If you have recently installed artificial turf in Long Island, NY for your dog, you may have noticed that the dog favors relieving itself on a certain spot. This seems nice because you know automatically which spot to clean. However, dog urine can accumulate on the dog’s favored spot. In the long run, accumulated urine causes unpleasant odors on your turf.
How to Properly Clean Pet Urine on Artificial Grass
Constantly hosing down the artificial turf helps keep unwanted odors away. Sadly, cleaning the turf with water alone is not always enough. To make sure synthetic grass in Long Island does not turn into a cesspool of dog urine, here are some things dog owners should not do.
Do not use vinegar
A lot of artificial turf care articles talk about using vinegar diluted in water as an odor neutralizer. A diluted vinegar solution is good for spot cleaning spills and stains but does not work well with dog urine.
Using diluted vinegar to remove dog urine smell does not really remove the smell but simply masks it. Vinegar often leaves its own smell on artificial grass in Long Island. You may end up having to tackle a different unwanted smell on your artificial turf.
Instead of using diluted vinegar, use a solution made from dish soap or detergents mixed with water as a home remedy.
Do not sprinkle the turf with a sand
Sprinkling the turf with sand is another misconception. Do not sprinkle sand to absorb urine because sand can get trapped between the fibers. Sand will absorb urine but will also create another problem when it gets trapped and clogs the permeable base of the turf.
When the dog relieves itself on the same spot, the accumulated sand ends up trapping more urine on the artificial turf which becomes even more troublesome to clean. Trapped sand also increases the risk of clogging the drainage of artificial turf.
Instead of sprinkling sand, hose down the favored spot. This ensures that dog urine gets thoroughly flushed. Remember that the artificial turf comes with its own drainage and water can help facilitate draining pet urine. As mentioned earlier, use soapy water around the favored spot to kill off bacteria and rinse the ammonia that causes the smell.
Do not use bleach
Pet urine on the artificial turf attracts bacteria that produce ammonia. Using bleach to remove pet urine causes ammonia present on the turf to combine with bleach. This combination can produce chemical vapors that can be harmful to you and your pet.
Bleach, by itself, produces fumes that are harmful to the lungs. Instead of using bleach, go for milder detergents or even dish soap. Pet urine smell can be removed as long as you kill off the bacteria that causes the smell.
Safely Keep Artificial Grass Clean
These simple tips keep artificial grass in Long Island clean using methods that are safe for dog owners, dogs and the artificial turf. Seek expert advice to better care for artificial grass installations. Call us now at 631-900-2955!