WORK LESS, PLAY MORE
Artificial grass will transform the way you clean your property. Its effortless maintenance will enable you to forget the trouble of fertilizing, mowing, and watering. Instead, you’ll be able to concentrate on another projects rather than maintaining the grass.
While you save valuable hours working on your grass, that doesn’t mean artificial grass is entirely maintenance-free. To maintain your artificial turf looking great, follow this guide.
SMALL CONSISTENT EFFORTS
How frequently you maintain your artificial grass will depend on its use. Is it a putting green kept away from other plants? Do you have young kids playing in your backyard? Do you have trees or plants on the property that will shed leaves and other debris onto it?
If your synthetic grass is in an open space, further away from children, pets, trees and plants, you may have less to do when it comes to regular maintenance. Of course, this also varies from season to season and depends on your geographical location. So, in short it really depends, but will constantly need some upkeep.
Here are some general guidelines we suggest.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF LOOSE DEBRIS
Sticks or leaves are loose debris which will fall down on the turf surface and cause early wear and tear. Larger limbs can even puncture the turf. Start by taking care of things like kid’s or dog toys and other bigger objects that are easy to remove with hand. Then you can make use of a leaf blower to eliminate any leaves and twigs. We suggest you blow all small debris utilizing a leaf blower to one corner of your yard so you can collect for simple removal.
DEALING WITH STICKY STUFF
If you have lipstick, chewing gum, paint, crayons, or tree sap on your turf, you can begin by trying to gently graze the material off the grass with a wire brush. Just be very careful that you don’t by mistake cut off the turf blades you are scraping because it can result in bald spots. Start from the bottom of the turf blade and brush the fibers in every directions. If the sticky items don’t come off, try freezing them with ice to solidify them before trying to them off again. You can also use mineral spirits and brush the fiber with a rag by drenching the rag with the Mineral Spirits.
CLEANING PET WASTE
If you have pets, you know your turf is their restroom. A huge number of pet owners are concerned that artificial turf won’t work with their pets, but that’s false! If you have dogs, we recommend you acquire pet-specific systems by SWG. But, cleanup is still easy even if you get regular artificial grass. For example, when Fido uses the lawn as his bathroom, you simply permit the solid waste to dry before removing it, then wash the area with water utilizing the garden hose and spray nozzle (never using the jet setting). Urine will flow through similar to any other liquid, you can also spray these areas with water. Furthermore, you won’t see any visible dead spots from their favorite bathroom area. Check out this article to see some of the most frequent questions about artificial turf for dogs.
WHAT TO DO REGARDING LIGHT SPOTS
Let’s face it — life can get a bit messy at times. Now and then that mess might happen on your synthetic turf. Your favorite snack might find its way to your grass, or your kid might spill a juice box… you know how it goes. But cleaning up simple stains like soda, alcohol, coffee, tea, urine, blood and other ordinary liquids are simple.
- Clean spills as quickly as possible making sure they don't leave a long-lasting stain. Blot the spilled liquid with a cloth, paper, or shop towels to begin with.
- Up next, rinse the area with a mixture of water and mild household detergent such as dish soap.
- Rinse thoroughly with your hose to remove the detergent.
- If the stain is still visible, you can repeat the process once or twice more.
CLEANING STUBBORN STAINS
If the spillage is of something similar to motor oil, grease, ink, cooking oil, or even melted crayons, you understand how hard it can be to remove. You should be meticulous utilizing any of these around your artificial grass, but if a spill happens, here’s what to do.
- Wear protective clothing and gear like heavy overshirts, pants, and gloves to avoid skin irritation. You should consider a respirator to prevent toxic fumes, too.
- After you have safety gear on, begin with soaking a soft cloth in mineral spirits.
- Gently clean off the dirty blades of synthetic turf with the rag. You must guarantee the solution doesn’t leak past the grass blades because it can lead to serious damage to your turf’s backing system.
- Softly wash the area with a hose and blot up any left over liquid with cloth towels, paper towels, or shop towels.
- If the stain is still visible, let it dry for a day before trying again with mineral spirits.
AVOIDING DAMAGE
The majority of stains can be cleaned from your grass, but some things will permanently damage the grass that you should take care to avoid. Here are the big ones that can cause the most damage.
NO OPEN FIRES
Open fires and artificial grass do not go well together. While you don’t have to worry about your grass going up in flames, the smallest spark or ember can cause your turf to melt. If you want a fire feature on your property, you should think about adding a stone patio or gravel area to build a fire break for a fit pit. Do not set off fireworks or anything else that might cause fire damage on your synthetic grass.
BE CAREFUL WITH CHEMICALS
Pesticides and herbicides can have negative reaction with your artificial grass, so be extra careful when using harsh chemicals near the grass. These chemicals can create areas of the turf that look burnt or even change color from the reaction. In addition, gasoline and all vehicle fluids should not be kept near your synthetic grass. If you are required to use chemicals or paint near the surface, we firmly suggest you lay some heavy-duty protective cloth before starting these projects.
DON’T DRIVE ON IT
Artificial grass can endure heavy foot traffic, but driving on it with a car is not suggested. Because of the turning motion in the wheels, it can cause damage to the fibers and infill. Driving on it will make the fibers pull out from the backing material and lead to tearing over time. The heavy weight can cause the turf to flatten and cause ruts that will require you to resurface the grass.
USE SHARP ITEMS WITH CARE
Sharp items can tear or cut your synthetic turf. The sharper the item is, the worse the damage will be. Be careful with sharp-edged garden tools, sharp furniture feet, and household tools. If you are going to have patio furniture on your synthetic turf, you should consider using furniture feet covers or installing a patio area for the furniture.
ROUTINE CARE
Most Edmonton homeowners don’t have to spend much time on the maintenance of their artificial grass. Still, we suggest you to think about enforcing a routine maintenance schedule to keep your turf looking its best. You should remove loose debris, clean up spills as they happen, and give the surface a quick rinse if you haven’t gotten precipitation recently or live in a drought-prone area. Here is an easy 4-step process you can do for Standard care.
Step 1: Eliminate any debris from the grass frequently, particularly after high winds or storms.
Step 2: Clean often with a hose. Cold, clean water will help wash away any dust or pollen. This step can frequently be omitted if you live in an area with lots of rain.
Step 3: Brush the grass against the grain or pile direction to perk it back up. Cross brushing against the grain will also prevent the fibers from matting.
Step 4: Let dry for at least 30 minutes before continuing with regular activities.
Extra Credit: If it’s been a year since your installation, you should consider having your turf professionally groomed, cleaned and infill levels checked by Southwest Greens of Western Canada.
MOSS MOLD AND MILDEW
If you have pooled water on your synthetic grass, moss, mold and mildew can grow. These generally look like black spots or dark areas on your synthetic turf. This should be professionally removed by a SWG location nearest you.
Here is an equipment list that will assist you complete these steps easily.
EQUIPMENT LIST
- Garden Hose: Useful for washing the grass when the weather is dry and dust or dirt collects on the artificial grass.
- Leaf Blower: A leaf blower will help remove light debris more easily. One that has a reverse option is really useful, so you can use it like a vacuum cleaner too.
- Stiff Bristle Push Broom: You should definitely avoid metal rakes because they will cause harm to the turf. Stiff Concrete push brooms are best to help make the synthetic grass look its best.
PERFECT ALL YEAR
Artificial grass is a fantastic option for Edmonton homeowners and commercial property managers alike. We hope this maintenance guide will assist you maintain your synthetic turf.
If you haven’t gotten artificial turf for your lawn or putting greens yet, connect with us today for a free consultation.