How to keep your turf
looking new for 15+ years.

Artificial turf doesn't need much. A weekly rinse, a monthly brush, attention to high-traffic spots, and you're ahead of 90% of yards. Skip those and you cut years off the install.

Foot traffic and pet use lay turf blades flat over time. A monthly brush against the grain stands them back up — the install looks new again in five minutes.

• Tool: stiff synthetic-bristle broom (never metal — it tears the blades).
• Direction: against the grain, in long even strokes.
• Frequency: high-traffic zones weekly. Low-traffic monthly. After any heavy event (party, kids, dog daycare), one quick pass.
• Power broom: rent annually ($60/day from any landscape supply) for a full-yard reset.

Salem-Portland rain handles most of the work nine months a year. Where you have to step in: dry zones (covered patios, under trees, eaves), pet zones, and pollen season.

• Standard rinse: 30–60 seconds with a garden hose, light pressure. No pressure washer.
• Pollen season (March–May): weekly rinse — Pacific Northwest pollen mats blades if it sits.
• Pet zones: weekly rinse minimum. Daily for kennel use. See Pet yards below.
• What not to do: never pressure-wash. It blasts infill out and damages the backing.

The single biggest reason pet yards smell isn't pet urine — it's urine that didn't drain through plus bacterial growth in the infill. Right product + right infill + weekly rinse and you go years without odor.

• Right product: pet-engineered turf with 100% perforated backing — Pup Turf is built for this.
• Right infill: antimicrobial / zeolite-based (not cheap silica). It neutralizes ammonia at the source instead of masking it. Antimicrobial Pet Infill.
• Weekly rinse: 30-second hose pass.
• Monthly deep clean: enzymatic cleaner on heavy-use zones. Enzymatic Pet Cleaner, diluted 1:16, sprayed and rinsed.
• For chronic markers: 1:10 white vinegar + water spray as a spot treatment between deep cleans. Safe for blades and infill.
• Never: bleach (bleaches the blades), pine cleaners (residue traps odor), or steam (can melt blades).

Most stains lift if you catch them in the first 24 hours.

The Pacific Northwest care calendar is different from California or Arizona. Here's what to do when.

Infill is what holds your blades upright and ballasts the turf in place. Over time, heavy traffic redistributes it — usually away from the high-use zones and toward the edges.

• Annual check: press your boot into the turf at the high-use area. If blades lie flat under your foot and don't spring back, infill is low.
• Top-up: spread fresh infill with a drop spreader (rent for $30), then brush against the grain to settle it in.
• Standard rate: 1.5 lbs/sqft residential, 2 lbs/sqft pet, 1 lb/sqft for sport infill-free systems (rare).
• What we stock: Silica Sand Infill for residential. Antimicrobial Pet Infill for pet zones.

• Reflected sunlight from low-e windows or glass railings can focus into a beam hot enough to melt blades in under a minute. If you have a south-facing low-e window adjacent to turf, install a screen or tint.
• Open flames + cigarettes. Turf is fire-rated (Class A) but blades will scorch from direct contact. No tiki torches, no cigarettes flicked onto the surface, no fire pits within 3 feet.
• Pressure washers. Blast out infill, damage backing seams. Use a garden hose.
• Sharp metal tools. Rakes, edgers, snow shovels — all tear the backing. Plastic only.
• Petroleum products. Spilled gas, motor oil, lighter fluid — these degrade the backing. Blot immediately with paper towels, then dish soap + water.
• Heavy stationary loads. Trampolines and above-ground pools compress infill into permanent depressions. Move them every few months or rotate location annually.
• Sprinkler overspray. Tap-water minerals deposit on blades over years. Cap or redirect sprinklers that hit turf.

For small tears, burns, or seam separations under 12 inches, the repair is straightforward.

1. Identify the damaged area. Trim any frayed blades flush with the turf surface using sharp scissors.
2. Cut a patch from a turf scrap (you should have leftover from the install — we always leave you some). Match the blade direction.
3. Lay seam tape under the cut edges with the adhesive side up. Run a bead of turf seam adhesive down the tape.
4. Press the patch down, weight it with sandbags for 24 hours, then brush against the grain.

• Annual deep clean — power broom + redistribution + spot disinfect. ~$0.18/sqft.
• Kennel deep clean — quarterly recommended for boarding facilities. Includes enzymatic flush + antimicrobial top-up.
• Repair seams that have opened beyond 12 inches.
• Address standing water — usually a base drainage issue, not a turf issue.
• Diagnose smell that persists after rinses + cleaner. Usually traces back to install (wrong infill, missing perforation, base drainage), not turf itself.

We do all the above in Salem-Portland. Outside our service radius? We'll walk you or your local landscaper through the playbook — tap Turfy in the corner.

Manufacturer warranties (10–20 years on Rainline turf) require reasonable care. Specifically, not:

• Using pressure washers, metal tools, or harsh solvents
• Exposing turf to flames, melting agents, or focused reflected sunlight
• Letting pet waste sit for extended periods without rinsing (pet warranties only)
• Modifying the install (seams, edging, base) without manufacturer authorization

Follow this guide and you're inside the warranty envelope. Questions about coverage? Email hello@rainlineturf.com or ask Turfy 🌱.