Artificial grass is indeed a low-maintenance option to enhance your property’s visual appeal, but things get ugly when people mistake it for a no-maintenance alternative!
Hey friends! It’s Stacy again, and today I’m here with a brief list of 100% practical tips on keeping your indoor artificial grass looking fresh and plush year long. But before proceeding any further, let’s understand why it’s necessary to follow these.
You may have wondered - why would I need these tips if I’ve already spent a fat check setting a long-lasting synthetic turf? I used to feel the same until I was educated about the importance of proper maintenance to avoid severe damage in the long run.
The logic here is elementary - natural or artificial; everything needs to be taken care of from time-to-time to exist healthily. If artificial grass were Clark Kent, stain and dirt would be kryptonite.
Now that we’ve got that clear, let’s do the same with the turf, shall we?
How To Clean Artificial Grass
As you’re probably aware, the average life of synthetic grass turf is, more or less, ten years or so. This prevalent set-and-forget attitude instantly cuts the lifespan by half, which certainly isn’t worth the hundreds of dollars spent on installation. That’s why I’m sharing this concise guide on how to clean artificial grass, strictly based on my experience and practices.
1. Cleaning Pet Urine From Artificial Grass
Trust me, living with pets in a house with indoor artificial grass is much harder than it seems. Your furry best friend is bound to fall in love with the plushy green turf, and it might just become their new favorite area to hang out. However, the experience wouldn’t be as pleasant, in your case, once your pets start urinating.
You indeed have to be twice as careful while your pets are roaming around on the turf. However, you can make it easier by consulting a professional lawn care specialist before setting up one. Special pre-installation customizations, including quick drainage and odor emission reduction, help minimize the stress and hassle.
However, if you’ve already set up a turf like me, you’re way past these customizations. In such cases, you can maintain the appearance by regularly washing the areas where your pets hang around often. Mix white vinegar with water while cleaning for greater effectiveness.
You can also cut out the disgusting urine smell by deodorizing the areas; however, I’d recommend using specialized synthetic turf products to ensure zero side effects. In case of any other scent, a quick enzymatic cleaner spray would do the trick.
2. Cleaning Food Stains From Artificial Grass
Suppose you’re walking around with a delicious plate of snacks one evening and suddenly trip over something. What do you do to clean off the sauce stains? The average person would instantly run and grab a bottle of bleach. Believe me or not, you won’t always need to choose aggressive cleaners all the time, as the job can also be done without bleach!
Apply a 1:1 dosage of white vinegar and water or mix a mild detergent with water to get the job done without damaging the turf. That said, most people hesitate to use vinegar because of the annoying temporary smell, which I am not a fan of either. However, it gets the job done quicker and more precisely than detergent when it comes to removing stains.
3. Cleaning Paint Stains From Artificial Grass
Indoor or outdoor, paint is one of the most common stains you’d notice on the synthetic turf during a renovation. You can never paint without spilling, or at least I can’t. However, even though it sounds complicated, it’s quite simple to clean paint stains from fake grass.
You can directly use a good-quality paint cleaner or some lacquer remover to get the job done. If you don’t mind paying a little extra for added safety, eco-friendly paint removers are the best products to opt for. However, if you’re going for the standard ones, protect your eyes while applying as these products are incredibly toxic and harmful.
You should also test these cleaners on a small corner before application, as the toxic properties may also hamper the appearance in many cases. Some of my friends have complained that the solutions react badly with artificial grass, leading to a noticeable change in color. One of of them found out the hard way as even one of their best grass rugs got damaged.
4. Keeping The Synthetic Turf Weed-Free
Before I discuss this issue, let’s have a moment of silence for those who believe that an artificial grass turf saves you from the inevitable weed raids!
Jokes apart, if you’ve set up the carpet outdoors, the seeds are bound to invade their way in through the nearby plantation. After a few days, you’ll notice these devil’s crops growing in the corners of your beautiful synthetic turf.
To prevent this from happening, you have to clean the lawn edges religiously from time to time. I’d advise you to perform frequent inspections, which creates the scope to pluck these menaces before they spread out beyond control. You can also take it to a higher level by pouring boiling water, mixed with salt, which ensures instant and long-term eradication.
5. Keeping The Synthetic Turf Mold-Free
Last but not least, a bacterial invasion is one of the less frequent but utterly concerning issues that you shouldn’t neglect. Mold formation happens the most during autumn when the water and moisture are directly trapped beneath the carpet for long.
However, you can remove the mold by using an essential oil and water mixture. Once you’ve sprayed the solution, rinse it off with a sponge for the best results.
Final Words
I hope this informational guide has helped you learn about the importance of cleaning artificial grass. Also, the quick and easy DIY tips to get the job done should come in handy. However, if you're looking for something to clean out your lawn with ACTUAL grass, check out our reviews of top walk behind brush cutters.
How have you been treating your synthetic grass all this while before reading this post? I’m eager to know, so don’t hesitate to share your tricks in the comments below!
Till next time, happy cleaning!