How to Care for Astroturf

Some people may think getting an Astroturf or artificial lawn means absolutely no more lawn care. While artificial lawn needs less maintenance to keep it looking bright and green, it still needs a bit of care to prevent damage. Whether your artificial lawn surface is a play area for kids in a backyard or a football-sized sports field, you'll need to follow the same tips to keep your turf as good as new.

Street broom

Gentle cleanser (dish detergent, hand soap)

Hand-held fiber scrub brush

Turf infill

Keep your turf free of debris. Clean up any leaves, paper, twigs, pieces of plastic or any pieces of litter off of your turf. These items wear away at the artificial lawn's fibers.

Brush your lawn to prevent compacting and matting down. Brush the lawn in the opposite direction in a single direction as frequently and regularly as possible.

Clean stains from the lawn using a gentle detergent and warm water. Prevent further stains and scents from seeping into the lawn by keeping tobacco use away (both smoking and chewing) and forbidding any harmful liquids such as battery acid, lubricating oil or transmission fluids from entering the lawn.

Water the artificial lawn with a slight mist from a water hose whenever there is a long period without rain. Rain is the best way to clean artificial lawn otherwise. Snow will not damage the artificial lawn and can drain naturally. If you do want to plow, leave about an inch so you do not damage the turf while you're plowing. You can remove the rest of the snow using a brush.

Keep an eye out for low spots. These are areas that are used most frequently and begin to wear away. These areas are especially important to watch out for because if it rains or if snow begins to melt, these areas can contribute to flooding or pooling of water, leading to mold or damage. You can add layers of infill to low spots. Brush the infill in well with a stiff brush.

Keep cars off the turf as much as you can. While you may need a car on your lawn occasionally, you want to especially avoid idling cars, as the hot engine exhaust in one stationary place can be damaging to the turf. You also will not want to park any cars long term on the turf because this will also cause damage.

Get your artificial lawn professionally maintained on a regular basis. Professional turf experts can reinforce your seams, preventing damage from happening in the first place, and can replace infill material that has been worn away. They can also paint your turf to fix any fading in color.