Simple and easy steps to ensure your surface stays in pristine condition

One of the key benefits of artificial grass is the vastly reduced maintenance required compared to real grass, but it’s important to remember it’s ‘reduced maintenance’ not ‘no maintenance’.

There are still certain measures you need to take in order to keep your artificial surface looking good.

Preventative measures

There’s much you can do to prevent problems and damage:

• Beware of what footwear is used on fake grass; studded boots and stiletto heels can cause damage, so we recommend sticking to flatter footwear
• Don’t use barbecue units or light bonfires near artificial grass, and avoid smoking around it
• Avoid sitting heavy machinery or vehicles on a fake surface for any length of time
• Don’t use bleach on your surface; restrict cleaning materials to milder detergents that won’t harm the grass
• Be careful of reflective grass and mirrors near artificial grass; reflected sunlight can burn the surface
• Snow should be left to disperse naturally rather than clearing it off; removing it can run the risk of damaging the blades
• Don’t drop chewing gum on an artificial surface; it’ll prove very difficult to remove as will certain adhesives
• Be careful of how children treat the surface; although it’ll stand up to a degree of boisterous use, if they break off blades of grass this will weaken the surface as they obviously won’t regrow

Maintenance

Not much maintenance will be required – certainly nowhere near as much as with real grass – but do attend to the following:

Sweeping and lifting the pile

This applies particularly when the grass is newer and is bedding itself in and settling.

It’s important to keep the blades upright and avoid the surface flattening, so using a stiff brush maybe in conjunction with a leaf blower; a garden vacuum will help.

Weed removal

Assuming you’ve used a weed membrane (as you should) when laying the artificial grass, weeds should be either non-existent or present in very low quantities. Should you see any appear, attend to them swiftly using a water-based weed killer.

Debris removal

Regular removal of fallen leaves, twigs and other naturally occurring debris is important to ensure your surface is kept clear and thus ensure efficient drainage. An accumulation of debris could, after a while, impede drainage by covering and blocking the drainage holes built into the surface.

Removing debris is easy enough with a brush, a leaf blower or garden vacuum.

Pet waste removal

It’s advisable to remove pet waste as soon as practical; once removed the areas should ideally be cleaned with a mild detergent such as warm water mixed with a mild detergent – washing up liquid is ideal.

These general tips for cleaning grass could help in the case of pet waste and others.

Staining

Animal or other related stains not easily removed by the warm water and mild detergent should be dealt with by a stronger type.

Don’t be tempted to use abrasives or stronger cleaners such as bleach. If you can’t get rid of the staining with a stronger detergent, then ask your grass supplier for advice – they may be able to provide a stronger artificial grass-specific cleaning fluid.