A variety of material can cover courts: soil, mud, fallen debris from nearby trees, splashing from watering systems, or even chemicals. Over time, grass or moss can also appear in the interstices of the tiles. You can use leaf blower or a high-pressure cleaner for maintenance. A neutral detergent diluted in water may also help with the cleaning. A damaged tile can be easily replaced. In general, plastic tiles need the least maintenance compared to other surface types. The lifetime of a plastic surface depends mainly upon its quality and usage. In general, a normal plastic surface used intensively will last at least 15-20 years before replacement of the material is required.

Acrylic sport surfaces are very durable and require little maintenance. Basic cleaning will go a long way in preventing premature wear and staining. Watch for evidence of mold or mildew in shaded areas and corners where organic debris tends to accumulate. Indoor courts require both frequent vacuuming and at least one annual wet cleaning with mild detergent solution and soft bristled equipment. Acrylic coatings do not support fungus growth, so growth of fungus or mold is a result from food and drink spills, decaying matter, or other foreign materials on the surface feeding these organisms.

To remove mold, fungus and other organisms on the acrylic surface use: 1) 2 parts household bleach, mixed with 1 part water. Use this solution to treat affected areas. Scrub gently with soft bristled brush and rinse thoroughly after a few minutes. 2) Rinsing court with water is usually sufficient for general cleaning. If there are visible stains on the court surface, a mild detergent can be applied prior to gentle scrubbing with a soft bristled brush.

Rain showers help clean your court. However, dirt accumulates in standing water, leaving stains and piles of debris. This acts like sandpaper under the players’ feet and creates abrasion on the surface. Remove water from birdbaths as often as possible. Leaves and pine needles not only can stain your court, but also are breeding grounds for mold and mildew. It is especially important to remove leaves in the fall and keep your court free of debris all winter.

Use soft nylon or hair-type brooms for scrubbing your surface. Scrubbing too hard with hard bristles can damage the surface. When using a pressure washer, limit pressure and do not hold tip too close to the surface, or coatings can be damaged. Surface pressure washers save time and do not leave a stripes like hand wands.

The lifetime of an acrylic surface depends upon its quality, usage, and its level of maintenance. In general, a normal acrylic surface used intensively will last 6 to 8 years before resurfacing is required.

Synthetic surfaces are made of extremely durable polymers, designed to satisfy all climatic criteria and withstanding constant spike use. However, there is no such thing as a maintenance-free sports surface and a regular check (once a year) and maintenance of the synthetic surface is necessary to preserve the suitability of the surface for its designed use.

Sweep leaves and other detritus from the surface. Clean the surface to remove contaminants such as grime, algae, moss, sand, etc. Apply prophylactic treatments of moss-killer and/or algaecide. Periodically remove weed growth from the perimeter kerb lines.

The lifetime of a rubber surface depends upon its quality, usage, and its level of maintenance. In general, a normal rubber surface used intensively will last 15 years before retopping is required.

It is recommended that every turf system goes through a routine grooming after every 40 hours of use. This equates to usually once every two weeks.

1. Grooming of infill and turf
   • Combing through your infill keeps your infill layer even across the surface. It will keep fibers extended and standing upright. This will ensure proper footing, ball bounce, gmax, and overall aesthetic appeal.
   • Grooming can be accomplished using nylon or polypropylene bristle as well as a comb-like attachment. The brush shall contain NO metal fibers as these could fall out during grooming.
   • You may require additional infill (commonly known as a top off) throughout your field’s life, especially in high traffic areas such as goal mouths/lines, sidelines, field entries and exits, and centerfield. These are places that see the most amount of concentrated play or foot traffic.
2. Disinfecting the surface
   • A field can be compared to a bathtub drain. The term blood, sweat, and tears is an accurate depiction of what is left on a synthetic turf field. These items are likely all found within your turf/infill. Athlete’s sweat, spit, and bleeds on these fields as they put it all on the line to win a game. Rain and sun can only do so much to a field so it’s important to occasionally spray a disinfectant on your field to keep it clean.
3. Repairing seams
   • By spotting and repairing broken seams early, you can prevent greater future damage. It’s not uncommon for a seam to come apart especially in high traffic areas. It’s important that when it does you repair it quickly. Not repairing a seam can lead to a larger tear in the future, or worse it could lead to injury.
4. Stain/Debris removal
   • A majority of fields are installed outside. As a result, you will often see debris on the field such as leaves, trash, equipment parts like screws, nuts, or nails, or harder to remove items such as chewing gum, grease, and oil.
   • There is equipment available that sweeps a field with magnets while grooming the turf/infill. These magnets will pick up loose debris that could pose a safety hazard for your athletes. Hair pins, nuts, screws, and other loose metal objects will be picked up by the magnet before leading to possible injury.
   • Chewing gum and sunflower seeds are discouraged on synthetic fields (yeah, and so is bringing food into a movie theatre but we know people do it). Use approved cleaners to remove items such as chewing gum, equipment oil/grease, or other potentially staining objects.

The lifetime of an artificial turf surface depends upon its quality, usage, and its level of maintenance. In general, a normal artificial turf surface used intensively will last 10 to 12 years before renovation is required.

Brush and water as desired. Brushing helps redistribute the top-dressing material across the court surface. When wet, brushing will help lift more of the loose top dressing out of the fibers and dry the court out. Brushing can be done as needed before or after play.

The lifetime of a hybrid sand surface depends upon its quality, usage, and its level of maintenance. In general, a normal hybrid sand surface used intensively will last at least 20 years before replacement is required.

Brush to redistribute the top dressing that has come loose due to wind or play. Water the court to keep it firm and stable, providing proper traction for the players. If the court already seems moist, this can be skipped. In most cases, clay courts are watered twice a day.

The lifetime of a clay surface depends upon its quality, usage, and its level of maintenance. In general, a well-maintenanced clay court will last as long as it needs to be in use.

Regular cleaning and maintenance of your tennis carpet is a precondition for durability! Please make sure that only non-profiled tennis shoes with bright soles are being used on the court.

The carpet should be cleaned with a brush hoover. The frequency of hoovering depends on the intensity of use and the degree of dirtyness – it should however be done at least every two weeks! The peripheral areas may be cleaned with an ordinary cylinder hoover. When hoovering the courts, look out for protruding pile threads, which should be cut off with a pile scissors. First of all, check the base and the service lines, since these areas a most subject to damages.

For the removal of stains caused by liquids or coloured abrasion, you should as a rule: first use mild cleaning agents and only, if necessary, apply stronger detergents. For example, a stain, which does not disappear only by brush hoovering, should first be treated with clear water before using a chemical substance. This detergent should be sprayed on a remainder piece of carpet, which is then used to rub away the stain. Tennis carpets often show whitish streaks of the fibres, due to strong mechanical impact, e.g., from racket hits or sharp shoe edges. Such extreme impacts cause a partial melting of the fibre filaments when the melting point of the fibre material is surpassed. Very bad streaks may be treated separately with a brush, thus decomposing the fibre conglutination and making the streak disappear.

The lifetime of a carpet surface depends upon its quality, usage, and its level of maintenance. In general, a normal carpet surface used intensively will last at least 20 years before replacement is required.