How to Clean Dog Urine from Fake Grass the Right Way

Still smelling dog pee on your artificial turf—no matter how often you rinse, scrub, or spray? You’re not alone—and no, you’re not doing it wrong. You’ve just never been shown what actually works.

This guide is built for dog owners who’ve tried everything but still can’t get rid of the smell. Drawing on years of hands-on experience helping turf owners clean, maintain, and troubleshoot their synthetic lawns, we’ll show you how to clean fake grass the right way—and keep it clean.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• A step-by-step method to clean dog urine from artificial grass effectively
• Which turf cleaning products actually work—and which ones don’t
• Common mistakes that make turf smell worse over time
• Why fake grass traps odor, and how urine builds up in the turf system
• Whether dog urine can damage artificial grass—and how to prevent it
• Proven prevention strategies that stop the smell from coming back
• And why consistency, not just chemicals, is the real long-term fix

If you’re tired of wasting time and money on half-solutions, this is your full-field fix. Trusted by real turf owners, built on what actually works, and ready to help you reclaim a yard that smells as good as it looks.

Step-by-Step: How to Clean Dog Urine from Artificial Grass?

Cleaning dog urine from artificial grass takes more than just a quick rinse. To truly remove odors and avoid long-term damage, each step matters. In this section, we’ll walk you through a complete cleaning process—from the moment your dog pees to the final rinse. You’ll learn when to act, what to use, and how often to repeat it. Here’s how to do it right:

1. Rinse the Area Immediately After Your Dog Pees

The sooner you rinse, the better. Urine can quickly soak through turf fibers and into the infill layer, where it starts to break down and smell.

Use a garden hose with decent pressure, not just a trickle. Focus on the spots where your dog tends to pee. If you catch it fresh, a solid 30-second rinse is often enough to prevent most odors from forming. Waiting even a few hours can make cleanup harder and less effective.

2. Saturate the Turf with a Cleaning Solution

Rinsing helps, but it doesn’t remove the chemical compounds that cause odor. That’s where cleaning solutions come in.

You have two options here: enzyme-based cleaners or natural mixes like vinegar and water. Enzymes are ideal because they break down the uric acid crystals that water can’t touch. Make sure to soak the area, not just spray lightly. A proper saturation means the cleaner can reach the backing and infill where urine tends to linger.

Mix your product exactly as the label recommends. For vinegar, a 1:1 ratio with water is usually safe for synthetic turf.

3. Let the Cleaner Sit and Soak In

Don’t rush the process. After applying your cleaning solution, let it sit for at least 15 to 30 minutes. This allows the active agents to break down the odor molecules fully.

In hot or dry climates, shade the area or add a second light spray after 10 minutes to prevent early evaporation.

4. Rinse Again Thoroughly

Once the cleaner has done its job, rinse the area again—this time even more thoroughly than before.

You’re not just washing away the cleaner—you’re flushing out all the urine residue and broken-down compounds. If you used baking soda or powder-based cleaners, make sure no residue remains, as this can leave a visible film on your turf.

5. Repeat as Needed Based on Use and Weather

If your dog uses the turf daily, a light rinse every day and a full cleaning once a week is a good rule of thumb. In hotter months or if you have multiple dogs, you may need to clean more frequently.

Watch (and smell) the turf. If odors return sooner, your cleaning cycle may need to be tighter. Prevention through consistency is far easier than fixing a full-blown smell problem.

Beyond the routine, choosing the right method matters. Over the years, we’ve worked closely with hundreds of pet owners using artificial turf in a wide range of climates and living situations. Many of them have generously shared their real-world cleaning routines with us—what worked, what didn’t, and under what conditions.

To help you make informed, practical choices, we’ve compiled the most effective methods our customers rely on to control dog urine odor on synthetic grass. Whether you’re dealing with hot weather, multiple dogs, or tough stains, this table offers a quick comparison of approaches that have proven successful in real-life turf environments.

These recommendations are based on years of hands-on experience supporting Jcturf’s customers in real-life environments. While every yard is different, the methods above reflect what consistently works—and what our team stands behind.

Best Products to Remove Dog Urine Smell from Artificial Grass

If your artificial turf smells like dog urine, choosing the right cleaner can make a big difference. In this section, we’ll look at three of the most trusted products for removing pet odor from synthetic grass. Each has a unique formula, application method, and track record with dog owners. We’ll walk you through what they are, how they work, and when to use them:

• Odormute: a powdered enzyme cleaner with high user praise
• Uricide: a hose-end liquid formula designed for turf saturation
• Thornell K.O.E.: a strong odor eliminator used in veterinary spaces

Odormute – Enzyme Powder That Actually Works

Odormute is an enzyme-based powder that you mix with water. Unlike many surface sprays, this formula penetrates deeper and breaks down the urine compounds at the root—uric acid crystals and ammonia.

Users consistently report success with it on turf, especially in hot climates where smells get worse. It’s pet-safe when used correctly, and it works not only on turf but also on concrete, wood, and even indoor surfaces.

How to use: Mix according to the instructions (usually ¼ cup per gallon), and apply generously with a garden sprayer or watering can. For best results, use it after rinsing and allow it to soak in before a second rinse.

Uricide – Hose-End Cleaner for Turf and Soil Layers

Uricide is a liquid cleaner that connects directly to your garden hose. It’s made specifically for artificial grass and is designed to soak through the turf, backing, and into the infill or ground layer.

This deep penetration is what sets it apart. It doesn’t just mask odor; it targets bacteria and odor compounds below the surface.

How to use: Hook the bottle to your hose and spray evenly across the turf. Repeat 2–3 times in the first week if the smells are strong. After that, switch to a maintenance schedule (1x per week during warm seasons).

Thornell K.O.E. – Professional Grade Odor Neutralizer

Thornell’s Kennel Odor Eliminator (K.O.E.) is a professional-grade cleaner used in shelters and vet clinics. It’s highly concentrated and known for neutralizing strong animal odors, not just masking them.

This is a great choice for households with large dogs or multiple pets, especially if other products haven’t worked.

How to use: Dilute as directed, then apply using a sprayer or watering can. Let it sit for 20–30 minutes before rinsing. Safe for pets, but don’t let them back on the turf until it’s fully dry.

Mistakes to Avoid When Cleaning Dog Urine from Fake Grass

Even with the best cleaning products, dog urine odor can still linger on your fake grass if you’re making common mistakes. Avoiding these pitfalls is just as important as using the right method. Below are the most frequent errors homeowners and turf managers make—and what you should do instead.

1. Spraying too little water or cleaner.
   Light misting doesn’t work. If you’re not soaking the turf and the infill below it, the urine compounds will stay trapped and ferment. Always saturate the area deeply, especially if the smell keeps coming back.
2. Not rinsing thoroughly after using a cleaner.
   Even enzyme solutions need to be flushed out after they’ve done their job. Leftover residue can dry on the blades and attract new bacteria. Rinse again after every treatment, just as thoroughly as before.
3. Treating the turf but ignoring the underlayment.
   Most of the urine smell doesn’t sit on the surface—it’s trapped in the backing, infill, or even the base layer. Use products that can penetrate the layers (like Odormute or Uricide), and apply enough to reach below the blades.
4. Waiting too long before cleaning.
   If you wait hours or days, the urine dries and turns into crystals that are harder to dissolve. Clean the area as soon as possible after your dog urinates, ideally within 30 minutes.
5. Using harsh chemicals like bleach or ammonia.
   These might seem strong, but they can damage turf fibers and don’t break down odor-causing compounds. Worse, they can be unsafe for pets. Stick with enzyme cleaners or natural solutions like vinegar and baking soda.
6. Skipping regular maintenance.
   Cleaning once won’t fix everything. If your dog uses the area daily, buildup happens fast. Rinse daily and deep-clean weekly in hot weather or multi-pet households.

Why Dog Urine Smell Builds Up on Artificial Grass？

If your artificial grass smells like dog pee, no matter how often you clean it, you’re not alone. The smell of pet urine builds up on synthetic turf for a few specific, and often overlooked, reasons.

The main cause is urine penetration below the surface. Unlike natural soil, synthetic turf doesn’t absorb and break down urine. Instead, the liquid passes through the blades and sits in the infill layer, backing, or base material. If the turf isn’t properly drained—or if too little cleaner is used—the urine compounds stay trapped and begin to decompose.

As urine dries, it forms uric acid crystals, which are extremely stubborn. Water alone won’t remove them. They also react with heat and moisture, so if you live in a hot or humid area, the smell gets stronger over time. This is why even after rinsing, odors often return during the day.

Another reason is that many “pet-friendly” turf systems aren’t built to handle repeated exposure. Some use basic silica infill or low-permeability backings, which hold moisture and slow drainage. Over time, this leads to bacterial buildup, turning your lawn into a low-grade sponge for smells.

Finally, improper maintenance routines—like irregular rinsing or shallow cleanings—allow small amounts of residue to accumulate. These build up faster than you think, especially if multiple dogs are using the same space daily.

In short, artificial turf traps dog urine odors because it doesn’t flush or decompose waste like natural ground. Without deep cleaning, proper drainage, and the right materials underneath, smells are almost guaranteed to return.

Does Dog Urine Damage Artificial Grass?

Dog urine doesn’t burn or kill artificial grass like it does natural lawns, but under certain conditions, it can cause specific types of damage to your turf system.

First, there is minimal to no chemical reaction between urine and the synthetic blades themselves. Most turf fibers are made from polyethylene or similar plastics, which resist staining and do not absorb moisture. However, damage can still develop over time through less visible processes, particularly in the layers beneath the surface.

One example is discoloration of the infill. If your turf uses light-colored sand or low-quality rubber pellets, dog urine can cause staining and odor saturation that are extremely difficult—if not impossible—to eliminate completely.

Another concern is damage to the backing or seams. When urine accumulates in poorly drained areas, trapped moisture beneath the surface can, over time, weaken adhesives, soften the backing layers, and create an environment where bacteria and mold thrive—especially in warm, humid climates.

In rare cases, prolonged exposure to acidic urine in a concentrated spot—especially when combined with improper cleaning using harsh chemicals—may result in localized fiber degradation, particularly in lower-grade turf systems.

So, does dog urine damage artificial grass? Not instantly. But failure to clean it regularly—or using the wrong products—can significantly shorten the lifespan of your turf system and cause parts of it to look or smell worse long before they should.

How to Prevent Dog Urine Smell from Coming Back on Artificial Grass

Even after a deep clean, dog urine smell can come back quickly if your artificial grass isn’t built or maintained the right way. In this section, we’ll show you how to prevent urine odor from returning long-term. We’ll break it down into three key areas:

• Improving drainage for faster liquid removal
• Choosing the right infill to minimize odor retention
• Creating a consistent cleaning and maintenance routine

Improve Drainage to Flush Urine Out Effectively

Poor drainage is the most common reason urine smell lingers. If liquid can’t escape quickly, it pools in the backing or underlayment, creating a perfect environment for odor-causing bacteria.

Choose a turf system with a permeable backing and make sure the base layer beneath it has a proper slope. Crushed granite or class II road base often works better than plain sand or compacted soil. After installation, test drainage by dumping a bucket of water and watching how fast it disappears—slow absorption usually means a drainage issue.

Use the Right Infill to Prevent Odor Buildup

Not all infills are equal. Standard silica sand or rubber pellets tend to trap urine and odors over time. They also dry slowly, which makes things worse in hot weather.

For pet areas, use antimicrobial infills. These are designed to resist bacterial growth and help neutralize urine smell. Some even absorb ammonia and release it slowly to avoid sharp odor spikes.

Also, avoid using too much infill. A thick layer holds more liquid and makes rinsing less effective.

Set a Regular Turf Cleaning Schedule

Even with perfect drainage and premium infill, regular cleaning is what keeps odors under control.

Rinse the turf briefly every day if your dog uses it often. Once a week, do a deeper clean with an enzyme cleaner or a vinegar-based mix. During hotter months, increase the frequency to every 3–4 days.

Don’t wait until you smell something. Preventive maintenance is far more effective—and far less frustrating—than chasing a smell after it sets in.

Final Thoughts: A Clean Turf Starts With Smart Habits

Keeping artificial grass clean from dog urine isn’t just about finding the right product—it’s about building a simple, sustainable habit. The truth is, no cleaner can fully solve the problem if the turf doesn’t drain well, if the smell is ignored for too long, or if routines break down in hot weather.

The most common mistake we see isn’t picking the wrong enzyme—it’s thinking that a one-time spray will fix a long-term problem. Odor control for synthetic turf comes down to a few smart moves, done consistently: rinse fast, clean deep, use the right infill, and don’t skip maintenance just because the lawn “looks” clean.

If you’ve made it this far, you already know what works and what doesn’t. Now it’s about choosing what fits your yard, your dog, and your daily life—and sticking with it. That’s how clean, odor-free turf becomes your new normal, not just a lucky weekend win.

Looking for a Pet-Friendly Turf That Doesn’t Smell in the First Place?

If you’ve tried every cleaning method and your turf still smells, it might not be you—it might be the turf. Not all artificial grass is made with pets in mind. Some absorb moisture, trap odors, and need constant deep cleaning to stay usable.

At Jcturf, we design and manufacture pet turf that skips the stress. Our infill-free, fast-draining grass is built to stay dry, clean, and odor-free—even with daily use. No puddles. No lingering smells. Just soft, paw-safe comfort and easy rinse-off maintenance.If you’re ready to stop fighting odors and start fresh, see our pet-friendly turf, designed for real dogs, real messes, and real life.