How to Care for Artificial Turf

Maintaining a natural grass lawn takes a lot of work: there’s hours of mowing, trimming, edging, and fertilizing that needs to be done to ensure a good-looking yard. With artificial turf however, you can enjoy a lush, green lawn all summer long with hardly any work at all. It’s one of the top reasons why people make the switch to synthetic grass. If you’re considering installing artificial turf, here’s the short list of what you’ll need to do to care for your lawn.

Remove debris. After a rainstorm or a particularly windy day, take a walk around your yard and pick up any branches, leaves, or loose debris. When left on synthetic grass for too long these items can cause the blades to become matted and can potentially damage the turf.

Rinse regularly. Pollen and dust accumulate on grass blades throughout the spring and summer season. If not rinsed away, they can clog the pores in the turf padding and affect the drainage of the yard. While a good rainstorm will wash pollen and dust away, if you find that’s it’s been a while since your last significant rainfall, grab the hose and rinse off your artificial turf.

Clean up after pets. When it comes to artificial turf, the sooner your clean up your pet’s urine and feces, the better. Remove solid waste as usual, and rinse off the yard once a week to remove odors and stains that may come from urine. A helpful hint: train your dog to go to the bathroom in one area of the yard to minimize the amount of rinsing that’s needed.

Treat stains. Artificial turf does have the potential to stain, so its important to clean up spills promptly. For minor stains (like drinks, blood, and food), blot the area and wash with water and a mild detergent. More stubborn stains (like oils or inks) can be treated with mineral spirits.

Fluff the blades. It takes a long time for the blades of artificial grass to flatten, but if you want to keep the fibers upright, simply rake or brush them. Use a rake or brush with synthetic fibers; never use one with metal or wire bristles. Brush or rake against the grain of the blades to fluff up your artificial turf in no time.

All in all, caring for a yard made of artificial turf is much easier than caring for a natural grass yard. To learn more about installing turf in your yard, call Dreamscape Designers today at (757) 412-1265.