Artificial turf is a dream for pet owners — no mud, no dead patches, no mowing. But there's one downside nobody warns you about until it's too late: synthetic grass can trap pet odour far more stubbornly than natural lawn ever did. If your beautiful backyard turf has started smelling more like a kennel than a garden, here's what's actually happening, and how to fix it properly.

Why Artificial Turf Holds Onto Odour

Unlike natural soil, which absorbs and breaks down urine over time through microbial activity, synthetic turf and its infill are largely inert. Urine soaks down through the blades and pools around the infill granules and backing, where it dries and leaves behind ammonia and bacteria. Every time it rains, or the sprinkler runs, or the surface warms up in the sun, that trapped residue reactivates — releasing odour right back into the air.

Simply hosing turf down helps dilute the smell temporarily, but it rarely reaches deep enough to eliminate the source, especially in busy "toilet spots" that get repeat visits from the same pet.

What Actually Works: Treating the Source, Not the Surface

The key to permanently fresh turf is a two-part approach: active odour elimination and long-term prevention.

1. Active Odour Elimination — smellBgone SYNTURF

smellBgone SYNTURF is a concentrated formula built specifically to penetrate artificial turf and infill, rather than sitting on top of it. It's antibacterial, effectively killing bacteria such as E-coli and staphylococcus aureus, and it deodorises with a fresh forest pine and eucalyptus fragrance rather than a chemical cover-up scent.

Because it's a concentrate, it goes a long way — a 2 litre bottle makes up to 20 litres of ready-to-use product, and a 5 litre bottle stretches to 50 litres. Simply dilute with water and apply using a watering can, pressure sprayer or foaming gun for even coverage across large areas.

It's non-toxic, environmentally friendly and Australian made, and it's also used well beyond backyards — in kennels, dog play areas, schools, veterinary clinics and grooming centres where hygiene and odour control both matter.

2. Long-Term Prevention — smellBgone PETFILL

Once your turf is properly clean, the next step is stopping the problem from building up again. smellBgone PETFILL is a permanent infill designed to replace or supplement standard sand or rubber infill. Made from an organic mineral compound (hydrated calcium potassium sodium aluminosilicates, if you want the technical name), it actively absorbs ammonia from urine, breaking down urea before it has the chance to turn into odour.

It looks and feels just like sand, is completely safe for pets and kids, and is designed to give you years of odour-free turf rather than a temporary fix.

A Simple Turf Maintenance Routine

• Weekly: Hose down high-traffic toilet areas to remove loose debris and dilute surface residue.
• Monthly (or as needed): Apply smellBgone SYNTURF to deep-clean and deodorise, particularly in warmer months when odour tends to intensify.
• At installation or top-up: Use smellBgone PETFILL as your infill of choice to prevent odour build-up from the start.

Freshness That Lasts

The difference between turf that smells fresh year-round and turf that becomes a source of embarrassment usually comes down to whether you're treating the cause or just the symptoms. Combining a concentrated deep-clean with a preventative infill gives you both — an immediate fix and a long-term solution.

Explore smellBgone SYNTURF or enquire about smellBgone PETFILL for your next turf project.