Advice: Maintaining Your Artificial Turf
It’s a common misconception that you don’t need to maintain artificial turf. This isn’t the case; artificial turf maintenance, however minimum, is still very important for ensuring that your grass looks great. Follow our tips to increase the longevity of your lawn.Brush your lawn
Within the first 6-8 weeks of installation, you should brush your turf very regularly to ensure it settles correctly. After this period, brushing the turf every 4-6 weeks will suffice. You should use a soft bristled brush to go over your turf in different directions. This will ensure that the pile is kept upright, rather than falling to one side and causing an uneven appearance.Remove debris and weeds
It is likely that stray debris or leaves will find its way onto your turf. Simply collect by hand or brush away any surface debris as quickly as possible to avoid organic matter damaging your turf’s drainage. It is unlikely that weeds will show up on the surface of your turf, thanks to the membrane underneath, however, weeds can be particularly persistent and tenacious so if any do appear on your lawn, remove them by using a small amount of water-based weed killer. Once the weed has died, simply pick it off the turf.Stain removal
Artificial turf is made out of a very resistant material, so most stains and marks never penetrate the material. This means that the grass can be cleaned easily using warm soapy water. If you come across very tough stains, such as oil marks, use mineral spirits and a cloth to remove the stain.Other maintenance tips:
- Clear up broken glass or sharp objects as soon as you notice them as they can pierce your turf and the membrane underneath, resulting in potential drainage problems or an excessive appearance of weeds.
- Remember your grass is composed of a plastic material. Bonfires, fireworks and dropped cigarettes can melt the surface of your turf.
- Adhesives, such as gum, can stick to the material and be very difficult to remove.
- Watch out for potential animal damage – dogs usually won’t attempt to dig on artificial turf but if the behaviour does occur, ensure that the animal persists quickly.
- Children should be taught not to pick at the grass blades as they can create a bald patch in your turf.
- Don’t allow heavy vehicles like cars on your lawn as they will crush the turf and ruin the aesthetic. Smaller vehicles such as bicycles, wheelchairs and wheelbarrows won’t cause a problem.