How to disinfect artificial grass? The steps you need to take

disinfect artificial grass

If you want to install artificial grass in your garden, it is surely because you know the advantages it offers you, such as less maintenance. But whether it’s because you have pets or small children, or just because you live in a heavily polluted area, disinfecting artificial turf from time to time isn’t a bad idea. Completely the opposite.

But, how come? Can it be cleaned with bleach, with ammonia? Only with soap? Is it used to disinfect or is there a specific product? This is what we want to talk about next.

Contents

When should artificial turf be disinfected?

chicks on the grass

We can’t tell you that artificial grass needs to be disinfected often, because in reality it’s not like that. It is true that requires less maintenance than natural, but over time it will be necessary to take care of it so that it is maintained and that it is like the first day. And that implies that it must be cleaned and disinfected.

Generally, disinfection is carried out after the winter months. At that time, the rains, the animals that may have passed, etc. they dirty the ground with grass. And when we start going out more in the garden, it can become a source of infection for people.

Therefore, it is recommended that at least once a year, for the month of February-Marchis sanitized to eliminate any problems it may have.

synthetic turf maintenance

family sitting on artificial grass

Before laying artificial grass, you must have looked at the advantages and disadvantages of its placement. Maybe you are making the decision whether to put it on or not when you encountered “disinfection”.

In general, the maintenance of this type of lawn involves:

  • Brush. That it must be weekly, fortnightly or monthly depending on the use we give to the garden and how much or little it can get dirty. This should always be done in the opposite direction to the fibers to prevent it from laying down more (this is how it straightens and helps the fibers return to a more natural orientation).
  • Water cleaning. Not to the point of watering a lot or periodically, but the water helps clean the area and it soaks into the soil. That yes, it should not be abused since it can rot the cells or the latex.
  • Apply perfume. This is optional but is usually done to give it a fresh grass scent. In this way, the sense of smell is “tricked” into seeing it as natural grass, even when it is not. However, the scent can also have another function: that of serving as a disinfectant since the smell can prevent animals from approaching this area (such as insects, bacteria, etc.).
  • Disinfection. The last of the tasks and the one that matters to us right now. It is mostly done because it is near damp areas, such as swimming pools, which can cause fungus to appear. Also if you have pets, the smells of them (for example because they do their business or simply by lying down or sitting on them) can cause bacterial or infectious problems.

How to disinfect artificial grass

kitten walking on the grass

Disinfecting artificial grass is not the same as cleaning it. They are two different things that often tend to look alike even though they are identical.

To carry out the disinfection, the steps to follow are as follows:

Brush artificial grass

In this way the thickest will be removed. This is done to pick up dust or particles large enough to be picked up by the brush. Although it may seem silly to you, it is not because that way you will be able to go faster in the following steps and that you will have a clean area in which to apply the products to be disinfected, knowing that they will stay there and do effect.

If you leave brushing for the end, you will end up taking the product with you and it will be useless. Apart from the fact that you will apply it in areas that are not really important.

Add water

This is the first step. You need Moisten it to apply the disinfection products you are going to use. If you do it dry, it may suffer more and even the fibers may be damaged, discolored or lost.

Apply treatments to disinfect artificial turf

There you have to expand a little more because there are several products that you can use:

soap and water

is the treatment most common for disinfecting artificial turf. It consists of mixing water with neutral soap and using it to “soap” the grass before rinsing it with water afterwards.

This treatment is effective as long as you apply it correctly and in all corners. That’s why it’s usually done with a hand brush so you can reach everywhere.

artificial grass cleaner

In the market we can find sanitizing products for artificial grass that help to clean it in depth, in addition to giving it a pleasant aroma.

Depending on the extent of the lawn, one or the other should be used. Yes, we recommend it check the reviews of those who have used them to find out if it is effective.

Ammonia

It is the last treatment that is recommended. However, it should not be used a lot because it can damage the lawn in the medium and long term (to make it short if you go overboard with the amount of ammonia).

It is most effective when there are stains that won’t come out with soap and water or disinfectant products, but it should only be applied to the specific area. Or if deeper and more effective disinfection is required (for example because there is an insect infestation or because it has not been used or cleaned for a long time).

rinse with water

The penultimate step you must perform is rinsing, always with water. Make sure you don’t overdo it and that it’s fully taut to avoid any buildup that could rot your lawn.

Scent

or call him disinfection control treatment. The goal is not so much for the artificial turf to smell as it is to prevent it from getting infected in some way.

As you can see, this artificial grass maintenance task is very important for the health of your loved ones in the garden. But not everyone who has installed it in the garden knows that artificial grass needs to be disinfected. Have you done this before? How did you do it?

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