your body.  Dandelions are incredibly nutritious and every part of them is edible.  It's a little late in the year now, but pick the leaves when they're young and tender (they're less bitter then) and either eat them raw in a salad or cooked.  They're a good source of calcium and many other minerals and vitamins.  Their root, which is great for your liver, is best harvested in winter (and will be most nutritious if you wait until its third year to pull it up), when the plant has stored up lots of sugars.  Julienne the roots and stir-fry or add to a soup or stew.  You'll find lots more info, including recipes, on the Net.  I'll leave it to you to find out, if you so desire, how to make dandelion flower wine!

Perversely, most people dump pesticides on their lawns to eradicate the very "weeds", which, if they ate them instead, might restore their health.

Mow high and water infrequently will get rid of most of them over the next few years.

Mowing a little more frequently can help some too.

This looks like a fun contraption possibly worth trying:  http://www.dlt100.com/

I have one of these now, but haven't tried it yet.

I have heard time and time again that a combination of 4 cups of vinegar, 1/4 cp salt, and 2 teaspoons of dish detergent mixed in a liter of water  is a great weed killer when used on individual weeds  or walkways but NOT in flower beds or on lawns. My question is this, is there some type of organic or all natural product that IS safe for lawns?
I know pulling is the best route but we have a 1.5 acre lawn and in the last 3 years I have used weed n feed anc am trying to avoid that route this year. I would like to find something natural but I am new to all of this. I cannot identify all of the weeds but I can tell you I have clover, dandelions and something that looks like wild onions? I live in SC. We aerate and fertilize in the spring and fall, areate and overseed in the fall, water when we absolutely have to, lawn is a tall fesce called 'Rebel.' One would think that we had very few weeds but right now my lawn is covered with spring weeds.  Any suggestions?

follow the advide laid out on the lawn care page:  http://www.richsoil.com/lawn

That will eliminate about 90% to 95% of your weeds.  Organically.  Most folks find they are plenty happy at this point, but if you want more, come back and tell us what's left - we'll use our brains instead of paying money for something.