Is Using Faux Grass As Carpet A Unique Design Idea Or A Cleaning Nightmare?
You may have noticed a recent trend of people using synthetic grass in place of traditional carpeting in the home. Artificial grass delivers a beautiful color to your yard all year around, but installing artificial grass has other potential benefits, too. These include minimizing the amount of maintenance you must do and being easy to clean. But do those same benefits apply when you install the faux turf indoors?
Even when used indoors, synthetic turf is easy to maintain in most cases. You are able to run a vacuum cleaner over the top to remove most types of debris, just like you would with carpeting. The artificial turf installed indoors likely won't have a rubber crumb or sand infill installed, so you don't have to worry about the vacuum removing this infill. When made for indoor use, these faux turf products often have a foam or rubber backing layer for cushioning instead of requiring infill.
However, many rolls of synthetic grass are made to drain fast, so they don't allow rainwater to pool on them. Some models even have tiny holes in the backing layer for drainage. If you install a roll in a bedroom or basement at your home, it's possible that the permeable backing could allow dust to bleed through before you have a chance to vacuum it. But this doesn't have to become a cleaning nightmare; if you love the idea of faux grass inside, you'll just have to run the vacuum cleaner more often.
Tips for cleaning indoor artificial turf installations
Even though vacuuming is the best way to clean the synthetic turf installed inside your home, you do want to do this carefully. Try to avoid using the strongest level of suction on the vacuum or using a machine with a rotating brush bar, as this could pull individual yarns out of the artificial grass backing layer. The better option is to use a brush attachment on the vacuum hose, as this will be less stressful on the individual yarns.
If you experience other stains on the artificial grass installation because a child spills something on it or because your dog mistakes the bedroom fake grass for real grass outdoors, you can rely on a few cleaning techniques. Things like food, dog poop, or sauces could stain the turf if you don't clean up immediately. Blot the area with a paper towel to remove excess liquid and solids. Then try to wash the blades with a water-dampened rag. If that doesn't work, create a paste from baking soda and water and let it sit on the stain for a minute before wiping it away with the wet rag.
If you're having problems with odors, you can use gentle powdered carpet deodorizer products, which you can purchase at Amazon for a little more than $5 per box, at the time of writing. Follow the directions on the box, which often involve sprinkling the powder onto the floor before vacuuming it 30 minutes later.
What to consider before installing faux turf indoors
Artificial grass indoors is far from traditional, but it does create a unique design. If you have a kid who loves to play outdoors or is a huge fan of field sports, you might want to consider installing faux turf in the bedroom to create a unique theme that the child will love. For a golfer who wants to create a distinct themed media room for watching tournaments on TV or for use with a golf simulator, the roll of artificial turf is a great selection to enhance the aesthetics of the room, while also creating a useful surface. With the right roll of synthetic turf, you can even make an indoor putting green to go alongside your golf swing simulator. These are all great reasons to go ahead with the design choice.
The main disadvantage of using this material in place of a carpet is the comfort level. Some types of synthetic grass may have a texture that almost feels rough on the skin, especially if it consists of nylon. You may want to stick with polyethylene plastic in the blades of faux grass to ensure a higher level of comfort. Polypropylene plastic also has some benefits when used in place of carpeting indoors, but it can be slippery in areas where kids may be running and playing.