So, you’ve taken the plunge and fitted out your home with fake grass.
It looks great. We love it.
After all, artificial grass is an excellent alternative to standard, normal grass. Not only is it cost-efficient, helping you save money on monthly maintenance costs, but for dog owners specifically, fake grass looks great all year long — even after their rough play — and you never have to worry about ticks and fleas because they can’t breed and multiply on fake grass.
Now, the next step is keeping that grass clean from your dog’s urine and waste.
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Best way to clean fake grass for dog owners
There are a number of different ways to clean fake grass for dog owners, but they essentially come down to two things – household cleaning products and professional cleaning products.
Household cleaning products
The easiest way to clean dog urine and waste is to hose it off with water. The blast of water from the hose will be enough to remove any leftover remnants from the artificial grass. If you have a rake, you can also use this to rake out any leaves, hair or other solids in order to prevent lasting smells.
However, there will come a time when you need to do a thorough clean of the artificial grass. Hosing is good for immediate impact, but to sustain and extend the life of your fake grass, you’ll need to do some spot cleaning from time to time.
We recommend using a mixture of either soap and water or vinegar and water at a 1:1 ratio to scrub through the affected spot. You could also try sprinkling baking soda over the area and letting it absorb. This method is also great for eliminating smells and odours.
- 32-Ounce translucent poly bottle
- Foaming nozzle designed to easily foam up cleaners, detergents and other soap concentrates
- Brass quick-connect feature for easing removal of the spray bottle for rinsing. No need for another hose end
- Fits any standard garden hose
- Great for cars, boats, siding, livestock, pets and more
Professional cleaning products
If, however, you’re after a long-term powerful cleaning solution, then you may want to consider some professional cleaning products.
The key here is to choose an enzyme-based cleaner. These not only help absorb smells, but the enzymes within the cleaner break down the crystals in urine and waste. This means that your lawn stays in tip-top condition, clean and without any sense of strong, overpowering smells.
Another key consideration as a dog owner is choosing products that aren’t harmful to our pets. Make sure to check the label of your professional cleaning product – you ideally want something that’s non-toxic, natural and biodegradable. These are still as highly effective on urine and waste, but with the added bonus of not having any chemicals that could be dangerous to your dog.
You can find most professional cleaning products in the lawn care section at your local hardware store or by simply browsing online.
How often to clean your fake grass
When cleaning fake grass, the most important thing for dog owners to know is mopping up the urine as soon as you see it with a paper towel. You want to prevent urine from soaking into the turf, as this can cause smells and stains in the long-term.
This is the same with waste. Like any dog owner would know on a walk, you have to pick up the waste immediately and dispose of it. There may be some wet residue left behind when you pick up the waste – this can simply be hosed off.
With fake grass, the important thing is upkeep. You don’t necessarily need to be cleaning thoroughly every day, but the more you look after your fake grass, the longer it will last and the more beautiful it will look for years to come.
Preventing the smell of urine in artificial grass
Now, we get asked this question a lot – so much so, it deserves its own subheading.
The smell of dog urine can be very overpowering and strong on artificial grass, and it may seem like anything you do isn’t working. The key step here is preventing it before it happens.
If you follow all the steps above i.e. removing urine and waste regularly, spot cleaning and upkeeping your artificial grass, smells will essentially be a thing of the past.
If the smell is already happening, like we mentioned – you want to choose a natural enzyme-based cleaner that can break down the smell and treat it.
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How to keep your artificial grass clean when you have a dog
Now, you know how to keep your artificial grass clean when you have a dog. Regular maintenance is important, as is soaking up the urine and picking up the waste as soon as you see it.
With all these steps in mind, both you and your dog can now enjoy your artificial grass for longer.