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People think that artificial grass is low maintenance, and even though this is primarily the case, it’s not giving you the full picture. Instead, there are several steps that you should follow when learning how to look after artificial grass. If you do it regularly, you should be able to keep things looking pristine for longer.
Why You Need to Maintain the Grass
Artificial grass is going to trap debris from time to time. Dealing with stains and general wear and tear should also be high on your list of priorities since it frequently experiences high traffic during different seasons of the year.
The good news is that caring for artificial grass care won’t take long if you know what to do.
Artificial Grass Maintenance Made Easy
Maintaining your artificial turf shouldn’t be challenging. In order to clean artificial grass, you will need a few different items that will help you along the way.
Items such as the following should help.
- Stiff brush
- Leaf blower
- Plastic rake
- Sand infill
- Washing up liquid
- Weed killer
This is a bit of a diverse selection, but they will all play their part in helping you care for your synthetic lawn.
Let’s Get Started
So, there are several main maintenance issues when it comes to caring for artificial lawns. Also, if you thought that weed growth would not be one of them, then you are wrong.
Dealing with stubborn stains, chewing gum, pet waste, broken glass, and organic matter can all make your artificial grass look less than impressive. However, we will now talk you through how to care for your artificial turf and make it look spectacular.
We will look at different tips that will help you maintain the grass even when dealing with those high-traffic areas.
Tip 1: Deal With Overhanging Trees
The problem with overhanging trees is their ability to drop fallen leaves and other debris all over your lawn. Cut back overhanging branches, and do the same for plants. This will make it easier for you to clean artificial grass, as leaves falling will become the bane of your life in autumn.
Tip 2: Use the Right Brush
You are going to need to brush your fake lawn to get the best results. However, please don’t use a metal rake. That’s only going to damage your fake grass and potentially lead to things needing to be replaced.
Instead, a stiff broom works best. Also, buy a good quality brush, as you will be using it on a regular basis.
Tip 3: Remove Debris
The problem with artificial grass is that debris has a habit of landing between the blades, and that’s where a stiff brush and leaf blower will come into their own. Part of the maintenance is to keep the lawn free of debris, whether that be the need to remove pet waste, sharp objects, weeds, and organic material. But you need to know how to remove the debris without damaging the grass.
Brush in the One Direction
When you brush artificial grass, make sure you do this in one direction. This will not only help move the debris along, but it will also mean your synthetic grass is going to be fluffed up effectively, and the blades will look better. Start in a corner and work your way down the lawn in a strip. Repeat this over the entire area of synthetic turf, and look at how much debris you end up collecting. When doing this, make sure you’re not pushing the blades down and flattening your lawn.
The Leaf Blower
If you do have a lot of leaves, then a leaf blower will speed up the process. Use it against the grain, which means the way the blades lie. It allows you to gather up all of the leaves into one pile.
Tip 4: Remove Any Weeds
Weeds can still appear if you have had a problem with laying the membrane below the artificial grass, so you need to deal with them as part of the maintenance of your artificial lawn. Now, you can use weed killer but stick to one that has a pH of around 8. Also, be quite precise about where you apply the weed killer to stop you from damaging the colour of the artificial turf.
It isn’t like removing weeds from natural grass. You need to apply weed killer to the exact spot before allowing it to work, and then use a plastic rake or brush to remove the debris.
Tip 5: Replace the Sand
When your artificial lawn was laid, sand would have been brushed down into it to protect the artificial turf base. Over time, you need to replace that sand as part of the maintenance. Brush it into the grass with your stiff broom, and cover the entire area. It is a key part of artificial grass care as it will prolong its life span where your artificial grass lawns are looking pristine.
Cleaning Your Artificial Grass
Looking after artificial grass will help keep your lawn looking amazing. However, we do have some bonus tips that are more closely related to specific issues rather than just general tips.
Dealing With Stubborn Stains
Let’s face it, removing a stubborn stain can be tough, and it’s the same for artificial grass. However, the method you should use will be familiar if you have had to deal with stains in your home.
The first thing you should do is to get some washing-up liquid. You want to mix this with some warm water to create a solution. Next, you need to rub this solution onto the spot of your artificial grass that’s causing you problems.
The detergent will break down the stain, and you should then rinse that spot of your artificial lawn to remove the soap. After that is done, your artificial grass should be free of stains, and all thanks to hot soapy water.
Dealing With Animal Mess
When it comes to dealing with animal mess, solid waste is easy to remove. However, dealing with pet urine is different. Here, you need to deal with it as soon as you realise what’s going on. It will not require hard chemicals, but you need to rinse your artificial lawn with water to dilute the urine.
Dealing With Oil
If you spill motor oil, cooking oil, or any sort of oil on your artificial grass, then don’t panic. The key here to avoid stains is to make sure you blot the spillage as soon as possible. Don’t rub it, as this will only spread the area covered.
Once you have removed as much as you can, you want to go back to the soapy water solution mentioned earlier and apply that to the patch of artificial grass affected by the oil. Finally, rinse the grass to remove the soap.
This Is a Year-Round Thing
While your artificial grass is a low-maintenance alternative, that doesn’t absolve you of all the different work that needs to be carried out.
Artificial grass can fade and lose some of its lustrs if you do not look after it. Yes, there’s a massive difference between artificial grass and real grass, and you don’t require the same equipment to care for this type of lawn, but you still want things to look good.
Remove dust, leaves, and any waste from the grass, and it should serve you well for some time to come.
The Final Tip
Remember to brush regularly and do so in different directions to help fluff up the grass and make it look its best. It works well if you want to look out of your window and see a fantastic artificial grass lawn, so check out how the grass lies and then brush it accordingly.
Start Maintaining Your Lawn
Looking after your artificial grass should not take you too long on a weekly basis. All you need to do is to keep checking for any other stains or marks that appear throughout the year and deal with them at the time. Waiting too long will only make life harder when there’s no need for that to be the case.
Now you know how to look after artificial grass, you should realise that there is not much to it, especially if you keep on top of it.
Enjoy your artificial turf and all of the fun that it brings to your home.
Paul is the type of person who never met a problem he couldn’t fix. He can always be found tinkering with something in his house, even if it isn’t broken! His tips and tricks are often shared on our site. He’s the one you call when something breaks because he has been known to improvise fixes for everything from leaky faucets to malfunctioning dryers.
