Dog urine smell can be an issue with almost all softscapes and hardscapes used in landscaping. Natural grass lawns, bare dirt, concrete patios, paving stone walkways and artificial grass can all acquire an unpleasant aroma if they are regularly used as a restroom area by your dogs.

There are several important factors in managing the smell of dog urine in your yard.

1. Ensure that your dog’s restroom areas have good drainage. This requires proper grading and base compaction regardless of your surface material. Artificial grass usually has better drainage than natural grass, so opting for synthetic turf can help ensure better drainage for pet restroom areas.
2. Be proactive. A helpful way to make sure your lawn or patio does not smell like dog urine is to regularly rinse the area after your dog uses it. If possible, it is always best to immediately rinse down these areas, but that – of course – is not always possible. The next best option is to simply add this to your list of chores so that you remember to hose down dog areas regularly. You are essentially trying to push the urine down the drain and/or disperse/dissipate its concentration. Keep in mind that hosing/rinsing does not eliminate the urine smell, it only lessens its potency.
3. The absolute best way to manage and permanently remove the awful urine smell from your artificial grass is to use a product like Urine Zero which neutralizes & eliminates the unwanted urine odors from their source. Other “solutions” on the market simply mask the odors as opposed to eradicating the odor from its origin so it’s actually gone and not temporarily covered up. We recommend keeping a bottle at your disposal so you can easily treat the problem areas keeping your outdoor living space smelling fresh.

Preventing Urine Smell in Artificial Grass

Another benefit of choosing artificial grass is that there are extra steps that can be taken to avoid dog urine smells. Be sure to let your installer know that you have pets that will be using the lawn as a restroom. This will allow them to discuss options with you, such as not installing weed fabric which can make the problem worse by adsorbing the urine in the fabric, to installing a more robust drainage system that will allow for the urine to be properly washed away. Turf deodorizes are often installed as well, however, these tend to be in the masking camp as opposed to the removal camp. Meaning, they really don’t work all that well.

When people complain that their synthetic turf smells like dog urine, it is often the case that these steps were not taken during the installation process.

Removing Dog Urine Smell from Artificial Grass

If your artificial turf lawn was installed without these features or you have not been able to regularly rinse your grass with water, you may notice a dog urine smell in particular areas. If so, it may be more noticeable on hot days.

There are many products available that can help with this issue. One of the reasons folks choose synthetic turf is to avoid the chemical herbicides and pesticides often used on natural grass lawns; therefore, when it comes to urine smell removal, we recommend using natural products as well, some of which are highly effective. However, when shopping for any pet odor removal product, one of the most important considerations is finding an option that actually removes the source of the smell – rather than simply masking the odor.

One product (as we mentioned above) that is both natural and effective is Urine Zero, which is a pet odor remover for artificial grass and other landscaping surfaces. This product introduces microbes to the area. Once in place, these microbes ingest the urea that causes the unpleasant ammonia smell in pet areas, thus, removing the source of the odor permanently.

If you plan on using synthetic grass in a dog run or another area where it will definitely be used for pet relief, we highly recommend adding the odor-preventing steps mentioned above during the installation process and keeping a product like Urine Zero on hand to help ensure your satisfaction with your artificial grass.

Manufactured turf is a great, low-maintenance option for pet play areas, dog runs and lawn areas. You just have to keep in mind that, like with almost any other softscape or hardscape, all pet owners have to be proactive to ward off unwanted odors from urine. It is always easier to manage this potential issue with preemptive solutions than to let the problem linger until it is more difficult to resolve. With proper installation and a little maintenance, you can enjoy a beautiful, lush lawn without dog urine odors.

• Buy Urine Zero Here

Does Artificial Grass Smell with Dogs: Additional Reading

• How to Get Rid of the Urine Smell From Artificial Grass
• Artificial Grass Maintenance: How to Clean Artificial Grass Guide
• Dog Run Ideas: How to Build a Backyard Dog Run {Guide}
• Pet Odor Eliminator: How to Get Rid of Pet Odors?
• What is the Best Carpet Cleaner for Pets?
• How to Remove Urine Smell from Carpet