Artificial lawns are becoming more popular than ever before. People realize that you don’t need an actual lawn to have an outdoor space in your home. Instead, you can buy artificial grass and create that space. Artificial lawns are a great way to get an outdoor area without worrying about constant maintenance. That being said, dog pee may cause difficulties with certain types of artificial grass. Let’s take a look at why this is the case.
Why Does Dog Pee Ruin Artificial Grass?
Dog urine can range from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline (between pH 5.5-pH 8). If your artificial grass does not have proper backing underneath it, this can result in the urine getting trapped and absorbed, leading to unpleasant smells being released. An excellent example of appropriate backing is polyurethane. This is because it doesn’t absorb moisture, meaning you can clean it easily without worrying about your lawn still having traces of urine.
Types of Artificial Grass
You may be wondering what the best artificial grass for dog urine is. Luckily, it’s much easier to find an artificial grass resistant to the damage caused by dog urine than to find an artificial grass that doesn’t get ruined by dog pee.
When it comes down to it, what backing you have on your artificial grass matters the most regarding the effect dog urine has. Artificial grass can either come with latex backing or polyurethane (PU) backing.
As stated above, polyurethane backing doesn’t absorb liquids, meaning dog urine can be drained, although it should still be cleaned for hygiene reasons.
Latex backing, on the other hand, absorbs liquids and, left uncleaned, can cause the dog’s urine to crystallize and start to smell. In addition, polyurethane grass is weather-resistant, unlike latex backing, which can expand and contract based on temperature.
What to Do When Dog Pee ruins your Artificial Grass
If your artificial turf has pee on it, then there are a few things that you can do to resolve this. Firstly, you need to clean up as much of the dog pee as possible; you can use a garden hose or just a bucket of water to rinse it off. This will help to reduce the amount of urine collected in the grass.
However, you should note that cleaning up the pee will not completely solve the problem. The pee still needs to be eliminated from the turf; you may need to use a product or a home solution that you can find online.
Final Word: Should You Buy an Artificial Lawn or Install a Real Lawn?
In the end, it comes down to personal preference. If you’re okay with cleaning up after your dog and willing to put in a little work to keep your artificial lawn green and clean, then artificial grass might be for you.
However, if you’d rather have a clean-cut lawn that requires little effort on your part, you may want to consider installing natural grass instead.
Both options have many pros and cons, and you may want to install a natural lawn and artificial grass in your yard to get the best of both worlds. Another thing to consider is during warmer seasons; artificial grass is a lot hotter on your dog’s paws than natural grass. Artificial grass is an effective alternative to a lawn, but it can’t compare to a natural garden’s look, feel, and smell.
We hope you found this article helpful.
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