How-to
Turf care, step by step
Honest DIY: what works at home, the exact steps and materials, the mistakes that damage turf, and the point where a professional visit is the cheaper answer.
Cleaning
How to clean artificial grass: the weekly, monthly and twice-a-year routine
Blow off debris, brush the fibers against the grain, rinse with a hose on high volume and low pressure, treat pet spots with an enzyme cleaner, and…
Vinegar on artificial grassHow to clean artificial grass with vinegar, and when it is the wrong tool
Partly. Household white vinegar is about five percent acetic acid.
Dish soap on artificial grassHow to clean artificial grass with dish soap without leaving a film
for oily grime. Mix about one tablespoon of plain dish soap per gallon of warm water, apply with a soft brush or sponge, let it sit five minutes, and…
Disinfecting artificial grassHow to disinfect artificial grass: clean first, then sanitize
Blow, brush and rinse first so the sanitizer reaches the infill, then apply a product labeled for artificial turf or pet surfaces, usually a…
Mold and mildew on turfHow to remove mold and mildew from artificial grass, and keep the strip dry
On a dry day, blow and brush the organic layer out of the affected strip, rinse it, then apply a hydrogen-peroxide-based oxidizer or an algaecide…
Rinsing and flushing turfHow to rinse and flush artificial turf the right way
Use a shower or fan nozzle, not a jet setting, and let volume do the work rather than pressure.
Odor
Baking soda on artificial grass: what it does, how to use it, what it will never fix
Only sour surface smells, and only for a few hours. Baking soda is mildly alkaline, so it neutralizes acidic odors it touches.
Dog pee smell: enzyme methodHow to get dog pee smell out of artificial grass with an enzyme cleaner
Flush the pet zone with a hose on high volume and low pressure, let it drain until damp, then apply an enzyme cleaner labeled for pet turf at label…
Cat urine on artificial grassHow to remove cat urine from artificial grass, and keep the cat from coming back
Find every spot with a UV flashlight at night, flush each one, and apply an enzyme cleaner labeled for cat urine at its strongest dilution until the…
The 3-minute pet turf habitThe three-minute daily habit that keeps a dog yard from smelling
Pick up solid waste the same day, and give the spot the dog uses most a quick rinse with the hose, no chemicals needed.
Stain
How to clean bird droppings off artificial grass without spreading them
Soak the spot for ten minutes with a wet rag laid over it, lift the softened crust straight up with a plastic scraper, then apply an enzyme cleaner…
Gum on artificial turfHow to remove chewing gum from artificial turf: freeze it, do not dissolve it
Hold a bag of ice on the gum for five to ten minutes until it is hard, crack it with a plastic scraper, and lift the pieces away from the fibers.
Tree sap on artificial grassHow to remove pine sap and live-oak drip from artificial grass
For pine resin, freeze it with a bag of ice until brittle, crack and lift it with a plastic scraper, then clean the film with a mild dish-soap…
Rust stains on turfHow to remove rust stains from artificial turf, and stop them coming back
Wet the spot, apply a rust remover labeled safe for synthetic fabrics or carpet, usually an oxalic- or citric-acid type, let it dwell five to ten…
Paint on artificial grassHow to remove paint from artificial grass: wet, dried, and when it is a patch
Wet latex: blot the excess, then flood the spot with water from the hose immediately and keep flushing until the runoff is clear, followed by a mild…
Grease and oil on turfHow to remove grease and oil from artificial grass: absorb, degrease, blot, rinse
Cover a fresh spot with baking soda, cornstarch or clay cat litter for fifteen minutes to absorb the oil, sweep it up, then apply a strong dish-soap…
Pests
How to remove weeds from artificial grass, and why they are there at all
Pull them by hand the morning after rain, straight up, so the root comes out of the organic layer whole.
Flies on artificial grassHow to get rid of flies on artificial grass
Remove the organic waste they are feeding on, starting with dog waste picked up the same day it is left, then treat the residue an enzyme cleaner…
Fire ants near turfHow to get rid of fire ants near artificial turf without damaging it
Use the two-step method: broadcast a slow-acting bait over the area when ants are actively foraging, then treat any mound close to the turf edge with…
Fleas on artificial turfHow to get rid of fleas on artificial turf
Treat the dog with a vet-recommended flea preventative, since fleas live on the animal and reinfest the yard otherwise, and clear the organic debris…
Green
How to remove moss from artificial grass, and keep it from coming back
Pull or scrape out what has rooted, treat the spot with a turf-safe algaecide or oxidizer, then change the conditions that let it grow: more light…
Cleaning a putting greenHow to clean a synthetic putting green without slowing it down
Blow debris off on a low setting so you are not scattering the sand top-dressing, brush lightly with a soft groomer brush rather than a stiff push…
Top-dressing a greenHow to top-dress a synthetic putting green
Use a kiln-dried, rounded sand made for synthetic greens, never an angular or play sand, in a light, even layer rather than a visible one.
Grooming
How to brush and fluff artificial grass the right way
Use a stiff synthetic-bristle broom, work against the direction the fibers naturally lean, in short overlapping strokes, section by section rather…
Power brooming turfHow to use a power broom on artificial turf without damaging it
if it has rotating synthetic brushes rather than metal tines or blades, the brush height is set to skim the fiber tips rather than dig at the…
Infill
How to add infill to artificial grass
Check depth with a ruler first, and add infill only where it has dropped below what the turf was built for.
Checking infill depthHow to check artificial turf infill depth: the ruler test
Push a steel ruler straight down through the fibers to the backing, pinch it where the sand level sits, and read the depth.
Measuring turf for a quoteHow to measure artificial turf for a quote
Break the area into rectangles, measure the length and width of each in feet, multiply, and add them together.
Seasonal
How to dry artificial grass faster after rain or a rinse
Brush the fibers upright so air reaches the base instead of staying trapped under a matted layer, then let sun and wind do the rest.
Turf cleanup after a stormHow to clean artificial turf after a storm
Clear branches and heavy debris by hand before blowing anything, since a blower cannot move them and dragging them can snag fibers, then blow the…
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