Can you completely remove dog urine smell from artificial turf?
Yes, when the infill and base are sound. Enzyme treatment breaks down the urine residue in the infill, an antimicrobial treats the bacteria producing the ammonia, and a flush carries it out through the drainage. If the infill has become a saturated crust, that infill is extracted and replaced. The only turf where the smell cannot be fully removed is turf laid on a base with no drainage that has absorbed urine for years; that needs rebuilding. TIMELESS Turf Restoration diagnoses which case you have on the first visit.
Three kinds of smelly turf
- Residue in the infill, infill still loose. The most common case and the easiest. Enzyme treatment, antimicrobial, flush. Gone in one visit, stays gone with basic upkeep.
- Infill saturated or crusted. Years of a dog using one corner, or a large yard with several dogs. Treatment reduces the smell but it comes back within weeks because the residue load is bigger than the enzymes can digest. The fix is extracting the infill in the pet zones and replacing it, ideally with an odor-control infill. Still one visit, but it costs more.
- Urine in the base. Turf laid directly on compacted dirt or on a base with no drainage. Urine has gone through the backing for years and the smell is coming from the ground. Cleaning the turf helps for a week. The real fix is lifting the turf and rebuilding the base with drainage, which is an install job.
How we tell them apart
Part the fibers and look at the infill: loose and pale is case one; dark, crusted or greasy is case two. Then we lift a corner or an edge if we can and smell the base. If the smell is stronger under the turf than in it, that is case three. We do this on the inspection, before quoting, so you are paying for the fix that will hold rather than the one that sounds cheapest.
What each fix costs
Case one is a Premium Restoration: from $299 for up to 500 square feet, with a heavy-odor add-on of $75–$150 for bad zones. Case two adds infill replacement in the affected area at $0.75–$1.50 per square foot installed; a typical pet corner is a small area. Case three is a rebuild by our sister company, and we will quote it honestly rather than sell you a clean that will not last.
Free quote, priced by square foot. You approve any add-on before we do it.
