One of the main reasons homeowners love synthetic turf is that it always looks lush, green, and inviting with very little maintenance. Unlike natural grass lawns that require regular mowing, edging, fertilizing, aerating, weeding, pesticide application, and irrigation, manufactured grass, in most cases, needs just the occasional rinsing, raking, and fluffing to keep it looking its best.

An important part of maintaining artificial grass is knowing how to rebloom turf, since erect blades are part of what makes your fake grass look real. It is not difficult to fluff up artificial turf and, depending on the size of your lawn, should not take much time.

Most homeowners can fluff their lawn 2-4 times a year to keep it looking great. In some cases, homeowners may need to fluff it more often. For example, if you have a kiddie pool or above-ground pool on your lawn, you will find that the blades have flattened underneath the weight when you move it. Or if you have kids and dogs that use your lawn daily, you may find spots where they normally lay or roll around have flattened some. Another spot that might need more frequent fluffing is any heavily used walking path through your lawn that sees a lot of traffic.

Regardless of the reason you need to rebloom turf, it is a simple and straight-forward process. When you have noticed your lawn getting a little flat and decide it is time to fluff it, this is also a good time to complete some other artificial lawn maintenance tasks to improve the look and longevity of your turf. So, we will go over these tasks, as well as tips for how best to fluff artificial turf.

5 Steps for Cleaning and Fluffing Turf

1. Clear the clutter.

Before you can fluff your lawn, you need to first remove any items that are on it. This might be dog toys, patio furniture, planters, yoga mats, or anything else that has been left on the lawn by a person or pet who was enjoying it.

Since you are clearing items from your lawn, this is a good time to see if any of this stuff is just clutter that needs to be put away elsewhere. This is also a good time to consider freshening the look of your outdoor living area by rearranging furniture or adding a deck box for storage.

2. Remove debris and rinse.

Use a leaf blower to remove debris, such as leaves and twigs. Next, use your garden hose to rinse down your lawn in order to remove any smaller debris or dust from the blades of grass. If you have pets that use the lawn as a restroom, remove any solid waste before spraying down your grass with a hose. This is also a good time to seek out any areas frequently used for urination. These spots might need a little extra cleaning or deodorization. If so, you can use a microbe-based product like Urine Zero. It is best to apply Urine Zero after you have rebloomed your turf. 

3. Pull weeds, tuck the edges, and magnetic sweep.

Synthetic lawns may reduce the overall amount of weeds, however, they certainly do not inhibit weeds. Weeds are inevitable. If you have weed cloth installed, issues with weed growth will be reduced but you will find that weeds occasionally come up along the edges or throughout your lawn in some cases when seeds are dropped from birds or trees overhead. This is also a great time to tuck the turf edges back down which may have come loose over time. Once the edges have been secured you can utilize a magnetic sweeper by running it over your turf to remove any unwanted and/or dangerous metal objects which may have come loose over time such as nails, staples, etc.

4. Look for buckling, damage, or seams.

Since you are already walking around your lawn removing debris and pulling weeds, now is also a good time to keep an eye out for any damage or areas that need repair. This might be a tear from heavy use, a burnt spot from an ember from your fire pit, or a seam that needs attention. If you find damage, contact your turf installer to have them come out to assist you with the repair. Keeping your lawn well maintained and damage free is important to the longevity of your investment, so do not put off repairs.

5. Rebloom turf.

Now that your lawn is clean, it is time for the final step in the grooming process: fluffing. To fluff up artificial turf, all you need is a broom, brush or a plastic rake. The most important thing to remember is to never use a metal rake or a broom or brush with metal bristles. Metal can tear your lawn or damage your grass blades, so avoid it completely.

If you would like to use something you already have on hand, look for a broom with long bristles. Take your broom, brush or a plastic rake and brush against the grain of your turf to bring the blades back to an upright position. This helps make your lawn look real, helps your grass blades wear more evenly, and helps make your lawn look more inviting.

If you would like a tool specifically made for this purpose, you can purchase or rent a power broom, which is what a professional turf cleaning company would use if you hired your turf installer to come back to fluff your turf. A power broom makes fluffing blades and removing pet hair much easier and faster.