Artificial Turf Cleaning and Repair

Low maintenance isn't no maintenance

Artificial turf doesn't need mowing, watering or fertilizer, but it does collect leaves, dust, pollen, tree seeds and, in a yard with dogs, urine. Over a few years the fibres in the busiest paths lie flat, infill gets kicked into the corners, and weeds find a way in along edges. Artificial turf cleaning puts all of that right, and most lawns only need it every year or two.

What a professional clean includes

• Debris removal. Leaves, needles, twigs and seeds blown or raked off, so they don't rot into the infill.
• Power brushing. A power broom with stiff bristles brushes against the grain to lift matted fibres and loosen compacted infill.
• Deep clean and deodorize. For pet areas, an enzyme cleaner is worked into the turf and rinsed through. Enzymes digest the compounds that cause urine smell; perfumed sprays just cover them.
• Infill top-up. Infill that has washed or been kicked away is replaced and brushed back in, especially in high-traffic paths.
• Edges and weeds. Weeds along borders pulled or treated, and any lifted edges re-secured.

What it costs

HomeStars puts a professional clean 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 for a typical lawn. A badly neglected pet area can need more than one deep clean the first time.

Signs it needs a professional clean

• A smell that comes back within days of rinsing.
• Matted, flattened paths that brushing by hand doesn't lift.
• Infill visibly thin, with the backing showing in places.
• Moss, algae or weeds along edges and in shady corners.
• Debris and seeds worked deep into the fibres.

Repairs

Turf damage usually falls into a few kinds:

• Lifted or open seams. The tape or glue has failed, often because the base under the seam has settled. The seam is opened, the base fixed, and the seam re-taped.
• Burns and melt marks. Embers from a fire pit or barbecue, dropped cigarettes, or sunlight reflected off low-E windows can melt fibres. The damaged section is cut out and a patch from matching turf, with the grain the same way, is seamed in.
• Holes and chewed edges. Dogs and digging animals. Patched the same way, and the perimeter better secured.
• Dips and puddles. The base has settled or washed out. The turf is peeled back, the base is rebuilt and compacted, and the turf relaid.

Keep a spare offcut from your install if you can. A patch from the same roll matches far better than new turf that has never seen sun.

If you're not sure whether your turf needs cleaning, repair or replacing, send a few photos with the request and the installer can tell you which before visiting.

Doing it yourself

Most of the routine work is easy: a leaf blower or plastic rake for debris, a hose for rinsing, an enzyme turf cleaner for pet spots, and a stiff broom (not metal) to brush the fibres up. The guide to cleaning artificial turf has a season-by-season routine. Power brooms can be rented if you want to do the deep brush yourself.

A yearly care routine

• Spring: clear winter debris, rinse off salt and grit, power-brush the whole lawn, top up thin infill, check seams and edges.
• Summer: rinse pet areas weekly, watch for melt marks near barbecues and windows.
• Fall: clear leaves often, a last brush and rinse before the snow.
• Winter: clear snow gently with a plastic shovel or blower, or let it melt.

Booking a professional clean in spring catches winter damage early and gets the lawn ready for the season.

Old turf that's past saving

If the backing is brittle, the fibres have faded and split, or the base has failed across the whole lawn, cleaning won't bring it back. That's a replacement: see artificial grass installation, and ask the installer about taking the old turf for recycling or reuse.