Last Updated on January, 2025
Artificial grass maintenance is as easy as it looks and takes far less time than a natural grass lawn. While synthetic grass doesn’t require watering, mowing, and fertilising, there are still things you should do to keep it in good shape.
In this article, I will get into the nitty-gritty details of artificial grass and turf maintenance so that you can maximise the longevity of your synthetic lawn.
Quick Summary
- Artificial grass requires occasional rinsing with a garden hose to remove dust, debris, and pet waste. Stubborn stains can be cleaned with mild soap or ammonia solutions, and specific tools like a power brush and rake can help maintain its appearance.
- Avoid using harsh chemicals, steel-bristled brushes, or vacuums on artificial grass, as these can damage it or remove infill. A leaf blower and soft-bristled tools are more suitable for regular maintenance.
- Pet owners should rinse regularly to prevent odors and bacteria, and periodic weed and moss treatment helps maintain the lawn’s appearance. Replacing high-traffic patches as needed ensures the lawn stays neat over time.
Tips for Artificial Grass Maintenance
Maintaining a turf lawn is easy whether your artificial turf is indoor or outdoor. Since installing an artificial grass lawn is a significant investment, you should take care of your turf regularly.
Here are some maintenance tips to ensure your artificial turf lawn always looks its best. (Call us to Enquire Artificial Grass Maintenance Service.)
A light spray on your turf from your garden hose every week or so will help remove any debris, dust, leaves, and dirt from building up.
If you are a pet owner, you may have to do this more often to remove pet waste. You can also use a stiff brush or rake to clean up heavier build-ups like fallen leaves or dirt from a storm.
Remove debris like grass and twigs that end up on your synthetic grass to help prevent potential weed growth.
It is also best to promptly clean spills as they happen to avoid stains from forming on your artificial lawn. Unlike natural grass, artificial grass lawns are not stain-resistant.
Its synthetic grass blades are susceptible to staining from food spills, pet urine, and other sticky substances.
The infill used for artificial grass lawns gives it enough weight to stay in place. However, day-to-day use from foot traffic wears down on these infill filaments and makes the turf surface look oddly flat.
You will need to reposition this infill and glass blades regularly especially in high-traffic areas.
To clean up most stains on your artificial turf, you only need some hot water, mild soap, a bucket, and a sponge.
You can wipe up the spill area with hot soapy water and a sponge and then rinse it with plain water or a spray from your garden hose.
You will need aerosol refrigerants or dry ice to remove a sticky substance like chewing gum or tree sap off your artificial lawn.
These substances freeze the sticky mess so you can scrape it off easily.
For more stubborn stains like grease, motor oil, suntan oil, or ink, you can switch the soap with 3% ammonia solution in the water.
These mineral spirits are more effective in drawing out the stains and deep cleaning your artificial turf. Avoid using harsh chemicals like bleach to clean stains.
Relevant guides:
What Tools are Needed to Maintain Artificial Grass?
An artificial grass power brush is one of the best tools you could use for artificial turf maintenance. This tool is excellent for clearing debris off the turf and gets deep down between the grass fibres.
This action disrupts the organic material on the base of the artificial turf and fluffs up the turf to give it a more natural grass-like look.
A handheld leaf blower is an excellent tool to remove organic materials, dust, and other debris off the surface quickly and efficiently. Having a strap attached to it can help in handling the blower efficiently.
You should generally not vacuum artificial grass unless you are spot-cleaning your lawn, as it might suck up the grass infill in your synthetic turf.
Artificial grass rakes are also an excellent option for synthetic turf maintenance. A rake with soft bristles is useful for removing pet waste and collecting pet hair before vacuuming.
Never use a brush with steel bristles, as it can cause severe damage to your new lawn.
Long-Term Turf Maintenance
While an artificial lawn does not require the same regular maintenance as natural grass, there are a few tips for the upkeep of your turf in the long run.
For pet owners, you will want to pick up solid waste as soon as possible and use a power washer to rinse the surface regularly with cool water to remove stains from urine and most other spills.
This will help eliminate odours and any bacteria forming, and help maintain a clean look.
You should also consider applying weed and moss treatment at least twice yearly to prevent growing weeds. Over time, replacing worn-out, high-traffic patches is best to ensure a neat and uniform appearance.
FAQs
Conclusion
One of the primary advantages of getting an artificial grass lawn is extremely low maintenance compared to a natural grass lawn. That said, a synthetic lawn still needs some care and maintenance to keep it looking dapper.
