Simple tips and tricks on how to clean and keep your artificial grass smelling good if you have a pet
Artificial grass from Australian Outdoor Living is a great alternative to natural lawn that looks and feels great all year round. Here is a guide to help you keep your artificial lawn clean and smelling great.
It’s a great option if you have children and pets; however being an alternative to natural lawn, it can often be your pet’s favorite place to do their business.
If this is the case, your lawn can sometimes start to give off a smell that isn’t so pleasant if left for a period of time.
In this post we will lay out some simple tips and tricks that will come in handy to clean and keep your artificial lawn smelling great.
Regularly rinse your artificial lawn
First of all, we recommend cleaning up after your dog as regularly as you can.
Do this simply by spraying down your artificial lawn with the garden hose just as you would with natural lawn. This will help prevent any odors from forming in the first place.
The same goes if your pet poops on the artificial grass! Simply pick them up as you normally would and give your lawn a quick rinse to help keep your artificial lawn clean and smelling great.
What if that isn’t enough?
The main thing that may keep your artificial grass from smelling great is dog urine. It generally consists of urea, urochrome and uric acid crystals.
Most cleaning products and methods are only effective on the urea and the urochrome, leaving behind the uric acid crystals.
The crystals can be somewhat difficult to dislodge and remove, depending on where they are situated (e.g. infill or grass). The crystals are responsible for releasing a bad odor which generally can be triggered with dampness or humidity.
To rid your artificial lawn of these odorous crystals, it’s important that any option you go with doesn’t contain any harsh or hazardous ingredients. Not only can these potentially cause damage to your artificial lawn but it can also cause harm to your pet, possibly irritating their paws.
Depending on the location and how large the area is, picking up a few kilos of baking soda and spreading it around your artificial lawn can help keep your lawn smelling great. Spread the baking soda evenly across your lawn, and if possible use a fertilizer spreader to save time. For best results, have a look at the weather forecast and try to pick a couple of days that are predicted to be free of rain.
The baking soda should absorb the odor over a short period of time and when it does finally rain, the powder will convert to carbon dioxide and the smell will be gone. If it doesn’t look like it will rain for a while, wait a few days and hose down your lawn for the same effect.
If you need something a little stronger…
Another option to keep your artificial lawn smelling great is purchasing something like Zeolite or Trigene. This is a mineral which will not only absorb the smell but encourage micro-organism activity which will break down the crystals. Depending on how picky your dog is when picking a spot this should be a good long term solution.
Another option is you can try a mixture of water and vinegar to help keep your artificial lawn smelling great. Mix up some cheap white vinegar and water in a garden pressure sprayer pump and spray over that area. If you don’t own a pump, you can pick them up quite cheaply from a local hardware store for about $5 – $10.
As with everything there is no 100% guarantee, but with regular upkeep you should hopefully see results soon.
If you are still having difficulties keeping your artificial lawn smelling great, or would like to talk to us over the phone, get in contact with your local branch.
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Australian Outdoor Living is passionate about helping people love their life outdoors. We offer a range of products, including:
- Outdoor blinds
- Artificial grass
- Roller shutters
- Carports
- Timber decking
- Pergolas, verandah and patios
- Outdoor Kitchens
Have you been thinking about renovating your home? Fill out the free measure and quote form at the top of this article and a member of our dedicated sales team will be in touch.
