Cleaning vs. Replacing Artificial Turf: Which One Actually Saves You Money?

If your turf is smelling like a dog run, looking dull, or lying flat instead of standing up, it's easy to assume it's time to replace it. Most of the time, it isn't. Here in Colorado Springs, we get called out to a lot of yards where the owner is already pricing new turf, and more often than not, what they actually need is a good deep clean.

What replacement actually costs

New artificial turf installed in Colorado Springs typically runs $10 to $15 per square foot once you factor in tearing out the old turf, base prep, materials, and labor. For a typical backyard, that lands somewhere in the $3,000 to $8,000+ range, plus a few days of your yard being torn up.

A professional deep clean and odor treatment runs $300 to $500 and is usually finished in one visit. That's a big enough gap that it's worth ruling out cleaning first.

What a deep clean actually fixes

Most of the "my turf is ruined" calls we get turn out to be maintenance issues, not turf failure:

Dog urine smell. This is ammonia salts and bacteria built up in the backing, not a sign the turf itself is bad. A proper odor extraction clears it out.

Faded, dull color. Usually just dust and grime coating the blades. Once it's cleaned off, the green comes back.

Flat, matted patches. The fibers are compacted, not dead. Power brooming stands them back up.

Water pooling or draining slowly. That's almost always clogged infill, and it's fixable with a vacuum extraction.

Turf feels thin or gritty. Infill has shifted or compacted, and a top-up solves it.

If what you're dealing with is one of these, replacement would be solving the wrong problem. Our artificial turf cleaning service handles all of it in a single visit.

When you actually do need to replace it

Cleaning can't fix physical damage. Replacement is the right call when:

The turf is torn, unraveling, or coming apart at the seams

The blades are permanently flattened and won't stand back up even after brooming, usually turf that's past its 10 to 15 year lifespan

There's a base problem underneath, like sunken spots, exposed backing, or drainage that was never installed correctly

Even in those cases, it's worth getting a professional opinion before you spend the money. If a clean won't fix it, we'll tell you that straight. We'd rather you trust us and come back next time than sell you something you don't need. When replacement genuinely is the answer, we handle artificial turf installation too, including hauling off the old turf.

The quick way to tell

Smell, color, matting, or drainage means clean it. Torn and aged turf or a failed base means replace it.

Most yards fall into the first category. It's the cheaper fix, it takes a fraction of the time, and it keeps a perfectly good piece of turf out of the landfill.

Bottom line

Don't jump straight to replacement. Before you spend thousands on new turf, find out what a deep clean can do. Chances are, your yard has plenty of life left in it. See our cleaning packages and pricing or get a free quote and let us help you find out what your turf actually needs.