Artificial turf is low maintenance, not no maintenance. A few minutes a week and a bigger clean each spring keep it looking new for years. Here's how to clean artificial turf, by how often each job needs doing, plus fixes for the common problems.
Tools
- A leaf blower, or a plastic leaf rake. Never a metal rake.
- A garden hose with a spray nozzle.
- A stiff-bristled push broom (synthetic bristles, not wire).
- An enzyme turf cleaner, if you have pets.
- Mild dish soap and a bucket, for spills.
- Optional: a power broom, which can be rented, for the yearly deep brush.
Weekly
- Pick up debris. Leaves, twigs and seeds rot into the infill if they sit. Blow or rake them off.
- Pet areas: pick up waste and rinse. Hose the pee spots once or twice a week in summer.
Monthly
- Rinse the whole lawn in dry spells to clear dust and pollen.
- Brush high-traffic paths against the grain to stand the fibres up before they mat.
- Enzyme-clean pet areas every few weeks, or as soon as you notice a smell.
- Pull any weeds that appear along edges and seams while they're small.
Each season
Spring is the big one. After the snow, clear grit and debris, rinse off salt, power-brush the whole lawn against the grain to lift fibres flattened by the snow, check edges and seams, and top up infill in thin spots. See turf in winter.
Summer: keep up with rinsing, especially for pets. Watch for melt marks near barbecues and fire pits, and for scorch lines from sunlight reflected off windows.
Fall: clear leaves often; wet leaves left for weeks stain and rot. A last brush and rinse before the snow.
Getting rid of pet smell
Smell comes from urine that sits in the turf or the base. Rinse the spot thoroughly to flush it through, apply an enzyme turf cleaner following the label, let it work, and rinse again. If the smell comes back quickly, the problem is drainage or infill, not cleaning: the base may be holding water, or the infill may need replacing with an odour-control type such as zeolite. A professional deep clean extracts more than a hose can. See artificial grass for dogs.
Stains and spills
- Food and drink: blot, then wash with warm water and a little dish soap, and rinse.
- Grease and oil: a little dish soap or a mild degreaser, then a thorough rinse.
- Gum and sap: harden it with an ice cube, then pick or scrape it off gently with a plastic tool.
- Paint and adhesive: deal with it fresh; check the turf maker's guidance before using any solvent.
What never to use
- Metal rakes or wire brushes: they pull fibres and tear the backing.
- Pressure washers at close range: they can blow out infill and damage fibres. A wide, gentle spray at a distance is the most to use.
- Bleach and harsh solvents unless the turf maker approves them.
- Weed killers that aren't labelled safe for use near synthetic turf.
- Open flames, fireworks and fire pits directly on turf.
Cleaning by situation
- Dogs: weekly rinse in summer, enzyme cleaner every few weeks, zeolite top-up on the main spots each spring.
- Under trees: blow leaves, needles and seeds off at least weekly in fall and spring; sap rinses off with water and mild soap.
- Near pools: rinse chlorinated or salt splash off now and then, and keep pool chemicals off the turf.
- Rentals and cottages: leave a simple routine with the property manager: blow, rinse, brush, monthly.
- Play areas: check for debris, sharp objects and lifted edges before kids use it; top up infill under swings and slides.
- Balconies: lift or shake out non-infill turf a couple of times a year to clear dirt from the drainage layer.
Power broom tips
A rented power broom makes the yearly deep brush quick. Run it against the grain at a walking pace, overlapping passes, after the turf is dry and debris has been cleared. Don't let it dwell in one spot, and keep it off seams that look loose. If infill gets thrown around, a quick pass with a push broom puts it back.
A simple schedule
Write it down and it gets done. A schedule many Ontario turf owners use: blow off debris every weekend from April to November; rinse the whole lawn once a month in summer, and pet spots weekly; brush the busy paths once a month; enzyme-clean pet areas every three to four weeks in warm weather; and one big spring clean with a power brush and an infill top-up. In winter, nothing but gentle snow clearing. That's about fifteen minutes a week in season, far less than mowing.
What a clean lawn looks like
Fibres standing upright, no visible backing, infill even across the surface, edges tight to the border, no smell close up on a warm day, and no weeds along the seams. If yours looks like that after a spring clean, the routine is working.
Keep a spare offcut stored flat for patches.
When to call a pro
A professional clean adds a deep power brush, extraction-style cleaning for pet areas, infill top-up and edge and seam checks. HomeStars puts it at $0.50–$1 per sq ft every 12 to 18 months, and an infill top-up at $300–$800 every 2 to 3 years. Seams that have lifted, melt marks and holes are repair jobs: see turf cleaning and repair.
Questions people ask
How often should you clean artificial turf?
Clear debris and rinse pet areas weekly, rinse and brush monthly, and do a big clean each spring. A professional clean every 12 to 18 months helps.
What is the best cleaner for artificial turf?
Water and a mild soap for general dirt, and an enzyme turf cleaner for pet urine. Avoid bleach and harsh solvents unless the maker approves them.
Can you pressure wash artificial turf?
Only gently, with a wide spray from a distance. Close, high-pressure spray blows out infill and can damage fibres.
How do you fluff up flattened artificial grass?
Brush it against the grain with a stiff synthetic broom or a power broom, then top up infill where it's thin.
Sources
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