How to Clean Synthetic Grass

Even though fake turf is commonly believed to be low maintenance, it nevertheless demands a certain amount of care. Here are several tips we’ve compiled among turf owners just like you to help preserve your grass healthy and vibrant.

Unique Cleaning Needs

Fake grass doesn’t have the equivalent demands or threats as organic grass. Artificial lawns won’t get covered with weeds or pests because of their man-made surface. However, it can be prone to various forms of damage. These tips will help you prevent such problems easily.

Loose Debris

Begin with removing objects like children’s toys, chew toys, or thick limbs by hand. Then, you can use a leaf blower to remove small waste like fallen leaves and twigs [[quickly|rapidly|easily].3301]3302 Next, blow everything that the leaf blower can toward a specific location of your yard which will make clean up even faster. Next you can pick up the whole pile for disposal.

Mild Stains

Life happens. Sometimes it happens on grass. Dishes may fall off tables at cookouts, beverages get spilled, and pets use grass as their potty. The steps to clean up are easy for stains like pop, coffee, tea, alcohol, urine, blood, and other common substances. You will need to:

• Wipe up spills quickly so they won’t leave a long-lasting stain by dabbing the spilled liquid with paper towels or dry absorbents.
• Rinse the area with a blend of water and mild household detergent.
• If you need an extra powerful detergent, consider using a turf-safe disinfectant/cleaner.
• Rinse thoroughly with running water to remove the cleaner.
• If stains still persist, repeat the process.

 

Tough Stains

If you’re stuck with something more stubborn like motor oil, it can be a little harder to remove than a simple spilled drink. If you have tried to remove the stain with the mild soap multiple times, you can use mineral spirits.

• Protect yourself by wearing gloves and heavy overshirts/pants to avoid skin irritation, and use a respirator to avoid harmful fumes.
• Start by soaking a soft cloth in mineral spirits. Then, gently wipe off the dirty blades of your turf.
• VITAL: Make sure that the solution doesn't go past the grass blades and beneath the turf, as this can result in serious damage to your artificial grass.
• Rinse gently the area with a hose and absorb any excess liquid.

 

Sticky Stuff

If you’re dealing with sticky items like gum, set paint, crayons, makeup, or sticky plant substance, you can start by trying to lightly scrape it off the turf. Use caution that you don’t slice off the grass blades as you’re scraping. Follow the grass in a straight line with the knife to avoid damage. If you can’t remove it like that, try freezing the sticky material first with ice or dry ice and try to remove it again.

Pet Waste

If you have dogs, you are familiar with cleaning up their droppings in the yard. With synthetic grass, you will not experience the troublesome brown spots from urine — your grass will always be green! Cleaning up droppings on synthetic turf is not hard. Simply allow feces to dry before removing it. We do recommend specific pet turf, that has unique backing and infill that allows urine drain quickly and efficiently without stench.

Avoiding Damage

Although most stains are easily removed from fake grass, there are some safety measures to bear in mind, so you don’t damage the synthetic grass.

No Open Fires

You should extra careful not to light any open fire near your synthetic turf. Even the tiniest hot ash can fly out of the fire. Your lawn will not catch fire, but the embers will melt the material in your turf. Consider constructing a patio area using boulders or pebbles with ample seating space and install fire-resistant wall for the fire pit. Also take care not to set off fireworks or anything else that can cause fire damage.

Don’t Drive On It

While synthetic turf can handle a lot of weight, using a vehicle on it is not recommended. The twisting of the wheels in motion can damage the grass and infill. This will cause the grass to start pulling away from the backing material and eventually lead to tears. Excessive weight will cause the surface to flatten and you will have ruts that are hard to correct.

Use Chemicals With Care

In the event of using pesticides and herbicides, you should take great care not to let them contact your artificial grass. Pesticides and herbicides will have a negative reaction with the surface of the grass, this might cause burned patches. Additionally, keep gasoline and other vehicle fluids away from the grass to avoid similar problems. If you have to use chemicals or paint near the turf, it's a good idea to lay a heavy-duty protective tarp on top of the grass to prevent any possible damage.

Be Mindful of Sharp Items

As you might guess, sharp tools can cut into your synthetic grass. The more sharp the thing, the larger the risk. Sharp-tipped gardening tools, furniture feet with sharp edges, and tools for household chores have the possibility to cut your attractive turf, so be careful using any of these items. We recommend using covers for furniture legs to avoid tears.

Routine Care

In addition to regular foot traffic, fake grass owners should take some time for a periodic cleaning schedule to maintain the integrity and longevity of their product. By following an established routine of removing debris, hosing down on a regular basis (in drought prone areas), and cross brushing will keep your grass looking great for a long time.

Equipment You Need

To keep your grass looking healthy, there are some need-to-have items you will want to keep handy. Here’s an inventory:

• Garden Hose: If you live in an area with lots of precipitation, this will be not as important, but still helpful for washing the grass during dry spells.
• Leaf Blower: You can use a leaf blower to clear small amounts of debris effectively. Spring for one that has a reverse function, so you can use it like a vacuum, too.
• Plastic Bristle Rake: Don't use metal rakes because they are too abrasive, but plastic rakes will help you revive the grass to stand perky again.

 

Clean, Rinse, Brush, Repeat

There are 4 main steps to maintain synthetic grass regularly. These steps should be done each month, and if possible, each week:

Step 1: Clear debris from the turf. This is critical after high winds or thunderstorms. Eliminating tree debris will protect your grass from harm.

Step 2: Rinse regularly with a garden hose. Clean water is all you need to remove pollen. If you’re in a wet climate173, you won’t have to rinse the grass nearly.

Step 3: Brush the grass against the grain, especially in high-traffic areas. Cross brushing against the grain will stop the turf fibers from becoming matted.

Step 4: Let the grass dry for a half hour to 60 minutes before resuming normal activities.

Final Thoughts

Artificial turf is an excellent choice for some Pittsburgh property owners and commercial properties alike. Although it requires way less maintenance than traditional grass, there are still some tasks you’ll have to do to keep it in perfect condition. By following the cleaning guidelines above, we’re confident you can have a perfect lawn all year long!

If you haven’t gotten an artificial lawn yet and are still making a decision, contact Last Lawn today for a complimentary estimate.