Animal Mess on Your Artificial Grass Tennis Court? The Speediest Way to Resume Play

Those who have synthetic grass tennis courts know that regular cleaning can often sidestep the need for a more thorough wash. It can be as uncomplicated as going over the surface of the artificial turf with a soft-bristled broom (or even a leaf blower) so that organic debris are removed before the decomposition process can begin. But this is just regular cleaning. What if a certain section of the court requires actual disinfection? Maybe it's your own dog or cat who has had an unfortunate accident and mistaken the artificial turf for real lawn, or perhaps it was a possum or neighbourhood cat that happened to wander across the court at night. In any event, the need to remove faecal matter from the surface of your artificial turf requires more than a broom or a leaf blower. Follow these steps to get your turf clean again. 

Keep the Area Clear

It's a good idea to tell your family to stay off the court until you've had a chance to clean it, and pets should be kept indoors if you're going to use a chemical cleaning agent.

Scooping Up the Bulk

The mess should be gently scooped up and disposed of. Use a plastic trowel or spade to do this. Metal could cut the individual blades of artificial grass as well as the base material. Anything that remains visible on the grass could be dabbed up with a thick wad of kitchen towel.

Hosing the Area

You now need to add water. A controlled blast from the garden hose will do the trick to dislodge any remnants of mess you've not been able to pick up, but be careful where you position yourself. You don't want to encounter splashback from water that can still contain trace amounts of faecal matter. Watch your feet too, so you're not standing in a pool of this potentially contaminated water.

Cleaning Solutions

Although an application of diluted bleach will disinfect the area, you need to be cautious about damaging or discolouring the artificial turf. If you cannot locate the information as to whether the use of any strength of bleach is discouraged on your particular turf (check with the manufacturer or installer), you might want to play it safe and pick up an antimicrobial cleaning solution designed especially for artificial turf, which can be sprayed straight on. If you opt for diluted bleach, perform a spot check in an inconspicuous area of the artificial turf (such as at the very edge).

Extra Vigilance

This is essentially all that is required, but if you want to be extra vigilant, you can wash the area with detergent and water once the antimicrobial cleaner (or diluted bleach) has dried. Make sure you use a biodegradable detergent with a low level of phosphates to minimise the impact of any runoff.

Animal mess on your artificial turf tennis court can be unsightly as well as unhygienic, but cleanup can be easy with these tips.