Aftercare for your artificial grass garden

Remember that artificial grass is LOW maintenance not NO maintenance!

There are a few simple steps that can be taken to ensure your Perfectly Green artificial grass product remains in the best condition for its lifetime. The trick is little and often and with this attitude, you will avoid an unwanted expense of restoring the grass earlier than would have been necessary. Neglecting these simple steps will save you time in the short term but not in the long term!

Maintaining your artificial grass is crucial to ensure its longevity, appearance, and functionality. While synthetic turf is designed to be low-maintenance, regular upkeep can significantly enhance its performance and aesthetic appeal. Here’s why maintenance on artificial grass is so important:

Got a dog?

You should consider infilling your artificial lawn with Envirofill as soon as the grass has been fitted. Envirofill is a great preventative product which will help to keep your lawn clean and hygienic. All dog owners should regularly cleaner their artificial grass with an enzyme cleaner such as WeeFree

Preserving Appearance and Freshness

Over time, dust, debris, and organic materials can accumulate on your artificial grass. Regular maintenance, such as brushing and rinsing, helps to keep the turf looking fresh and vibrant. Brushing the grass fibres not only removes debris but also helps to keep them standing upright, maintaining the lush, natural look of your lawn.

Preventing Weed Growth

Although artificial grass is installed with a weed-proof base layer, occasional weed growth can still occur around the edges or through small gaps. Routine maintenance includes inspecting and removing any weeds that may appear, ensuring your synthetic lawn remains pristine and weed-free.

Ensuring Proper Drainage

Fake grass is designed with a built-in drainage system to prevent waterlogging. However, if the turf becomes clogged with leaves or dirt, it can hinder proper drainage. Regular cleaning helps to keep the drainage holes clear, preventing water accumulation and potential damage to the turf backing.

Enhancing Durability

Maintaining your artificial grass can significantly extend its lifespan. By routinely removing debris and performing minor repairs, you can prevent wear and tear that might otherwise compromise the integrity of the turf. This is especially important for high-traffic areas where the grass may experience more stress.

Hygiene and Safety

Artificial grass in homes with pets or children requires particular attention to hygiene. Regular cleaning helps to remove pet waste, spills, and other contaminants, ensuring a safe and clean surface for your family. Using mild detergents and rinsing with water can help maintain a hygienic environment without damaging the turf.

Optimal Performance

For sports fields and playgrounds, maintaining artificial grass is essential for optimal performance. Regular maintenance ensures that the surface remains even and free of hazards, providing a safe and reliable playing surface. This can help prevent injuries and enhance the overall user experience.

Protecting Your Investment

Artificial grass is an investment in your property’s aesthetics and functionality. Routine maintenance protects this investment by keeping the turf in top condition, thus maximizing its value and longevity. Well-maintained artificial grass can provide many years of enjoyment and can even enhance the resale value of your property.

Brush the pile regularly

For this step, you will require a stiff brush, leaf blower or preferably a rotating/power brush. Using one of these items regularly will help to rejuvenate any areas that might have flattened slightly. Although artificial grass is now produced with excellent 'spring back' technology for the blades it will need an ocassional brush up. For best results brush into the grass, in the opposite direction to where it is pointing.

Remove leaves regularly

Leaves and organic debris should be removed from the artificial grass surface regularly. Leaves can break down and fall into the base of the pile, blocking up the pre-punched drainge holes, affecting the permeability of the grass. All you require for this step is again a stiff brush, rake, leaf blower, rotating/power brush. Larger debris can be picked up by hand.

Remove weeds if they appear

All installations should include a weed membrane beneath the grass (or if you have a dog, beneath the actual base) to avoid unwanted weeds. Perfectly Green artificial grass products have drainage holes in the backing to allow for drainage, which is why it is so important for a weed barrier to be placed directly below the grass or the base - you don't want weeds growing up through these holes! However, airborne seeds can drop into the synthetic turf and 'take root' in the pile though these can easily be picked up as required. Should any moss or weeds appear, ensure that only a water-based weed killer is used. Always remember to remove any dead roots or weeds to avoid a build up as mentioned above.

Clean your grass regulalry

Clean your artificial grass as often as you can or as often as required. Most stains can be removed using warm water and washing up liquid along with a brush. For more tricky oil-based marks, you can easily remove them using white spirits and a cloth (always test on a small patch first to ensure that you don’t experience any discolouration of the grass). If you need to clean up animal mess then make sure it is removed as soon as possible, followed by a wash of the area using hot soapy water where necessary or an enzyme cleaner such as Wee Free from Perfectly Green

If chewing gum is dropped on synthetic turf you should use a spray to freeze the offending gum, then pick it off and use nail varnish to remove smaller, stubborn bits!

Maintain even wear

If you have chairs, tables, toys or any items that remain stationary we always advise moving them around every few weeks, to ensure even wear conditions on the grass and brush the area with a stiff yard brush to stimulate the grass pile and freshen it up. It is quite normal for the grass to sit flatter in these areas than others that do not receive as much use.

The ‘NEVER’ do checklist:

• Avoid large and heavy vehicles being parked on the artificial surface for long periods of time.
• Cigarettes, BBQ’s and Bonfires should never be used near Artificial Grass
• Mirrors or reflective glass should never be installed near Artificial Grass, the reflected light from the sun will burn the surface
• Glass and other sharp objects should never be left on the lawn unattended. Other than the obvious risk of causing serious injury to others, it can damage your lawn.
• The use of improper footwear, such as Football/Rugby Boots, Stilettos or any footwear that is not flat could damage the grass
• Strong detergents such as bleach should never be used, always use the advised methods