Different methods can be used to clean dust and debris from an artificial lawn. The most popular choices for cleaning include a broom, flexible rake, blower, and an artificial grass vacuum. Each is a piece of equipment that has its attributes, but some have better benefits than others. Choosing which method of cleaning is up to the owner of the artificial lawn.
Artificial grass is growing in popularity. You may have heard the term artificial turf or AstroTurf, which was trademarked by the Monsanto company. AstroTurf, which is still an artificial grass made of synthetic fibers, is used in most sports arenas and multi-purpose stadiums. Many teams participate in sports and other activities on these synthetic fiber fields, such as the American Football League, FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association), and Major League Baseball. The use of artificial turf in sports has even migrated to incorporate the tennis courts at Wimbledon.
As you can suspect, cleaning artificial grass that has a high level of traffic must be done regularly. Especially in contact sports, blood and sweat are often shed onto the field. The ease of cleaning is the most significant reason that multi-purpose stadiums use artificial turf instead of real grass.
Can Artificial Grass Be Vacuumed Regularly?
An artificial grass vacuum works in the same way that a vacuum in your home works. You know the name brands, Roomba, Dirt Devil, Electrolux, The Hoover Company, Kirby, and even the name James Dyson. Dyson is known for his cyclone powered machines that can pick up anything.
The pros of using artificial grass vacuums include:
- The ability to use suction power to pick up more dirt, dust, and debris from within the artificial grass
- If there is an area that seems to be pooling water, using a wet vac can help you suction the water to possibly identify why the drain system is not working to drain the water from the grass
- Vacuums, especially those with HEPA filters, remove allergens making the artificial grass safer for anyone experiencing allergies
The cons of using artificial grass vacuums include:
- Artificial grass requires the usage of infill to help with the density and the structure to hold the grass blades up. One of the most common types of infill is called crumb rubber. Crumb rubber is made of recycled car tires and other rubber to provide better stability. Using a vacuum can remove infill, which would need to be replaced if too much is removed.
- The use of vacuums can cause much wear and tear on the vacuum itself. These are not cheap; replacing them constantly could become pricey.
- Just like vacuuming carpet, over vacuuming can cause wear over time. Essentially, vacuuming could lead to the need to replace your artificial grass sooner than necessary.
Vacuum vs. Blower
An artificial grass vacuum can suction dirt and debris from your artificial lawn, and the downside is that you may lose some of your infills in the process. If you vacuum the turf consistently, you may have to have the infill replaced, which can add up over time. The only way around this would be to use a bagless vacuum and filter out the dirt and debris, replacing the removed infill and raking it into place. This process can be extremely time-consuming.
So what other option is there for removing large amounts of debris from an artificial lawn? Unlike a living yard, you can’t use a mower to mulch the leaves that accumulate on an artificial lawn. You can use a leaf blower on an artificial lawn to push debris toward one area and then rake it up. The quality of the artificial lawn stays in better shape longer if a blower is used over a vacuum. If you want to retain the shape and sheen of your artificial grass, using the blower is the way to clean the debris from your turf efficiently.
Using a blower will also help retain your infill, but still, reduce the debris within the area. Part of routine care is to hose down the lawn. This action can help remove the things that vacuuming would have, like bacteria, dust, and dirt. If a HEPA quality experience is what you are looking for, there are solutions that can be purchased to use on your artificial grass. These cleaners are non-toxic and safe for pets and children. They are anti-microbial and offer sanitization. If you do have pets that use artificial grass, there are also urine neutralizers and odor defense types of cleaning products as well.
