Tips for Maintaining Artificial Grass in Spring

It’s that time of year when the days start getting warmer and the sun sticks around for longer. In other words, it’s the perfect time to fire up the barbecue and start playing in the yard. 

For many, this time of year is the ideal period to get some ‘spring cleaning’ done – where people do a deep and extensive clean of their homes. And with more time set to be spent in your garden over the coming months, what better time is there to do some spring cleaning and maintenance of your own on your artificial lawn?

At Grass247, we pride ourselves on offering a wide range of artificial grass in all sizes and styles, but more importantly, we also believe in maintaining our lawns for all to enjoy! Below, we cover everything you need to know on how to maintain artificial grass, from recommended tools to methods to avoid, and more!

What Tools Do I Need to Maintain Artificial Grass? 

To clean artificial grass and maintain your lawn to the highest standard, you’ll first need a set of essential artificial grass tools. Keep reading for some artificial grass maintenance guidance: 

Leaf Blower

A leaf blower is a must for spring cleaning and maintaining artificial grass. They're ideal for quickly and efficiently removing twigs and leaves from your yard, especially during spring, summer and autumn when debris is more common. 

Brush/Broom

If you have multiple people walking across your artificial lawn during those summer months, keep the grass fibres upright by using a stiff brush or broom. This helps plump up the strands and keeps them looking healthy.

Artificial Grass Rake

When it comes to rakes, we strongly suggest using the Telescopic Artificial Grass Rake, as it helps to gently remove any debris while also fluffing up the artificial grass strands if you have longer turf. This is ideal if you have some of our thicker 40mm turfs such as the Daleside, Daisy or Stamford lawns. 

Remember to avoid metal rakes as they can damage the fibres in your synthetic lawn.

Garden Hosepipe 

Use a hosepipe to easily rinse your turf of dust, pollen or messes made by your pets. 

Mild Detergent & a Soft Cloth or Sponge 

If you don’t have a garden hose pipe handy, using a bucket of water with some mild detergent along with a soft cloth or sponge is essential to help clean up stains on your turf, be it spills or pet messes. 

Weed Puller 

A small weed puller can help to get rid of any weeds growing around the outside or through the drainage holes in the turf backing. But if you don’t have a weed puller, simply extract any weeds carefully with your hands.

Infill Brush or Broom

If your lawn uses silica sand or rubber granules, an infill brush or broom can help redistribute the infill evenly. 

Artificial Grass Cleaner

Make use of our specially designed artificial grass cleaner to disinfect and deodorise your lawn in case of any messes made by your pets or other animals. 

How Do I Maintain My Artificial Grass? 

Unlike real lawns, which need mowing every week or fortnight, depending on growth, artificial grass offers the benefit of always looking clean and freshly taken care of. However, this doesn’t mean that it requires zero maintenance. There are several ways to keep your faux lawn looking perfect during periods of heavy footfall. 

Regular Cleaning 

The best way to keep your synthetic lawn looking fresh is to clean it regularly and consistently. We recommend creating a cleaning schedule that you can easily stick to. Once a week or every two weeks, check on your lawn for any debris like leaves or twigs and use our recommended Telescopic Artificial Grass Rake to gently sweep them away. 

Brushing

Regularly brushing artificial grass helps to maintain the look of your lawn by keeping the grass fibres upright and looking natural. 

Weed Control

While it’s not real grass, your artificial lawn can still be susceptible to weed growth around the edges, through small gaps, or the drainage hole in the backing. To prevent overgrowth, regularly remove weeds with a weed puller or your hands. As a preventative measure, install an Artificial Grass Membrane (1m x 14m or 2m x 25m) to sit beneath your turf and stop any weeds or plant life from growing.

Inspect for Damage 

It’s good practice to frequently check for signs of damage like rips, tears, or loose seams. It’s best to nip these in the bud to avoid further damage and prevent them from worsening over time. 

Stain Removal

To be on top of stains from spilt drinks or pet urine, have some mild detergent on hand. Using a mild detergent with water is enough to promptly remove stains from artificial grass. After removing the stains, you can use our recommended artificial grass cleaner and deodoriser, the LawnClenz PeeClenz Artificial Grass Deodoriser, to leave it fresh and clean. 

What if I Have Infill in My Artificial Grass?

For artificial grasses with infill, the same maintenance measures apply, except for brushing. It’s best to use an infill brush or broom to evenly spread the silica sand or rubber granules. By regularly aerating your lawn it will not only look neater, but it will help to maintain proper drainage, too. 

How Do I Stop My Artificial Grass From Smelling of Dog Urine? 

Part of being a pet owner involves stepping in when your pet makes an unfortunate mess on the carpet or floor. For these surfaces, a stain remover or mild detergent with water usually does the trick.

But how should you go about cleaning pet urine on an artificial lawn? 

While hosing it down may wash away the residue, it won't get rid of lingering odours over time. 

In fact, several methods can actually damage the turf. 

Here are some cleaning methods to outright avoid. 

Using bleach or harsh chemicals 

While bleach and similar chemicals are tough and effective at disinfecting surfaces, your artificial lawn is a surface you want to keep bleach far away from. This is because the harsh chemicals in it can harm and weaken the synthetic fibres, as well as leave the grass discoloured. 

Pressure washing 

If you have access to a pressure washer, your lawn is not the right surface to use it on as it can dislodge infill and potentially tear the backing. We would recommend using a garden hosepipe to wash any residue away rather than going for the pressure washer.

Vigorously Scrubbing 

The same applies to vigorous scrubbing. This can damage the fibres and create uneven wear and even worse, potential tears. 

Using hot water 

Hot water can also damage the synthetic fibres and the backing. Instead, opt for cold water from a garden hose pipe or similar. 

How to Clean Pet Urine From Artificial Grass 

For the best results that don’t damage your artificial lawn, follow these six simple steps. 

1. Gently rinse the area with a hose to wash away the urine.
2. Mix a mild detergent with water and apply it to the affected area. Let it sit for a couple of minutes to break the urine down. 
3. Instead of vigorously scrubbing, use a soft cloth or a sponge to gently scrub the area so that no fibres are damaged in the process. 
4. Rinse thoroughly with a hose to remove the cleaning product. 
5. Apply the LawnClenz PeeClenz Artificial Grass Deodoriser to digest the compounds in pet urine that create odour. 
6. Finally, when the area is dry, gently brush the grass fibres upright. 

Now that you have established a regular cleaning schedule and have equipped yourself with the right artificial grass tools, your lawn is ready to be proudly displayed all spring.