Artificial turf is loved by homeowners and business owners all around Arizona for providing an easy, low-maintenance addition to front yards, back yards, and corporate landscaping. Compared to the time and money saved by no longer having to water, re-sod, mow, and weed natural grass, artificial turf maintenance is a breeze. Regular maintenance is still important to keep your turf looking great season after season, year after year. With some basic know-how and a few quick tips, you’ll have your artificial turf maintenance routine down in no time. Here are a few tips on what to do and one important tip on what you should never do to maintain your artificial grass.
The Number One “Don’t”: Vacuuming
We get it. Homeowners want quick easy solutions to regular maintenance around the house. This includes artificial turf lawns. So, if you need to pick up leaves and organic debris from your lawn, what better way than to vacuum it up, right? Wrong!
While we understand why you might think that vacuuming would provide an easy solution for sucking up the debris you need to remove from your turf, vacuuming is the worst thing you could do for your artificial turf. Here’s why.
You’ll suck up your infill. Your artificial turf lawn is made up of several components – the turf you see, the quarter minus underneath the turf, and the infill. Infill is what helps the blades stand upright and gives your lawn that lush and full look. Without infill, the grass blades will become matted quickly, drainage will get blocked, and your turf will deteriorate quickly.
The problem with a vacuum cleaner is that it can’t distinguish between organic debris, such as leaves or flowers, and the infill that’s supposed to stay on your lawn. If you vacuumed your lawn, you’d end up sucking up a lot of infill during the process. Then, you’d need to top up your infill after you vacuumed, costing a lot of extra time and money which defeats the idea of a fast maintenance method.
You’ll wear down the turf. If you vacuum your turf, you could end up loosening your artificial turf blades. Due to the powerful sucking force from the vacuum, you could even suck up some of the blades, cause excessive wear, and premature matting. This kind of damage isn’t easily repaired, and vacuuming could potentially cause entire sections of turf to break down and need replacement. Not only is this a waste of time, but it’s a waste of perfectly good turf that would have years of use left if properly maintained.
The Number One “Do”: Regular Maintenance
Regular maintenance is important to keep your artificial turf looking its best. There are several things you can do for your grass daily and a few options for professionally cleaning your turf to maximize its lifetime.
Remove Debris: Always perform a daily check and pick up any fallen debris including leaves, organic matter, sticks, twigs, branches, and any items left on the yard such as balls, bikes, and toys. Picking these up will prevent your grass from becoming matted and worn down. Removing debris such as organic matter will also prevent drainage issues.
Broom or Rake: Use a synthetic lawn rake or broom to fluff up the grass blades at the end of each day. Brush your lawn against the grain to keep it looking lush and full. Only use a tool meant for artificial lawns and don’t reach for your metal rake. Metal can break down the blades, puncture the turf, and wear your turf down prematurely.
Regular Cleaning: Depending on how heavily your turf gets used, schedule monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, or twice-yearly cleaning. At Dirty Turf, we get your lawn looking and smelling good as new when we perform our cleaning and maintenance. We will remove debris, rebloom your turf, apply a special enzyme treatment, deodorize and sanitize, hide turf seams, apply a cooling technology so your turf stays cool to the touch, and more. By the time our crew is done, your turf will look and smell brand new.
Deep Cleaning: Once a year or so, it’s a good idea to have your turf deep cleaned. This includes everything in a regular cleaning service plus a deep clean of the infill and the base underneath the turf called the quarter minus. A deep clean is important to clear out the base of any buildup of odors, mold, and bacterial growth from pet urine and other spills.
Keep Your Turf Looking Its Best
With regular turf-friendly maintenance and scheduled cleaning, your turf will look great and provide enjoyment for the whole family as long as possible. Proper maintenance is key to getting the maximum number of years out of your turf, keeping it damage-free, preventing common issues like matting and odor buildup, and enjoying it year-round.
If you want to schedule cleaning for any size turf, Dirty Turf has the crew for your job. With over 28 years of experience working with artificial turf, we understand how to treat your artificial turf right. We clean more than 40,000 square feet each month and have tons of 5-star reviews to our name. We’re proud of cleaning dirty turf the right way and giving you the best-looking yard or landscape around. Call us today for a free quote for your turf cleaning needs! Call or text us at (602) 638-8777.
