Through various methods of measurement, researchers concluded that synthetic turf systems are not inherently ‘dirty’, but performed better than natural sod when observed in controlled studies. However, the survival of bacteria is largely reliant on the availability of nutrients, and while artificial grass has no organic matter for bacterial growth, bodily fluids such as mucus can be a nutrient source.For this reason, applications indoors and/or with high traffic – either from kids, athletes, or pets – are recommended to utilize a combination of preventative measures to further inhibit the survival of harmful microorganism; this includes installing a silver-ion infused synthetic turf, applying a topical enzymatic cleaning solution as needed or on a semi-regular basis, and, where applicable and possible, a UV-C light treatment.As an example, the “National Football League (NFL) does not require the treatment of outdoor playing fields for either [Staph] or Covid‐19, but do suggest indoor surfaces be treated with a spray disinfectant periodically and allow UV‐C light applications indoors as a supplement to spray applications” (McNitt et al., 2020).

In the wake of a pandemic, health and safety are top of mind. When choosing artificial grass for your projects, you can rest assured that minimal bacterial growth occurs with any synthetic turf and is easily killed with topical cleaners or even just UV-C and high-temperature exposure. Purchase Green’s antimicrobial artificial grasses go a step further with the addition of bacteria-destroying silver ions.